Buttiglione on Religion in Europe's Public Square

Here is an op-ed by Rocco Buttiglione, Italy's minister of European affairs (who has also written a book about the thought of Pope John Paul II), comparing and contrasting European and American approaches to the "religion in the public square" issue.

Relatedly, here is an article, from the conservative magazine The Weekly Standard, describing the recent, successful campaign to prevent Buttiglione from landing a position as the European Union's justice minister.  The article quotes an op-ed by Matthew Parris, a former aide to Margaret Thatcher, who wrote in the London Times:

I think Signor Buttiglione has indeed been the victim of anti-Christian discrimination, and that such discrimination is now in order. . . . Catholic, evangelical Christian, Orthodox Judaic and Muslim teaching on homosexuality and divorce; much Muslim practice as to the status of women; some Hindu teaching on caste; and Catholic teaching on contraception and abortion are unacceptable and insulting, not only to me but also to the majority of Europeans, and the overwhelming majority of educated Europeans.

Rick