A true understanding of religious freedom which includes Christians
in public life is the corrective for both the “subtle” discrimination
facing European Christians and the open intolerance for Christianity
elsewhere, an Italian religion expert said.
Dr. Massimo Introvigne, an official who combats racism and
discrimination for the Vienna-based Organization of Security and
Cooperation in Europe, discussed the situation of contemporary
Christianity in an interview with Dr. Gudrun Kugler, director of the
Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in
Europe.
Citing Pope Benedict XVI, Introvigne said discrimination against Europe’s Christians is more “subtle” than elsewhere.
“Christians are excluded from public discourse, ridiculed, or
marginalized. There are also legal decisions discriminating against
Christians’ right to free speech in the workplace or in public
positions,” he explained.
Introvigne noted the irony that one of the most important discussions
of this situation came in the Pope’s prepared discourse for his January
2008 visit to La Sapienza University in Rome.
The pontiff had planned
to address the marginalization of Christians in Western public
discourse, but the visit itself was canceled due to “the intolerant
reaction of a small minority of professors and students.”
This incident confirmed that there is a problem of intolerance against Christians in the West, Introvigne said.
The religion expert argued that opposition to such intolerance in
Europe is not a distraction from more severe problems facing Christians
in the Middle and Far East because both are rooted in a misunderstanding
of religious liberty.
Some non-Western countries see the Western notion of religious
liberty as a “disguise” for imposing relativism. Many of these countries
reject religious liberty or try to substitute a narrower understanding
which allows only “freedom of worship.”
“The same relativism is responsible for marginalizing and
discriminating against Christians west of Vienna,” Introvigne explained.
“As you may see, combating discrimination against Christians east and
west of Vienna is based on the same philosophical rationale.”
Religious liberty, he explained, includes freedom to worship inside a
church but also the freedom to preach outside it and to print books and
to be active as believers in political life.
“And if as a result of the preaching somebody converts, the new
convert should be left in peace rather than prosecuted for apostasy or
blasphemy.”
Introvigne noted Pope Benedict’s criticism of the “illusion” that
relativism provides the key to peaceful coexistence. In fact, this is
the “origin of divisions” and “the denial of the dignity of human
beings,” the pontiff said in his 2011 World Day of Peace message.
Turning to specific controversies, the Italian expert was critical of
the effort to remove crucifixes from public schools in Italy.
The most
recent legal case, the subject of a decision by the European Court of
Human Rights, was brought by a single family who rejected their local
school’s near-total consensus that crucifixes should be kept in
classrooms.
“Minority rights are a very important part of our civil conversation.
We should however not forget that majorities, too, have their rights,”
he commented.
While a balance between the two should be found, he said that going
against the feelings of a large majority for the sake of a “tiny
minority” is not rational and does not lead to a true respect of
minority rights.
“Majorities tend to respect minorities, as they of course should,
when they think that their rights as a majority are in turn respected
and not discriminated against,” Introvigne noted.
“A climate where the
rights of the majorities are systematically ignored is not a climate
which is favorable to general tolerance and non-discrimination.”
He also noted the case of two owners of a small hotel in the U.K. who
were forced to pay a fine to a homosexual couple because they limited
their double rooms to married guests.
Introvigne said such disputes
should instead be treated with “common sense.”
In extreme cases, he granted, perhaps there is a duty for someone to provide room for those believed to be sinning.
“In an average U.K. Town, on the other hand, probably there is a
variety of accommodations, and there may be a peaceful coexistence
between establishments which are ‘family-oriented,’ ‘gay friendly,’ and
so on.”
Turning to the topic of freedom of artistic expression about
religion, he noted that this is part of the Western heritage.
Many minor
and major artworks have been “remarkably free” in their negative
depictions of the Church, as when Dante placed several bishops and Popes
in his depiction of hell.
However, each country has its own traditions and there is a “fine
line” between critical allegory, humor or satire and “insult and
defamation.”
Introvigne supported the prosecution of an
“ultra-fundamentalist” Muslim preacher who had said “Jews are pigs.”
While calling Judaism a false religion is protected by free speech,
calling Jews or Christians “pigs” is a legal offense in Europe.
Discussing his other duties, the religion expert noted that his
organization includes countries in central Asia and the Caucasus region
where laws and regulations and religion are “comparatively new” and may
need improvement.
There are difficulties in registering religious bodies
as legal entities or obtaining visas for missionaries.
Introvigne’s duties also include combating xenophobia and working with the Roma population.