socialmedian: Italians reject crucifix ruling

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Italians reject crucifix ruling | Manuela Mesco

Source: The Guardian

Nov 04, 2009

Summary

The Italian public has united against the European court in its ruling against crucifixes in classrooms

The crucifix must disappear from Italian classrooms, the European court of human rights (ECHR) has ruled. It's a religious symbol that violates the right of parents to educate children according to their principles. "The court," reads the sentence "cannot see how the exposition in schools of a symbol that is reasonable to associate with Catholicism could serve pluralism in education, which is essential to preserve a democratic society."

This is not an unreasonable conclusion, and in fact in a pluralist society children should not be forced to attend schools where symbols not belonging to their religion are displayed. But there is one key argument against the ruling: hanging the crucifix in Italian classrooms is the result of a legal and political agreement between the state and the Catholic church.

In article 7, the Italian constitution reads: "The state and the church are, each one in its own domain, independent and sovereign. Their relationships are regulate

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