Open Text: Exact Phrase:

Although it is due to be adopted by the middle of this month, members of the EU continue to fight over the wording of the new constitution for the newly-enlarged political bloc. Specifically, the fight is over Jesus Christ.

The new EU Constitution makes no mention of Europe's Christian roots and heritage, instead giving credit for Europe's development to its 'cultural, religious and humanist' heritage. It then goes on to list Europe's common values (most of which are rooted in Christianity), like respect for human rights, etc.

Last week, the foreign ministers of seven countries wrote a letter to the current EU president, urging a 'reference to the Christian roots of Europe" in the preamble of the constitution. What is most fascinating is the identity of the nations desiring God.

In their letter, new members Poland, Lithuania, Malta, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic - which joined the EU on May 1 -- along with two older members, Italy and Portugal, said "this issue remains a priority" for their governments and "for millions of European citizens."

While Italy and Portugal are bastions of European Roman Catholicism, it is the other nations that catch the eye -- like the former godless Soviet Republics of Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Having lived under a godless, secular humanist regime for a generation, they know what a government with no responsibility before God is capable of, and they want no part of it.

Leading the charge against including Christianity -- or even a generic mention of God in the EU Constitution -- are the French.

Spain, which originally argued for a mention of God in the preamble, is now also siding with the secular group after al-Qaeda helped get the Socialist government elected in March by bombing a train in Madrid.

French Foreign Affairs Minister Michel Barnier, who contributed to the original wording of the text, defended the French position on Wednesday in Parliament.

"Each person is represented in this text, whatever his belief, his conviction or his philosophy," he said.

The French, (who are supported by the Germans and British) in their arguments opposing including Christianity in the constitution, say that to mention only Christianity in the preamble is to ignore millions of Jews and Muslims who make up a large part of Europe.

Isin't it interesting the way that the French, Germans and British are suddenly concerned with offending the religious sensibilities of the six million or so European Jews who just as suddenly "make up a large part of" Europe's three hundred and fifty-five MILLION people?

The Jews were just included to cover Europe's appeasement of is growing Muslim population. (Using Jews as political pawns is a European tradition as old as Europe's Christian heritage itself. It is ok in the EU to offend Jews any other time, for even the slightest reason. Europe proves that every single day.)

In any case, as the Polish representative to the EU argued;

"We want to talk about Christian tradition or Christian heritage because that is something that actually exists, something you can see around you. You can look around at the architecture and see churches all over Europe. Using the word 'values' makes it sound like something we want to impose."

There are two important things to note about Europe's catfight; the Topic of the fight and it's timing, historically speaking. The old Europeans oppose any mention of Christianity, because old Europe is well into its post-Christian era.

What does 'post-Christian era mean, exactly? Pretty much, it means what it sounds like it means. Christianity, as a dominant and driving force in European life, is not just on the decline, it has devolved into little more than just another religious sect, like Buddhism, Islam or secular humanism.

And, as we've noted in past Omega Letter briefings, Old Europe is a unique political animal, diverse from the Greater European Union, now numbering twenty-eight countries.

Note this list from the Western European Union's official home page.

You will see that the EU is divided into three separate classes of membership, known as 'delegations'. Twenty-eight in all, they are subdivided as follows:

1) Modified Brussels Treaty Member States (1954) -- These are the only FULL members of the EU -- listed simply as "10 Member States".

The remaining eighteen are broken up into:

2) Six Associate Members (Rome -1992);

3) Five Observers (Rome - 1992)

4) Seven Associate Partners (Kirchberg - 1994)

Two things should have jumped out at you by now. The unique membership status of Old Europe (The Ten) and the role played by Rome in excluding subsequent members from similar status.

In October, 1984, the WEU met in Rome to 'adopt the founding text of the WEU's reactivation' (according to the WEU website) which was then accepted as the "Rome Declaration."

In October, 1987, the WEU adopted a "Platform on European Security Interests" which envisioned the creation of the Greater European Community, (with the WEU at the helm).

"We recall our commitment to build a European Union in accordance with the Single European Act, which we all signed as Members of the European Community. We are convinced that the construction of an integrated Europe will remain incomplete as long as it does not include security and defense."

The same meeting decided to open negotiations with Portugal and Spain regarding their accession to the modified Brussels Treaty. Those countries formally became full Members of WEU on 27 March 1990, bringing the number of 'inner circle' European nations to ten, before closing the circle.

While the Europeans argue over Christianity, the Israelis continue to do battle over the Gaza disengagement plan. Stay with me, the two are related.

In a new poll, Sharon's Gaza withdrawal plan is now backed by a majority of Israelis, but is overwhelmingly opposed by Sharon's own political party. Signs of Sharon's growing political weakness have fueled talk about early elections.

Sharon himself has threatened to reshape his coalition, including firing ministers, to create a Cabinet majority for the Gaza plan.

Central to the prophetic outline of the Book of Daniel for the last days are the existence of two particular scenarios. The first is that Israel must exist, and her existence must be universally opposed by her surrounding neighbors.

The second is that there must be a revival of the political power that destroyed 'the city and the sanctuary' [Jerusalem and the Temple] (Daniel 9:26). Daniel writes: "and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary."

The 'people' that sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple were the Roman legions under the command of Titus, future emperor of Rome. Daniel identifies the 'prince' of a revived Roman Empire as the antichrist who will confirm a seven-year peace agreement between Israel and her enemies. (Daniel: 9:27)

In Daniel 2:31-44, the prophet relates interpreting a dream for King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. In his dream, the king saw a statue of a figure with a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, two legs of iron, and on the feet, ten toes, 'partly strong and partly weak, like iron, mixed with clay'.

Daniel's interpretation was that it was a vision of five world empires; Babylon [head]; Medo-Persia [chest and arms]; Alexander the Great's Greek Empire [belly and thighs]; and, the Roman Empire. [legs of iron].

The fifth, and final empire, is represented by the TEN toes of iron and clay.

Of them, Daniel says, "And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay." (Daniel 2:41)

So, we have Israel on the brink of annihilation, facing off against essentially the whole world, its government and social order in chaos, the ten-nation Old Europe infighting with itself and with New Europe over the inclusion of Christianity in its constitution, while the Great Religious War of the 21st century continues to rage around the globe.

Daniel says, "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever." (Daniel 2:44)

Taken together with the Words of Jesus, we have a pretty comprehensive picture of the signs of the times and the nearness of His coming.

"And when these things BEGIN to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." (Luke 21:28)

Excerpted from the Omega Letter Daily Intelligence Digest, Volume 33, Issue:1

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