Young NIMD
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The Staatkundig Gereformeerde Partij (SGP) -in English: the Reformed Political Party- was founded in Middelburg in 1918 by a number of nonparty persons who did not feel at home in the then existing parties any longer. One of the founding fathers, a catalyst in the history of the development and the expansion of the party, was the well-known minister, Rev. G.H. Kersten. He and his political friends held the view that neither the then existing Christian parties nor the liberals were voicing the feelings of those who aimed at a strictly biblical organization of political and social life.
Following the Bible (Romans 13), the SGP states that the governing authorities are God's servants. Therefore, they are accountable to Him, by Whom all things exist. The Ten Commandments offer the SGP a touchstone of this obedience and serve as the guidance for all authorities. They do not only contain rules with respect to relations between people, but also with respect to God. Some of the consequences are that the government should not tolerate public blasphemy, that it should foster the rest on the Lord's day and that it should protect human life (including unborn life). In short, the government's calling is to see to it that God's Law is observed.
Now the SGP is the smallest parliament with two members. Nevertheless, the SGP Youth is the biggest political youth organisation with more than 12.000 members in the Netherlands. Next to it, we have 35 regional departments in the entire Netherlands.
SGP Youth organisation has contacts with young Christians in Romania. Every year the SGP Youth meet them. This year (2008) they meet in the Netherlands, next year SGP Youth will go to Rumania. Also this summer, two members of SGP Youth travelled with the ‘Fact Finding Mission’ to Israel. This trip was organized by the Centre Information and Documentation on Israel. Two of us participated by YIMD.
SGP Youth confirm the value of democracy. It can be an instrument to improve a country. But to develop a country, it is at first necessary to help the people and give them food, education and safety. Otherwise they won’t see the value of democracy. In short: SGP Youth are proponents of democracy but about liberal values like abortion, we are not amused. We aim at Christian norms and values in a democratic constitutional state.
Representative of SGP Youth:
Wilco Kodde
E-mail: cwkodde@hotmail.com
