Religious, secular groups in the European Union debate nod to God in Constitution

STRASBOURG, France (RNS) — As the European Union moves forward with long-term plans to broaden its membership, its leaders are struggling to encompass more ethnicities and religions under one banner than at any time since the Roman Empire.

One of the most heated arguments in the effort to create a pan-European constitution centers on whether it should mention God or religion in its preamble.

“We are seeing the tectonic plates of the world’s three major religions rubbing up against each other and shooting up sparks,” said Graham Watson, the European parliamentary leader of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party.

Disagreements pitting religious beliefs against secular values – affecting issues ranging from stem cell research and abortion to freedom of expression – are likely to multiply as the 15-nation European Union prepares to accept 10 more countries in May, growing in representation from 370 million people to 450 million.

The French, in particular, are set against mention of religion in the constitution. They defend their hard-won separation between church and state, which they view as part of their national identity.

The crux of the debate is the question of incorporating Muslims. Growing groups of Muslims live in many of the member countries, and their absorption has proven problematic.

The Muslim portion of Europe’s population, now estimated at 6 percent, would increase dramatically with the addition of Turkey and some of the Balkan states. To some European nationalists, that threatens a demographic upheaval, especially in Christian countries where fertility rates are flagging.