Formulating Party Principles
Anthony and I have decided to formulate a set of basic principles that our evolving party will be based upon. Of course Jesus Christ, the Gospels, and the Bible will be the underlying framework for all that we do, to the extent that we are able to remain faithful. God gave the people of Israel Ten Commandments to live by. Though not a Christian organization per se, The Black Panther Party had a similar format in their Ten Point Program. Many of their principles or ideals (though in retrospect some are fairly ambiguous and underdeveloped, most if not all, are rather consistent with biblical concepts of justice):
Black Panther Party's Ten Points
1. We want freedom. We want power to determine the destiny of our Black Community.
2. We want full employment for our people.
3. We want an end to the robbery by the white man of our Black Community.
4. We want decent housing, fit for shelter of human beings.
5. We want education for our people that exposes the true nature of this decadent American society. We want education that teaches us our true history and our role in the present-day society.
6. We want all black men to be exempt from military service.
7. We want an immediate end to police brutality and murder of black people.
8. We want freedom for all black men held in federal, state, county and city prisons and jails.
9. We want all black people when brought to trial to be tried in court by a jury of their peer
group or people from their black communities, as defined by the Constitution of the United States.
10. We want land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice and peace.
Whereas the Black Panther Party was making certain political demands upon the state, we realize that our primary appeal has to be made to God, who is sovereign even over the most powerful country in the world. This may seem strange for those of us who have been reared in a democratic society, where we consider it a birth right to beseech certain actions from our elected officials. Though, I personally believe that Christians should engage as non-partisans in the political process for the common good and the glory of God, ultimately politicians are not the final authority on any matter. I'm not sure how many principles we will have, though I suspect it will not be more than ten. We would like to articulate our principles, no petitions, in the form of prayers. However, wherever we put our faith, we must also be willing to put our actions. I will start with just 3 possibilities and Anthony will respond to my proposals while suggesting his own. Through this dialogical process we ask that the Holy Spirit would take us where we need to go.
Common Christian Party Petitions
1. Father God, we pray that the gift of salvation, which is the liberation of your Kingdom and your justice be made manifest in the lives of all the people of the world.
2. We pray for the day when there is no more poverty or financial hardship, because everyone who works is compensated generously (no matter how menial their duties) and the richest among us take less, so that the poorest among us can have more.
3. We pray for the end of violence in all of it's forms; war, terrorism, murder, and abuse, which will happen when the spirit of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, has filled the hearts of people with so much love, that violence is no longer a plausible option for resolving conflicts and differences, whether internal or external.
Black Panther Party's Ten Points
1. We want freedom. We want power to determine the destiny of our Black Community.
2. We want full employment for our people.
3. We want an end to the robbery by the white man of our Black Community.
4. We want decent housing, fit for shelter of human beings.
5. We want education for our people that exposes the true nature of this decadent American society. We want education that teaches us our true history and our role in the present-day society.
6. We want all black men to be exempt from military service.
7. We want an immediate end to police brutality and murder of black people.
8. We want freedom for all black men held in federal, state, county and city prisons and jails.
9. We want all black people when brought to trial to be tried in court by a jury of their peer
group or people from their black communities, as defined by the Constitution of the United States.
10. We want land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice and peace.
Whereas the Black Panther Party was making certain political demands upon the state, we realize that our primary appeal has to be made to God, who is sovereign even over the most powerful country in the world. This may seem strange for those of us who have been reared in a democratic society, where we consider it a birth right to beseech certain actions from our elected officials. Though, I personally believe that Christians should engage as non-partisans in the political process for the common good and the glory of God, ultimately politicians are not the final authority on any matter. I'm not sure how many principles we will have, though I suspect it will not be more than ten. We would like to articulate our principles, no petitions, in the form of prayers. However, wherever we put our faith, we must also be willing to put our actions. I will start with just 3 possibilities and Anthony will respond to my proposals while suggesting his own. Through this dialogical process we ask that the Holy Spirit would take us where we need to go.
Common Christian Party Petitions
1. Father God, we pray that the gift of salvation, which is the liberation of your Kingdom and your justice be made manifest in the lives of all the people of the world.
2. We pray for the day when there is no more poverty or financial hardship, because everyone who works is compensated generously (no matter how menial their duties) and the richest among us take less, so that the poorest among us can have more.
3. We pray for the end of violence in all of it's forms; war, terrorism, murder, and abuse, which will happen when the spirit of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, has filled the hearts of people with so much love, that violence is no longer a plausible option for resolving conflicts and differences, whether internal or external.
posted by R.G. at 11:15 AM
3 Comments:
Rod and Anthony, I've been wanting to comment on this for awhile, but my moving and school duties have kept me from it.
I'm still trying to get a handle on what sort of an animal the Christian Common Party is. It seems pretty category-defying, which I'm sure is a good thing. We need more category-defiance! I'm very curious about the use of the word "party" with its political implications. This sounds more like an activist organization or advocacy group, or even political organization. But the "Common" and "Christian" adjectives, and your citation of the Acts passage on sharing and your usage of community language seems more appropriate to an ecclesial context.
So in looking at your principles, I guess I'm left with some questions as to what sort of organization you all see the CCP as being. What are your hopes for the future, in whom you want to be involved and what involvement in the CCP would look like.
Or are you trying to put the values and principles ahead of the organizational form? That's definitely admirable. Maybe I'm jumping the gun at this early stage in your own endeavors. Anyways, I'm definitely excited about your principles.
Steve, thanks a lot for your comments and your questions. I have made an attempt to begin to answer the questions you raise in my post, "Why we're a party."
Your desire to end poverty is laudable, but Jesus did say that we would always have the poor with us, at least until "the kingdoms of the world have become the Kingdom of our God and of His Messiah."
Are you arguing for an amillenial eschatology?
Delwyn Campbell
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