Christian center
| Christian Center Association (CM) |
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|---|---|
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| purpose | "Encouragement to Joy in GOD" |
| Chair: | Josef Happel |
| Establishment date: | August 27, 1988 |
| Number of members: | approx. 5000 |
| Seat : | Lippstädter Str. 42 59329 Wadersloh |
| Website: | www.christliche-mitte.de |
The Christian Center (short name: CM ) is a Christian fundamentalist association which , as it sees itself, represents Christian values. The club was active as a party between 1988 and 2016 and competed in a number of elections. Due to the extremely poor election results, the CM transformed into a political association in February 2016, which will no longer compete in elections and which focuses on socio-political public relations .
Content profile and party program
The Christian fundamentalist association calls for all areas of society to be aligned “under the Christian moral law according to God's commandments”. The association presents itself as non-denominational, but has Catholic references especially in its publications, for example it supports the holding of masses according to the classic Tridentine rite .
In October 2005, the CM adopted a revised basic program at its regular federal party conference in Fulda, which, according to its own understanding, focuses on the essential points of a Christian and social policy. In particular, the Ten Commandments occupy a special position, which are "God's willed natural law and Christian moral law". "Christian marriage" and the family are "the most important life and education community in the state". “Disordered” sexuality and homosexuality , on the other hand, are condemned and rejected. A "restoration of the Christian attitude" is sought.
Interreligious or Islamic classes are rejected out of fear of an “ Islamization of Europe”. Instead, Muslims "who want to return to their homeland voluntarily" are to be supported. In principle, the CM assumes that Muslims want to spread their faith either through the concealment of their intentions allegedly required in the Koran or through violence or terror. Furthermore, the CM is clearly in favor of the mission to the Jews . The now deceased chairwoman Mertensacker also denounced an alleged "ongoing persecution of Christians in Israel " and wrote of "daily attacks by Jews on Christians". Women should be encouraged to “consciously shape their lives as women and mothers”. Other goals of the association include the prosecution of abortions as a “ criminal act ”, the “protection of young people from commercial and sexual exploitation as well as moral and health hazards”, the prohibition of pornography and the “criminal law protection against homosexuality”. A ban on sex education and the “parents' right to teach children themselves” are also advocated and opposed to “anti-democratic measures”, “ esotericism ”, “seduction through false doctrines, ideologies and manipulation” and “ blasphemy ”. Also nationalist tendencies are recognizable, such. B. said the CM in connection with the Wehrmacht exhibition on the crimes of the Wehrmacht in the east of a "Schandausstellung" and "forgery" and called for the criminal complaint.
Structure and political activity
Adelgunde Mertensacker from Wadersloh , who was federal chairman of the Center Party for a year from 1986 to 1987 , published anti-Islamic pamphlets and leaflets in particular from the 1970s together with the Catholic priest Winfried Pietrek from Lippstadt , who was the president of the CM youth organization Junge Mitte . Sympathizers and members of the association also spread anti-Islamic writings on the Internet. The association's monthly newspaper, the Kurier der Christian Mitte , claims to have 19,000 subscribers.
history
CM was founded on August 27, 1988. It was a split from the German Center Party. The name “Christian center” was chosen because the CM regards itself as the successor to the Center Party and, according to its self-image expressed in the basic program, it expressly referred to itself as “the party of the Christian center”.
The founder of the CM, Adelgunde Mertensacker, was voted out of office as chairwoman of the German Center Party in 1987 after strong disputes and founded the CM with her supporters - including most of the life rights activists and the “Catholic faction” of the center at the time. She died on October 12, 2013, a few hours after she was re-elected as party leader at the Christian Center's Europe Congress in Lippstadt. No new chairman was subsequently elected.
Via its Facebook account, the party announced in February 2016 that it no longer wanted to take part in elections because the limited funds were insufficient to obtain parliamentary mandates. As a political association, however, they want to continue to participate in the formation of political opinions as before. After the party website was offline in the meantime, it has been public as an association since August 2016. Klaus Günter Annen was elected as its vice-chairman .
Election results
The CM was never able to achieve success in elections. She never had mandates at the municipal level either. The CM explained the low popularity among voters with the “moral decline in Europe ” and with the fact that its program was “very demanding”. The Christian Center was admitted to the 2013 Bundestag election and 2017 Bundestag election , but it did not draw up a state list or constituency candidates.
Bundestag elections
| Bundestag election results | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| year | Number of votes | Share of votes | |
| 1990 | 36,446 | 0.08% | |
| 1994 | 19,887 | 0.04% | |
| 1998 | 23,619 | 0.05% | |
| 2002 | 15,440 | 0.03% | |
| 2005 | direct candidates only (1,011 votes; 0.0%) | ||
| 2009 | 6,826 | 0.02% | |
European elections
| European election results | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| year | Number of votes | Share of votes | |
| 1989 | 43,580 | 0.2% | |
| 1994 | 66,766 | 0.2% | |
| 1999 | 30,746 | 0.1% | |
| 2004 | 46,037 | 0.2% | |
| 2009 | 39,953 | 0.2% | |
| 2014 | 30,124 | 0.1% | |
State elections
| Election year | Baden-Württemberg | Hamburg | Saarland |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 0.1% | ||
| 1992 | 0.0% | ||
| 1996 | 0.0% | ||
| 1999 | 0.1% | ||
| 2001 | 0.1% |
literature
- Thomas Schirrmacher : The enemy of Islam - using the example of the Christian Center party . Publishing house for theology and religious studies, 2003, ISBN 3-933372-58-5 .
- Kai Oliver Thielking : Between the Bible and the Basic Law - Small Christian Parties in the Federal Republic of Germany . Tectum Verlag, 1999, ISBN 3-8288-8007-X .
Web links
- Website of the Christian Center (main domain forwards to the club page)
- God in the Bundestag? Objectives and program of the Christian Center (CM) and Bible Faithful Christians party - a documentation. Religious Studies Media and Information Service e. V. (remid.de)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original from September 14, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Minutes of the 1st BWA meeting ( memento of the original from April 18, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 423 kB)
- ↑ a b Facebook message from the main party account from February 20, 2016
- ↑ Ulli Jentsch: The "life protection" movement and the AfD. In: Alexander Häusler (Ed.): The Alternative for Germany: Program, Development and Political Location. Springer-Verlag, 2016, p. 102
- ^ Benjamin Höhne: party profile CM. Federal Agency for Civic Education , September 1, 2009, archived from the original on August 1, 2013 ; accessed on April 13, 2018 .
- ↑ (CM-Kurier 3/2009)
- ↑ Courier of the CM 5/2009; 10/2010
- ↑ Courier d. CM 7/09; 1/12
- ↑ (CM-Kurier 9/2012)
- ^ Basic program of the CM
- ^ The "Christian Center" party at religion-online.info
- ↑ REMID documentation, point B (background of the CM) God in the Bundestag? Religious Studies Media and Information Service e. V. REMID documentation
- ^ Günter Annen wins in Strasbourg. (PDF) In: Kurier der Christlichen Mitte , 2016/1, p. 4
- ↑ Press release by the Federal Returning Officer
- ↑ Results of the Bundestag elections ( Memento of the original from July 9, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Results of the European elections ( Memento of the original from July 11, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
