----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 2004 7:55
AM
Subject: Re: MONETARY: LOCAL CURRENCIES
IN THE 21ST CENTURY
"Society is primarily a result of metaphysical ideas which
can be very differently leading to very different policies."--Wally
Klinck
Dan Parker wrote: "...would you support a party being named the
Islamic Democratic Party? If not, why not?"
Dan, your rhetorical question concerning an "Islamic Democratic Party" is
very much beside the point and may say more about your attitude toward Islam
than it ever could about mine.
DP: Alan, I picked Islam out of a metaphorical hat;Hindu, Jewish
etc.being other
possibilities.The comment was really about attaching the name of *any*
religion
to a political party; not about Islam per se.
Also, I think it is on this list that I made the point, to Wally I think,
that I completely
reject the concept of social credit as a Christian concept. The essence
of social
credit is an expression of the morality that flows through all the great
religions.
The specifics resulting from the Christian society that social credit was
founded
in would have no foundation, if it were based on a God that favoured
one
religion over another. I have no doubt that if C.H. Douglas had
been Hindu, there
would be some Hindus claiming his work was an expression of their
particular faith.
And they would be wrong, and again I am not saying anything about
the Hindu religion
per se.
As for the roots of Canadian social credit and CCF being rooted in
Christianity, again I
utterly reject this. They are rooted in something far greater than
organized religion, as
was Gandhi's work rooted in something far greater than Hinduism.
I think it is important to have an appreciation how non-members of a
particular religion
would view a political party with the name of another religion attached.
Many would feel
that the organization was not treating them as an equal (i.e. fully
respecting their human
rights) and they would be correct.
Please keep in mind that I personally am involved in Christain
activities, if you want
to try to see the points above.
Regards
Dan Parker
The Christian Democratic movement in Europe has always accepted the
legitamacy of social, political and economic developments of "the
World"...whether the world is Christian or not. The Creator made "the
World" independent in the sphere in which S/He placed it. The World is
entitled to bring peace and order to itself quite apart from a Christian
worldview. Yes, Christians (ideally anyway) work for the transformation
of the World into the Kingdom of God and the Christian Democrats have never
been silly enough to think of their movement as being the essense of the
Kingdom. There is a distinctive Christian public philosophy that
allows Christians to dialogue seriously with the World about issues that both
the World and the Church care about.
I'm not too caught up in the "name game." The essense of the Christian
Democratic movement cannot be reduced to what Christian Democrats might
name their particular national, state or provincial parties. One might
notice for example that European CD parties are happily grouped together in
the European Parliament as the "European Peoples Party." The President
of Mexico, Vincente Fox leads a Christian Democratic party
called the "National Action Party" (Partido
Accion National). It is a full member of Christian Democrats
International.
Whether bringing the Christian Democratic movement to the rest of North
America is wisdom or not, the roots of utopian socialism, guild
socialism, the idea of a cooperative commonwealth and many strains of
capitalist thinking all have their very roots in the soil of a
Christian cultural heritage. Even the roots of the
"Enlightenment" are planted there. No doubt you know already
that Canada's populist movements, including Socred and the CCF would
probably not have come into being had their seed not been nurtured
in the soil of a more-or-less Christian culture.
And being a more-or-less serious Social Credit activist I'm sure
you're aware of the idea that the program of Social Credit is
"practical Christianity." But rest assured, I'm no more stuck
on naming a North American Christian Democratic political organisation
"Christian Democratic Party" than social credit was to name itself the
"Party of Practical Christianity."
;)
Alan Avans
My Motto: "Yo! I'm a Christian Demo-crat and I like
it...like..that!"
My Over-all Political Condition: Prairie burnin' populist
My Favourite American Politician: William Jennings Bryan
What I Thump: Bible, Book of Mormon, Book of Common Prayer and most
things writen by Bob Goudzewaard.
Where I'm at on a Theocratic scale of 0 to 10: absolute 0! Relax and
smile, ok?
Prairie Village KS