If your neighbours are the ones with the pumps
January 22, 2007You know, I really love this country.
Currently, the formation process (for a government) is taking place; talks are between the Christian Democrats, the Labour party, and the Christian Union.
The Christian Democrats, even though Christians, are not ‘extreme’ Christians; they currently support gay marriage and abortion, for instance, which obviously is a good thing. The Labour party have always supported things like this. The Christian Union, however, is much different.
They are fairly left-wing, but obviously with a definitive Christian touch. Its members oppose the already mentioned things; they still believe god intended marriage to be between a man and a woman, while also believing in the holiness of life (and hence oppose euthanasia and abortion). Still, they are in talks with those other two parties to form a government.
And now why I love this country: instead of lots of fighting and mud slinging between gay rights groups and abortion clinics on one side, and the Christian Union on the other side, they actually went into talks with each other. Several gay rights groups were even invited to the CU’s headquarters (the lion’s den for homosexuals, basically) to discuss these matters! One gay rights activist just explained on TV that the talks were about how to increase acceptance of homosexuals, and how to settle the differences in thinking between both sides. When was the last time this happened in America? Have homosexuals ever been invited into the Republican Party’s HQ to try to settle their differences?
That is why I love this country. Instead of sworn enemies (like die-hard Christians and homosexuals) putting their heals into the sand, shouting all sorts of nasty stuff at one another, they actually come together, to discuss their differences, to find compromises.
That is what has made this country great, since as early as the middle ages. Since we started make dry land out of the sea and lakes, Dutch people were forced to compromise, because they had to work together in order to keep their land dry. Sure, they could annoy their neighbours, but if your neighbours are the ones with the pumps, that’s not very wise, now, is it?
I am thankful for living here. I am nor a homosexual, nor a woman in need of abortion, but the fact that we can all tolerate one another and accept each other for what we are, makes me all proud to be Dutch.
Politics | 
I like to take the third side on everything.
Gay marriage: The government should not be sanctioning marriage. How about a ceremony at the will of the involved parties, following their standards, without even an approval or license from the government? The only thing legal marriage gets you now is the responsibility to pay MORE in taxes, and the right to see the other party in the hospital and determine their care. How about something that says: “I give person X the ability to determine my care”?
Abortion: While I personally consider it to be murder (and even if it wasn’t, it would be denying that person the right to experience life), it is hypocritical to ban abortion in the interest of “protecting life” yet allow the death penalty.
Drugs: If you use them and die, then it’s natural selection–fine by me. If you use them and don’t die, then I don’t care either.
Of course, I am American, so these issues are obviously different in the Netherlands.
Comment by Dan Brokeau — January 22, 2007 @ 11:32 pm
>Gay marriage
It is important for this to be legalized. Just recently I heard from a friend that his partner was dying from an illness and he could not take care of him and take the right legal steps, tax deduction and health care etc. just because they were not married! This is really bad, especially for two people who were living together for 20 years but could not legally get married!
>Abortion: While I personally consider it to be murder
Personally, I am for abortion ONLY if serious reasons exist to not keep the child (e.g. health). Otherwise, I don’t support women who just want to have unprotected sex and then throw their babies away (e.g. it was said that M Monroe has had 12 abortions in her life — this is bad stuff, sorry, it was just irresponsible on her part).
>Drugs
I am against recreational drugs, I have blogged about it in the past. I am old school when it comes to drugs.
Comment by Eugenia — January 23, 2007 @ 12:24 am
Erm, Thom, Google Log Cabin Republicans. They have chapters/organizing committees in all 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico. They are present GOP’s Conventions. That’s a tad better than inviting a few homosexuals to your party headquarters to talk shop, no?
And while you’re at Google, search up Republicans for Choice and consider many important republicans are pro-abortion–Condileeza Rice, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rudy Giuliani, etc. How many Christian Union party figures are pro-abortion?
Comment by Rajan R — January 23, 2007 @ 1:49 am