Here’s a quick round up of reaction European Court of Human Rights’ ruling on crucifixes. Firstly, one of Ireland’s most forthright anti-religious journalists, Ian O’Doherty, has said that the decision [1] to ban crucifixes from Italian crucifixes as “too politicised”.
O’Doherty, who frequently uses his column to fulminate against the Catholic Church and religion, says that “the reluctance to have indigenous ways of life and laws changed by a foreign, bureaucratic judiciary that is often far too politicised for its own good” is one of the main reasons for opposition to European integration.
A UK barrister who specialises in religious freedom and the law, Neil Addison, warns [2] in a blog post that the decision could have wider implications.
Pointing out that the decision has effectively “extended to the whole of Europe the French concept of strict separation between religion and state schools “, he says that it could have an impact on whether schools which hold Nativity plays or Muslim teachers who wear burkhas.
David Quinn also has a article [3] up on the Irish Catholic website, describing the decision as “a gross act of interference” in domestic law.