In the famous
Capitol in Rome leaders of European countries signed on
the 29th of October 2004 the first foundational law for the European
Union. Not
many people realised that on the same date, but 1693 years earlier, in
A.D. 312,
the first Roman Emperor that had been converted to the Christian Faith,
Constantine the Great, entered the city of Rome. The day before he
claimed to
have seen the sign of the cross in the heavens, hearing the message:
"In
this sign you will overcome." From that day there was freedom in the
Roman
Empire for Christians to worship Jesus. The next Emperor Theodosius
made the
Christian Religion in A.D. 380 official in the Empire.
It is important
to observe that there is no mention of Christianity in
the new Foundational European Law, while it has contributed for
centuries so
much to the culture and development of Europe. It is evident that there
are
powerful political currents in Europe that want to erase all that
reminds of
the Christian Faith. This is not only evident in various political
decisions,
but also from details, that are not too well known. Take the following
incident: Just before the signing of the new Foundational Law in the
Capitol -
in which once the god Jupiter, for the Greeks Zeus, was worshipped -,
the
statue of the Christian Emperor Constantine had to be removed out of
the
building. There were possibly practical reasons for the removal, but
nevertheless, the deeper meaning of this action may not escape the
watchful
Christian.
Statements of
European leaders point in an antichristian direction and
make it clear that Europe wants to move out off the Christian era. A
former
Italian president of the European Union is recorded as having said
several
times: "We are almost approaching our goal, the revival of the
great
Roman Empire as in the days of emperor August." The following
statement of the representative of the European Parliament was made at
the
occasion of the opening of its new building in Strasbourg: "What
they
began to build 3000 years ago - the reference was to the building
of the
tower of Babylon, the story is found in Genesis chapter eleven - we
want to
complete now." Such statements cannot be regarded as a joke, but
must
be taken seriously. It is interesting to know that the design of this
building
was inspired by the famous painting of Peter Brueghel, 'The tower of
Babylon.' Surely,
do such remarks not show the arrogant and godless intentions of leaders
in
Europe? Europe must become a great power and a big economical force in
the
world.
The conclusion is
inevitable: The present leaders of the European Union
have made a definite and clear decision to ignore the importance of
Christianity and to obliterate the name of God and His Son Jesus
Christ. Every
reference God and Christianity is let out in the text of the
Foundational Law.
The above was
written in 2005. Now, in 2012, I add to it that God allows
the present economical and financial problems to move us to return to
Him. It
is my on the Bible based conviction that the ungodly arrogance of
leaders that
do not want to believe in God and to be dependant of His blessing, will
lead us
to the downfall of the dream of an united Europe. There is only one way
back.
Not only pumping enormous amounts of money in countries that are in
financial
trouble, but the way of repentance of our arrogance and unbelief in the
Almighty God and His Son Jesus Christ, and renew our faith and trust in
Him.
Only if we go this way Europe will not disintegrate as the civilisation
around
the tower of Babylon. I appeal to Christians all over the world: Please
pray
for Europe that it may return to God.
26
June 2012, T. J. de Ruiter,
emeritus pastor and teacher in the Netherlands
Contact? E-mail.... Pastor T. J. de Ruiter