Christian parties in Europe

[Judas Maccabeus]

Bootstrap somewhere here disapproved the existence of a "Christian Democratic" and a "Christian Social" Party in Germany.

Not quite. I can't control what the world chooses to name their political parties. I don't know that I disapprove of the existence of these parties. But I do think Christians should realize these are not particularly Christian.

Here's the post. Here's what I said:

Clearly, spending time on our knees praying and putting everything in God's hands is essential.

To me, a big part of the problem is the outrage, the grievance, and the political partisan identity. I think we need to make Jesus our identity and not join political tribes. I think we need a discerning critical distance from any political movement. In Germany, one party is called the Christian Democratic Union, another is called the Christian Social Union, neither party is Christian in any sense I understand.

I know people who do not vote but are clearly very devoted to political figures and political parties and movements. I know people who do not vote but insist that only stridently partisan news sources are acceptable. Some of these people are very vocal on social media. Some of the most prominent Christian leaders in America look like that, and they are giving Christianity a bad name among many.

We need a Christianity that looks like Jesus.

IIRC one of those parties (the CSU) is in Bavaria, and the CDU in the rest of Germany. I think the CSU is "Catholic." These parties support the same government. My memory may be a bit dim though.

J.M.

[ohio jones]

Do Ausbund festivals really happen? How can I find one?

Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not aware of any actual events. You'd think they would have one every now and then in Passau.

[Soloist]

Do Ausbund festivals really happen? How can I find one?

Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not aware of any actual events. You'd think they would have one every now and then in Passau.

Well if you look up Amish reddit you will see they post on there all the factual Ausbund events when they come up.

[Swiss Bro]

The word Christian in party names can mean different things in Europe. I can‘t speak for all countries though.

In Germany, the C parties are simply the conservative parties (tories or republicans if you will) as opposed to the social democrats (labour or democrats).

In Switzerland the Christliche Volkspartei has been the traditional Catholic party and was a center party (not too far right no too far left). Even if there are quite a lot of Catholics in Switzerland, the party is dwindling and they think it is because of the C so they do not want that label anymore. They are going to drop the C and will be called Die Mitte (the middle) now. Personally I am not sure this is a good idea for them but it goes to show how politics become alienated from Christian religion in Switzerland.

We do have two evangelical fringe parties though, one rather conservative and one rather social.

[Szdfan]

Even if there are quite a lot of Catholics in Switzerland, the party is dwindling and they think it is because of the C so they do not want that label anymore. They are going to drop the C and will be called Die Mitte (the middle) now.

I had to chuckle.

Following the end of East Germany, the former ruling
Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands (SED) became the Partei des Demokratischen Sozialismus (PDS) and are now called “Die Linke.” (The Left)

Since WWII, German politics had been rather mild, dominated by the center-right CDU and center-left SPD. That’s changing now, as memories of WWII fade an extremist parties emerge like the anti-immigrant, islamophobic ARD.

[Judas Maccabeus]

Do Ausbund festivals really happen? How can I find one?

Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not aware of any actual events. You'd think they would have one every now and then in Passau.

The Passau Oberscloss is on the top of my list, as soon as this mess is near over.

J.M.

[Judas Maccabeus]

Even if there are quite a lot of Catholics in Switzerland, the party is dwindling and they think it is because of the C so they do not want that label anymore. They are going to drop the C and will be called Die Mitte (the middle) now.

I had to chuckle.

Following the end of East Germany, the former ruling
Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands (SED) became the Partei des Demokratischen Sozialismus (PDS) and are now called “Die Linke.” (The Left)

Since WWII, German politics had been rather mild, dominated by the center-right CDU and center-left SPD. That’s changing now, as memories of WWII fade an extremist parties emerge like the anti-immigrant, islamophobic ARD.

AfD is downright scary. I was in Germany during the sunup to the last election, and almost all of their posters were anti-immigrant, in one case coming out and saying we don't need these people.

J.M.

[MaxPC]

It is my understanding that "Christian" parties among the youth have been dropped in favor of something called "raves" where loud music and depraved behaviors take place?

[PetrChelcicky]

Bootstrap,
I understood that your disapproval referred to a certain incongruence between name and reality (party). Which I don't deny.

My argument is (a) that the name was historically well-grounded and justified. Also (b) it may be important again if there is a third conflict about schools (after the conflicts of 1918-1920 and 1946-1950).
At this moment there is a compromise mostly on base of "Leave to the Catholics just as much religion in school as is necessary to avoid a serious conflict". But as all compromises this depends on the power ratio. If the Christian Parties did not exist, there would be no Christian religion in schools (and please take into account that homeschooling is forbidden and private church schools often too far away). So there is a reason for the name "Christian Democrat" or "Christian Social".

By the way, as long as the Catholics had a systematic Social Theory ("Soziallehre"), the German economic system ("Soziale Marktwirtschaft") was rather well attuned to Catholic Social Teaching - not very astonishing, as the leading politicians after WW2 were mostly Catholic Christians.

[Bootstrap]

Bootstrap,
I understood that your disapproval referred to a certain incongruence between name and reality (party). Which I don't deny.

I didn't say I "disapprove", I said these parties aren't Christian in any way I understand, and that Christians should not be fooled by the name.

My argument is (a) that the name was historically well-grounded and justified. Also (b) it may be important again if there is a third conflict about schools (after the conflicts of 1918-1920 and 1946-1950).
At this moment there is a compromise mostly on base of "Leave to the Catholics just as much religion in school as is necessary to avoid a serious conflict". But as all compromises this depends on the power ratio. If the Christian Parties did not exist, there would be no Christian religion in schools (and please take into account that homeschooling is forbidden and private church schools often too far away). So there is a reason for the name "Christian Democrat" or "Christian Social".

I think I would call these "traditionalist" parties, they aren't about the Gospel, they do protect some Christian institutions. When I was in Germany, incidentally, we were shocked that we could not home school our children, and very surprised by church taxes that funded churches few people attended.

I don't mean to pick on Germany here. Political parties that claim to be Christian generally aren't in any meaningful sense. They may agree with Christians on some issues.

By the way, as long as the Catholics had a systematic Social Theory ("Soziallehre"), the German economic system ("Soziale Marktwirtschaft") was rather well attuned to Catholic Social Teaching - not very astonishing, as the leading politicians after WW2 were mostly Catholic Christians.

Catholic theology has a rather different relationship to the State than Anabaptist theology. Based on a different understanding of Two Kingdom theology - or perhaps "The Two Cities" is more accurate here.