Frank A. Meyer – Category: Manna for All

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The Reformed and Catholic churches in the canton of Zurich want to pardon their Orthodox and Islamic brothers, including, of course, their sisters. A million a year should come from two religious communities not recognized by the state. Alms come from tax revenues: the generous clergy takes their donations from the Zurich state treasury, which subsidizes church charity to the tune of 50 million francs annually.

Isn’t it heaven when you receive such generous support for church activities in difficult times? Why shouldn’t Orthodoxy and Islam also benefit from the state-church manna?

Because there are good reasons for the special status of Protestantism and Catholicism in Switzerland. The two Western Roman religions followed the path to an enlightened society and realized the separation of spiritual power from secular power in practical and political terms.

The Reformed Church and the Catholic Church are religious institutions of a secular state.

That’s why the planned million-dollar donation to Muslims and Orthodox Christians in Zurich will not simply be a donation to other believers who were mistakenly ignored in the distribution of money.

It’s not Hans, it’s Heiri.

The Eastern Roman Church differs fundamentally from Western Roman Christian Enlightenment thought, especially in the relationship between spiritual and temporal authority: the Orthodox faith does not recognize the separation of powers.

Islam, in turn, radically deviates from modern religious thinking in a democratic state of law, being its opposite. It is aimed not only at religious domination, but also explicitly at political domination, as well as God-ordained domination of men, contempt for women, and oppression of homosexuals. Its medieval legal system of sharia claims to be superior to any other form of law.

Islam is a counter-religion to liberal Christianity. Any emancipation and liberation of a believer from this world of authoritarian rules means apostasy from the true faith – the fall of man.

Yet Islam is allowed to preach and operate in our democracy because an enlightened, open society follows the principle of trial and error: the idea that every truth can, should, must be tested for falsifiability—critically of itself.

Foreign faiths and religious cultures are also active in our free world. The most radical example is Islam, the less radical is the Christian Orthodox Church.

But despite all the openness of a free society, despite all the self-criticism, despite all the testing of one’s position, despite all the willingness to correct mistakes: democracy itself and its security through the rule of law are inviolable.

Without the workshop of freedom there can be no labor of freedom!

Democracy and the rule of law also ensure the personal freedom of citizens, which includes freedom of religion: Orthodox Christians and Muslims are citizens like you and me, with the same rights and the same responsibilities.

One of these responsibilities is – contrary to the teachings of Islam – the equality of women, the inviolability of their dignity and their equality, including in the family. Homosexual Muslims also have the right to dignity and equality. Sharia law must be subject to the legal canons of a free society. Without any exceptions.

And now should the funds that the state provides to Protestants and Catholics for liberal Christian activities be redirected to historically deferred religious forces?

Millions of Protestants and Catholics remain faithful to the cause of their churches.

The planned diversion of public money would be a breach of trust.

Embezzlement.

Source: Blick