Bavarian Premier Edmund Stoiber’s proposal for new laws against blasphemy was reiterated at the end of June in an interview with Germany’s Bild daily.

As it stands, blasphemy is an offense in Germany only if it “disrupts public peace.”

“That’s not good enough, says Stoiber. … Calling the provision ‘completely dead and non-effective,’ Stoiber is demanding that all forms of blasphemy—regardless of religion—be made a criminal offense. The csu [Christian Social Union] head is calling for tougher consequences for those who deliberately insult the religious feelings of other people, including a three-year prison sentence in severe cases” (Deutsche Welle, June 27).

The call for stiffer laws came originally in reaction to an mtv pilot cartoon that made fun of the pope and even Jesus Himself—a row that revealed how “Germany’s moralists, apparently, are alive and kicking” (Spiegel Online, May 10).

It is unlikely that Stoiber really believes all forms of blasphemy should be crimes “regardless of religion.” His actions certainly didn’t attest to that during the cartoon fiasco earlier this year, when Stoiber sided with freedom of the press to publish images that some deemed blasphemous against Islam.

German Muslims see the hypocrisy and say Stoiber is only motivated by political ambitions.

Watch the continuing rise, across the board, in religious sensitivity. The clash between Catholic and Muslim sensitivities is certain to grow more fierce. And who will be on the front lines of this inevitable conflict has already become plain.

Under Edmund Stoiber, Bavaria—the most vocally pro-Vatican province in Europe—is determined to be the protector of the faith on the Continent. Stoiber saw to it that crosses could not be removed from public school classrooms in his state. At the end of 2005, his interior minister made one of the most significant crackdowns against Muslims ever. Stoiber (not to mention Pope Benedict xvi) is adamantly opposed to a Muslim nation (even a “moderate” one) joining the European Union (this stance is specifically aimed at Turkey). Even when a blatantly anti-U.S. (i.e., pro-Muslim) Turkish film hit theaters in Germany in February, Stoiber took the lead in demanding that German cinemas boycott the film.

Now, in historic fashion, watch for Germans to give up certain freedoms to cope with these cultural threats.

Watch particularly this plan of Stoiber’s, which he intends to discuss with Chancellor Angela Merkel during a planned integration summit in July. Whether or not this plan is implemented, or this man garners any further power in Germany or Europe than he already has, we know from Bible prophecy that his way of thinking will be institutionalized in a final resurrection of a Germanic Holy Roman Empire.