"Between Night and Day: European Christian Democrats and the Republican
Party verus real Christian Democracy."
Yellow Stars blog
http://yellow-stars.com/blog/2007/02/european_christian_democrats_r.html
Posted by ESLa****te at 11:14 am
Last week, it was appalling to watch my fellow Christian Democrats in the
European Parliament vote against human dignity and in favor of the CIA's
despicable activities in Europe. What needs to be said here is that a
genuine Christian Democrat MEP would have voted IN FAVOR of the CIA
re****t.
Last week's vote against the CIA re****t by those MEPs that associate
themselves with "Christian Democracy" have sold out the core value of
human
dignity.
=>So, how did European Christian Democrats slide so far from their core
value? <=
It is more im****tant for these "sell out Europe" Christian Democrats to
protect the continuation of the American agenda in Europe, which is often
contray to European values. This is highly shameful, but there are
explanations for this sad fact of life in Europe's Christian Democrat
parties. First, the European Christian Democrats were out in front in
opposing the spread of communism in Europe in the Cold War. We Christian
Democrats have a proud history of opposing communism and other forms of
tyranny. It is no accident that Christian Democrats retain a good feeling
about America and its stated values (note "stated values") of human
dignity
and justice.
Now, the Christian Democrat party on the European level, the European
People's Party, has in its publication, "European View: Europe, its
Borders
and Role in the World" (Autumn 2005), some fine ideas about social justice
globally, as well as human dignity and human rights, as Europe acts on the
world stage. In one essay related to "Europe's World - A Global Power in
the
Making" (p. 71-5), the author Annette Heuser writes that "The Union's
values
call for the promotion of democracy, human rights and the rule of law
worldwide" p. 73. Mrs. Heuser also writes:
**"It would be tantamount to ignoring the wishes of EU citizens if these
im****tant issues were to be 'sacrificed' merely in order to buy American
goodwill" p.74. **
Mrs. Heuser has that right- but the certain Christian Democrats are asking
their fellow Europeans to sell out 60+ years of human rights advances in
Europe for the American agenda in Europe - even if that agenda violates
European values and Christian Democracy's core values.
Also see the essay in European View called "Quo Vadis? Europe's Role in a
Globalised World" by Ingo Friedrich (p. 53-5), which advocates the spread
of
the European social model and the globalization of social justice. This
essay is inspiring to those who fight for social justice:
**"We need a commitment to social justice, to the fight against poverty
and
all forms of social exclusion on the European level. The poor and the sick
should not be excluded but should be cared for and made an active part of
society" p.54. ***
#First of all - I would like to make this crystal clear: I am not a member
of the Democrat Party of the United States. I find the Democrat Party of
the
U.S. to be as equally offensive and contrary to my Christian Democratic
views…which cannot be neatly placed on the American political spectrum.
However, my fellow Christian Democrats in Europe have made the BAD mistake
in selecting the Republican Party as their "center-right, Christian
choice"
in American politics. The most im****tant aspect from last week's outrage
is
that there are also many CDs that believe that especially the Republican
Party is somehow like an "American Christian Democrat" party. I glanced
over
the personnel backgrounds of those Christian Democrats that opposed the
CIA
re****t and BOY - you can, as stated in the Bible, "know them by their
works…" Some Christian Democrats have associations with the Republican
Party
of the United States. Now, talk about confusing "Christian Democracy!"
Beyond that, the truth is that Christian Democracy and the Republican
Party
are as far apart as night is from day! The traditional core values of
Christian Democracy and Christian Democrats are two im****tant values:
social
justice and human dignity. Sadly, CD's in Europe mistakenly believe that
the
Evangelicals that flock to the GOP make it a "Christian party" and a
"center-right" party - which it is absolutely not! The truth is that those
American voters that are closer to Christian Democratic in their beliefs
tend to vote for Democrats, not Republicans.
The truth also is - perhaps unknown to many European Christian Democrats -
is that many of the policies advocated by the Republican Party are in
opposition to social justice and define human dignity as something that
one
"earns." When the Republican Party does get into power, some of its first
acts are to make life hard for the poor, the workingman and the
underclass.
The Republican Party has its parrots in national talk radio promoting hate
of the poor and especially the homeless. These same radio talk show
parrots
have labeled social justice as the same as "socialism" and even
"communism."
Social justice is "communism" even though social justice has its roots in
Catholic Church, which vigorously fought communism in Europe. To the
Republican Party, "human dignity" is something one "earns" through income,
job, bank account and the kind of car one drives.
Those of us that follow genuine Christian Democracy are appalled and
outraged by the notion that human dignity is somehow "earned," as human
dignity is given by Almighty God to each human being regardless of social
status..! Now - to see fellow Christian Democrats in Europe mixed up with
the Republican Party is to understand how they came to oppose the CIA
re****t
in the European Parliament last week. It is part of the continuation that
some European leaders feel in subverting European values to American
interests. What I must warn Europeans about is that this same ilk here in
the United States also opposes welfare and health assistance for the poor.
If this same ilk gets its claws on Europe's welfare states - as I suspect
they will - Europeans should prepare to build more prisons and jails!
Cited works: "European View: Europe, its Borders and Role in the World."
European People's Party, Autumn 2005.
http://www.epp.eu/subpagina.php?hoofdmenuID=7&submenuID=61
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