I’ve read some of your posts - can’t figure out if you’re for Paul or Obama... Can you give me a hint?
61 posted on Tuesday, February 21, 2012 6:36:14 PM by GOPJ: “I’ve read some of your posts - can’t figure out if you’re for Paul or Obama... Can you give me a hint?”
Here’s a hint.
Based on the name, I think he’s a Dutch guy from a RCA or CRC background in West Michigan who is mad at the cultural conservatism of the Dutch which — in fairness to their legitimate critics — can sometimes approach the full rigors of Pharisaism.
I think he’s mad at the Dutch Reformed and extends that anger to anything that looks or smells like social conservativism. I think that drives his objections toward Rick Santorum.
I’m going to make some guesses that may be wrong, but I don’t think they are.
I think Mr. Van de Koik, like lots of other Dutch people who have left the church or become theologically moderate or even outright liberal in their doctine, continues to be very conservative fiscally and politically. The sociological outworkings of Calvinism, even when shorn of their religious roots, can be very effective, to cite an early American proverb, in making a man “healthy, wealthy and wise.”
There are reasons why New England and Scotland continued to be capitalist economic powerhouses long after they had jettisoned conservative Calvinism. It takes a while to destroy the sociology of a Calvinist culture because it works from a secular pespective.
Am I right, Mr. Van de Koik? I realize I may be totally off base with you, but even if I’m wrong in your specific situation — all I know about you is what I read from you on Free Republic — I’ve seen many similar cases over the years with other people.
Of course, you don’t need to answer if I’ve touched too close to home.
But if I’ve touched too close, don’t lash out at me as an inbred Hollander — I don’t have a drop of Dutch blood, I’m an adult convert to Calvinism, and while I used to be accused of being an honorary Hollander when I lived in Grand Rapids, I’m sitting in the middle of the Missouri Ozarks attending a congregation of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, which was historically composed of Scots-Irish Presbyterians from the hills of the Carolinas. So don’t reject what I say because I’m Dutch — I’m not. But as a Grand Rapids native, I do know the Dutch very, very well.
How many have you’ve read? 3?
I’ve always been clear in my support of Newt. Sorry if not being a bandwagon conservative for this guy somehow equals being for Ron Paul or Obama.
But then again I shouldn’t expect people running behind Santorum to actually put much thought into this type of thing anyway.