Reformed Political Party

{{bronze}}{{hatnote|Not to be confused with the [[Reform Party]].}}[[File:Kees van der Staaij.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Former party leader {{wpl|Kees van der Staaij}}.]]{{politics}}{{cquote|I quote [Prime Minister] Mr Rutte: "The SGP is a nice group of people with interesting ideas." Technically, that's true; but you could also say that of the [[Ku Klux Klan]]: it's a tight group of friends with an interesting choice of clothing and lots of outdoors activities.|4=Dolf Jansen<ref>{{cite web|title=[https://youtu.be/KV8HFhY385w?t=34m32s (Complete registratie) Correspondents' Dinner - 10 februari 2016, vanuit de Beurs van Berlage]|date=11 February 2016|accessdate=24 March 2015}}</ref>}}
The '''Reformed Political Party''' (Dutch: '''Staatkundig Gereformeerde Partij''' or '''SGP''') is a loony tunes [[Netherlands|Dutch]] [[Protestant]] party (the ''Reformed'' refers to [[Calvinism]], as in "[[Reformation]]"). They're very [[fundamentalist]] on religious issues, but mostly mainstream centre-right on other issues. Unfortunately, every time they happen to be in a position to push a viewpoint, they almost always focus on the religious stuff.

The SGP has been around since 1918, making it the oldest party in the Netherlands. It's a small party (and always has been), usually holding 2 or 3 seats (out of 150) in the lower house, 0 to 2 seats (out of 75) in the senate, and some seats in various municipalities (where they often run together with another—more moderate and centre-left—Christian party, the ''{{wpl|ChristianUnion}}'').

==Women==
[[File:Sgpstemmen1.png|thumb|left|165px|2010 vote counts (per municipality). Sadly, the [[US]] isn't the only country with a [[Bible Belt]].]]
The SGP does not like women; or rather, prefers that [[Kinder, Küche, Kirche|women just take care of the children and stuff]]; the rationale behind this is that "both man and woman have been given their own purpose and place by God".<ref name="programma"/> For this reason the SGP opposes day care for children, since children should be raised by their parents.<ref name="programma"/> What they ''really'' mean of course is that women should stay at home and take care of the children.

Until 2006 women were not allowed to become members of the party, the only reason this was changed was due to a lawsuit and threat to stop all government funding. Since 2013, women have also been allowed to vote in internal SGP elections, and able to run as candidates. This change again required a lawsuit, and a threat to stop government funding. Somewhat surprisingly, in 2014 the first SGP woman actually got elected in municipal elections. Unsurprisingly, the SGP also opposed universal suffrage for a long time, but finally accepted women's right to vote in elections in 1989.

In response to [[Todd Akin]]'s rather ... ''interesting'' ... views on rape, the SGP leader Kees van der Staaij confirmed that "it's a fact" that the chance of pregnancy after [[rape]] is "very small" but "not impossible".<ref>{{cite news|title=[http://www.nu.nl/politiek/2894886/sgp-noemt-kans-zwangerschap-verkrachting-heel-klein.html SGP noemt kans zwangerschap na verkrachting 'heel klein']|work=NU.nl|date=28 August 2012}}</ref> Unlike Akin, however, van der Staaij didn't suggest that some rapes aren't really rape, and went out of his way to call rape "terrible". It's strange that a party that's significantly more fundamentalist than the [[GOP]] is less vile and more compassionate (which should tell you a thing or two about the current GOP).

==Greatest achievements==
[[File:Sgp_zetels.png|thumb|right|200px|SGP seats; they get points for consistency.]]
[[File:Sgp leden.png|thumb|right|200px|SGP membership; the increase is not necessarily indicative of greater success; only a small number of the population (308,846, or about 2%)<ref>{{cite news|title=[http://www.nu.nl/politiek/3692158/alleen-ledenwinst-50plus-d66-en-sgp.html Alleen ledenwinst voor 50PLUS, D66 en SGP]|work=NU.nl|date=3 February 2014}}</ref>) is member of a political party. It's more likely a sign of increased loyalty among SGP voters.]]
Dutch politics has always been fairly fragmented; the 150 seats of the lower house are typically divided between about ten parties (typically with three or four large parties and six or more smaller ones), and getting the majority vote to pass bills may require trading favours in ''quid pro quo'' fashion with smaller parties (in common parlance this is often called ''trading cows''). This allows the SGP to influence matters, typically not in a good way.

Here are some of their greatest achievements of the last few years:

* They've been on a decades long quest to force the entire Dutch population to respect the [[Sabbath]], and views large-scale breakage of the Sabbath as a serious social problem. This is done primarily by trying to keep shops closed on Sundays, but also by agitating against various other activities on Sunday such as paying for parking,<ref>{{cite news|title=[http://www.gelderlander.nl/regio/de-vallei/ede/christenen-parkeergeld-betalen-op-zondag-is-tegen-het-geloof-1.5228808 Christenen: 'Parkeergeld betalen op zondag is tegen het geloof']|work=De Gelderlander|date=10 September 2015}}</ref> circuses,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Kuiler|first1=Martijn|title=[http://www.dichtbij.nl/capelle-krimpen/regionaal-nieuws/artikel/4141394/sgp-krimpenerwaard-stelt-vragen-over-circus-op-zondag.aspx SGP Krimpenerwaard stelt vragen over circus op zondag]|work=dichtbij|date=21 September 2015}}</ref> opening buildings,<ref>{{cite news|title=[http://www.pzc.nl/regio/zeeuws-nieuws/sgp-tegen-ontvangst-mariniers-op-zondag-1.5211777 SGP tegen ontvangst mariniers op zondag]|work=PZC|date=4 September 2015}}</ref> etc. Their website, [http://sgp.nl sgp.nl], is "closed" on Sundays. Historically, they've had some limited success with this quest, but not so much in the last decade.

* They were instrumental in putting the phrase "God be with us" (Dutch: ''God zij met ons''; the Dutch version of the German "Gott mit uns") on the edge of Dutch 2 Euro coins. This phrase has been on the edge of Dutch coins since 1816 and was originally intended to prevent forgery and clipping. The phrase is taken from {{bible|Romans|8|31}}: "If God be for us, who can be against us?", which was too long so it was shortened. The introduction of the Euro for would have been a good moment to stop this archaic practice, but the SGP would have none of that. Apparently the 2 Euro coin is the only one with enough room for "God zij met ons". This is the Dutch and more arrogant version of [[In God We Trust]].<ref>{{cite news|title=[http://www.trouw.nl/tr/nl/5009/Archief/article/detail/2602170/1997/04/24/D66-God-zij-met-ons-als-randschrift-euro-past-niet-in-deze-tijd.dhtml D66: 'God zij met ons' als randschrift euro past niet in deze tijd]|work=Trouw|date=24 April 1997}}</ref>

* Spent significant effort to keep [[blasphemy]] illegal; they were instrumental in preventing the repeal of these laws in 2009<ref>{{cite news|title=[http://www.nu.nl/politiek/2520853/vvd-ziet-af-van-voorstel-godslastering.html VVD ziet af van voorstel godslastering]|work=NU.nl|date=21 May 2011}}</ref>, but they were eventually repealed anyway in 2014. Not that it really mattered that much, the last conviction for blasphemy was in 1966—which was highly controversial even then—when writer {{wpl|Gerard Reve}} wrote about having [[sex]] with God reincarnated as a donkey.

* Civil servants hired before November 1st 2014 may refuse to marry same-sex couples; this "right" was in small part due to SGP opposition (but it was ''mostly'' due to the efforts of other parties). Also see: [[Same-sex marriage resistance#Netherlands]].

* Banning the Star Wars Ashoka series due to its homosexual tones and forcing the Netherlands to then ban all Stars Wars content calling it Marxist but effort failed because of mass protests.

*Helping stop Lofi Girl and the Dutch Atlantis Party from winning the 2023 general election which would have resulted in the Netherlands doing land reclamation and draining the ocean in order to expand the Netherlands territory. Basically a modern Altantropa project.

==Other views and shenanigans==
* Like any self-respecting religious nut party, they oppose [[abortion]], [[euthanasia]], [[gay marriage]], [[stem cell research]], [[prostitution]], [[pornography]], [[GMO]], violent [[video games]], [[gambling]], and everything else that makes life worth living (with the possible exception of the euthanasia business).<ref name="programma">{{cite web|author=Staatkundig Gereformeerde Partij|title=[https://www.sgp.nl/Media/download/82/Verkiezingsprogramma+2012-2017.pdf? Daad bij het Woord! Verkiezingsprogramma 2012-2017]|work=SGP.nl}}</ref>

* They oppose the "radical [[secularism]] that currently prevails in the Netherlands"; since the government should "act in accordance with the [[Bible]] and laws of God", which is pretty much the definition of a [[theocracy]] or even a form of Dutch [[dominionism]].<ref name="programma"/>

* Continuously 
whining
 [[Just asking questions|asking totally valid questions]]<ref>Examples:
*{{cite news|title=[http://www.refdag.nl/nieuws/politiek/sgp_en_cu_schippers_moet_stelling_nemen_in_euthanasiedebat_1_942450 SGP en CU: Schippers moet stelling nemen in euthanasiedebat]|work=Reformatorisch Dagblad|date=29 September 2015}}
*{{cite news|title=[http://www.refdag.nl/nieuws/politiek/cu_en_sgp_willen_opheldering_schippers_over_euthanasie_1_779640 CU en SGP willen opheldering Schippers over euthanasie]|work=Reformatorisch Dagblad|date=29 October 2015}}
*{{cite news|title=[http://www.refdag.nl/nieuws/anp/binnenland/van_der_staaij_sgp_vecht_door_tegen_abortus_1_939511 Van der Staaij (SGP) vecht door tegen abortus]|work=Reformatorisch Dagblad|date=17 September 2015}}
*{{cite news|last1=Verhoef|first1=Frank|title=[http://www.dagelijksestandaard.nl/2015/03/moeder-dwong-vriendin-van-zoon-tot-abortus-sgp-eist-opheldering/ Moeder dwingt vriendin van zoon tot abortus, SGP eist opheldering]|work=De Dagelijkse Standaard|date=28 March 2015}}
*{{cite news|title=[http://www.trouw.nl/tr/nl/4492/Nederland/article/detail/3536086/2013/10/30/Schippers-is-niet-van-plan-euthanasiewet-te-veranderen.dhtml Schippers is niet van plan euthanasiewet te veranderen]|work=Trouw|date=30 October 2013}}</ref> about the ethics of [[euthanasia]] and [[abortion]] laws, [[Point refuted a thousand times|endlessly regurgitating aspects of these difficult questions that have been settled long ago]].

* They're largely silent on the topics of [[evolution]] and the age of the earth, probably because they must realize that a large majority of the Dutch population is more well educated than the average bronze age serf was, and thus considers [[young Earth creationism]] and the accompanying [[denialism]] to be completely ridiculous. However, despite the party line being to [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfl6Lu3xQW0 not mention the war], a majority of SGP members themselves likely oppose evolution and support YEC. A local unit of the SGP opposed a law which casually mentioned that "the landscape formed 200,000 years ago" because "it assumes evolutionary theory, which the SGP doesn't support".<ref>{{cite news|title=[http://www.destentor.nl/regio/harderwijk/sgp-tegen-evolutie-in-nieuwe-welstandsnota-1.3155109 SGP tegen evolutie in nieuwe welstandsnota]|work=De Stentor|date=30 October 2013}}</ref> Another local party unit co-wrote (and defended) a report which claimed that "estimates on the age of the Earth in the Christian community are about 6,000 to 12,000 years".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Kottman|first1=Pieter|title=[http://vorige.nrc.nl//binnenland/article2471995.ece/Staphorst_wil_in_bodemrapport_bijbelse_visie_op_aarde Staphorst wil in bodemrapport bijbelse visie op aarde]|work=NRC|date=30 January 2010}}</ref> Their fight for religious education (next point) also seems largely inspired by anti-evolutionary viewpoints. So much for party silence on the matter.

* They want more "freedom in [[education]]"<ref name="programma"/>; what they ''really'' mean here is the freedom to indoctrinate with religion in schools, and less [[evolution]], [[sex ed]], and other things they disagree with. This can be seen stated plainly by them in quotes such as "the government cannot subscribe what schools can teach on topics such as creation, evolution, and [homo]sexuality".<ref>{{cite news|title=[http://www.refdag.nl/achtergrond/onderwijs-samenleving/sp_er_en_sgp_er_botsen_over_onderwijs_1_625118 SP’er en SGP’er botsen over onderwijs]|work=Reformatorisch Dagblad|date=24 February 2012}}</ref>

* They want to cattle-brand their definition of the [[family]] (solipsistic values and all!) into the constitution.<ref name="programma"/>

* They support the [[death penalty]], [[Examples of God personally killing people|as does their Lord]].<ref name="programma"/>

* Whenever an oath is being pledged, they believe it should be a Christian oath, "recognizing God's name".<ref name="programma"/> One might of course ask "What in God's name for?"

* They oppose [[net neutrality]]; this is chiefly to allow a Christian ISP ([http://kliksafe.nl kliksafe]) to filter content (including ''all'' movies, [[YouTube]], sex education, RationalWiki, etc.) without the ability for the end users to disable the filter—going so far as to want to make filtering of pornography ''mandatory'' for ISPs.<ref name="programma"/>

* They support a [[flat tax]].<ref name="programma"/>

* They strongly support [[Israel]], opposing any suggested two-state solution to the conflict.<ref name="programma"/>

To be fair, ''most'' of their other (non-religious) views not listed above are more or less reasonable and roughly in line with mainstream right-wing politics in Europe, but whenever they have the chance, they focus on the religious issues. For example, their positions on the Sabbath and blasphemy are repeated ''[[ad nauseam]]'', boring much of the Dutch electorate.

== See also ==
* [[Geert Wilders]], another Dutch politician, considerably more insane than the SGP, and doesn't even have religion as an excuse.

==References==
{{reflist|2|90%}}

[[Category:Christian fundamentalism]]
[[Category:Christianity]]
[[Category:European political parties]]
[[Category:Netherlands]]
[[Category:Political parties]]
[[Category:Purity culture]]

Categories: Christian fundamentalism, Christianity, European political parties, Netherlands, Political parties, Purity culture