Saturday, November 19, 2011

A reformed Christian theocracy brings glory to God

Per http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-n-myers/kiryas-yoel-theocracy-in-america_b_1124505.html  - "...Judge Rakoff upheld the legal validity of Kiryas Joel, New York. In doing so, he rejected the proposition that the Village constitutes an impermissible "theocracy," and affirmed, perhaps unintentionally, another well-established American tradition: the granting of government sanction to strong forms of religious sub-communities, even (or perhaps especially) those whose norms of governance and behavior are illiberal and seemingly in contradiction to American constitutional values and norms...American courts have repeatedly approved the formation of private self-governing enclaves by religiously homogeneous communities. Kiryas Joel thus falls into a long American tradition of robust support for religious sub-communities, a tradition that enables private communities to form and then, once formed, to translate their private power into political power..."
So it is legally permissible to establish a theocratic community in the USA.  It is important to establish a reformed Christian theocratic community in the USA because we need to provide an example of how God prospers a reformed Christian theocracy as way of convincing more people to embrace the idea.  More importantly, a reformed Christian theocracy brings glory to God.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Three Reformation Party members have registered as candidates

Three Reformation Party members have registered as candidates for the 3-man Council of Officers, so we now feel we can set a deadline for voting members to register as candidates and provide us with a statement to post at:
 
 
The deadline date is November 15, 2011.
 
http://www.reformationparty.org/candidates.htm provides information so far provided to us by the currently registered candidates.
 
If you have any questions about this, please let us know.
 
Thanks,
 
Sean McDonald and J. Parnell McCarter, co-organizers
 

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

The following email went out to registered voting members of the Reformation Party:

The following email went out to registered voting members of the Reformation Party:
 
We are thankful to God to be able to report that there are now more than 10 male voting members registered in the Reformation Party.  In preparation for the next phase, the Reformation Party now has its own internet domain ( www.reformationparty.org ) and the rudimentary beginnings of a website.  This website, along with the Reformation Party Facebook page, will be managed by the Council of Officers once elected.
 
It is now time to begin the process of electing the beginning 3-man Council of Officers for the Reformation Party.  In order to accomplish this, we would ask members prayerfully to consider which of you would like to be a candidate for the Council of Officers.  If you are willing to run, please so indicate in an email to info@reformationparty.org .  If you are running, please also be prepared later to send us information about yourself and what projects you would like the Reformation Party to take up.  Information about each of the candidates for the Council of Officers will be published at  http://www.reformationparty.org/candidates.htm .  This will include the candidate’s email address, so questions can be privately directed to him by members and other interested parties.  While the names and other information of those who are members of the Reformation Party will be kept private and confidential, those who are Councilmen and candidates for Council will be public.
 
We would also ask for volunteers among the membership (voting or non-voting membership) to count the election votes.  (There are not that many members, so you do not need to worry about having to count too high   .)  These will be the Vote Counters.  We would ask that the Vote Counters not be one of those running for Councilman nor a spouse of someone running.
 
We think the election of officers can be kept simple and straightforward.  Here is the recommendation of the co-organizers:   Each voting member will email to those who are the Vote Counters the names of the 3 candidates he is electing.    The Vote Counters can tally up the total number of votes for each of the candidates, and the 3 candidates receiving the most number of votes would become the 3 initial Councilmen of the Reformation Party for the first term of office of one year.
 
Just as a reminder, the platform of the Reformation Party that all members are saying they are in agreement with is as follows:
 
1.  It is the duty of all men and institutions of men, including civil governments at every level and for every nation, tribe and tongue, to acknowledge the Biblical doctrines accurately summarized in the original Westminster Standards, and to suppress heresy, idolatry, and every other enemy of sound doctrine, appropriate to their station and calling.  This includes violations of both the first and second tables of the Ten Commandments.
 
2. It is the duty of civil governments at every level and in every nation to recognize and protect that church which adheres to the Biblical doctrines accurately summarized in the original Westminster Standards, and to be a nursing mother to that church.  And only male communicant members of that church should be allowed to vote or hold public office in civil government.
 
3.  It is our duty not to enter into unlawful oaths and unlawful confederacies with heretics and infidels for purposes of political expediency.
 
The original Westminster Confession can be read at  http://www.reformed.org/documents/wcf_with_proofs/index.html , the Westminster Larger Catechism can be read at http://www.reformed.org/documents/wlc_w_proofs/index.html , and the Westminster Shorter Catechism can be read at http://www.reformed.org/documents/wsc/index.html
Voting members -
·         Indicated their desire and willingness to be a voting member in the Reformation Party.
·         Indicated their full adherence to the Biblical doctrines summarized in the original Westminster Standards (which include the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Westminster Shorter Catechism, and the Westminster Larger Catechism).
·         Indicated their agreement with the Party Platform of the Reformation Party.
·         Communicant member in good standing in a presbyterian/reformed church
·         Male
·          21 years or older
 
Thank you for your participation in the Reformation Party.  Please let us know if you have any questions, comments or concerns as we prayerfully proceed.
 
 
Joseph Parnell McCarter and Sean McDonald, co-organizers

Monday, September 19, 2011

The rationale for the Reformation Party is based upon certain Biblical principles which were widely accepted by reformed Protestants during the Protestant Reformation, but are less widely accepted today.  In order to reclaim these principles, it is important that people understand their Biblical rationale.  Here are some of the principles and links explaining some of the scriptural rationale behind them:
One principle is that the civil government has a duty to enforce both tables of the Ten Commandments, appropriate for its God-appointed sphere.  Please see the article at http://www.puritans.net/tracts/bothtables.html relating to this principle, quoting from Augustine and Calvin.
Another principle is that Christians should not enter into unlawful political confederacies.  Please see George Gillespie’s treatment on this topic at http://www.swrb.com/newslett/actualNLs/Forbiddn.htm .
Another principle is that men and not women should vote and hold office in civil government.  Please see Robert Dabney’s treatment on this topic at http://mildcolonialboy.wordpress.com/2008/07/03/robert-dabney-against-womens-suffrage-the-suffragettes/ .
Another principle is that we should not vote for “the lesser of two evils”.  Please see the article at http://www.puritans.net/news/thevote092204.htm on this topic.
Another principle relates to unlawful political oaths and their relation to voting.  Please see the article at http://www.puritans.net/news/constitution022007.htm on this topic.
Another principle relates to the Establishment Principle and the proper relation of church and state.  Please see the article at http://www.covenanter.org/Wylie/twosonsofoil.htm by Samuel Wylie on this topic.
Another principle is that the civil magistracy should be separate from the ecclesiastical ministry. For example, God punished King Uzziah with leprosy when he tried to do the functions of a priest. Also, God separated the tribe which civil rulers descended from (Judah) from the tribe which priests came from (Levi). Also, the Bible speaks of the *Two* Sons of Oil and the *Two* Olive trees (see Zechariah and Revelation), implying the two (church and state) are not to be united in ordinary humans. Jesus Christ alone is to be priest and king. This is why the Westminster Confession of Faith separates the offices. Practically speaking, it maintains checks and balances to keep the pulpit separated from the sword. Presbyterianism has historically made sure no one becomes a pope, because the pope claims to be over church and state.