Sometimes you just have to wonder about people. I see plenty of things each day that make me say “Wha….?” but over the last two days the wha… quotient has increased.

First, on the ride to work, I saw a Hummer with a “Get Bush Out!” bumper sticker. I’d like to think that it was actually a hard-core libertarian driving that beast, but something tells me it was some airheaded liberal.

Second, last night I saw Buick Park Avenue festooned with PETA and “Meat is Murder” bumper stickers. Fine and dandy I thought, until I noticed the car’s fine leather interior. Good one.

Now, on to more serious topics. I’ve recently discovered the writings of a Dutch minister/politician named Abraham Kuyper. Kuyper created his own political party in the Netherlands in the late 19th century (the Antirevolutionary Party) which was based on his version of Calvinism. The party eventually won a bloc of seats in the parliament, and Kuyper went on to become the Dutch prime minister in 1901. I’ve yet to delve too deeply into Kuyper’s political thought, but it seems he believed that Christians could work with (and within) a secular government and still do God’s work without ramming Christianity down the throats of the citizens. Of course, as the linked article points out, Kuyper’s political ideas aren’t easily applied within the framework of a two party system where there is no “third side” to balance the arguments.

Posted on 1 July 2004