Representatives from 19 Western countries have launched a worldwide conservative association called IDU — the International Democrat Union. What will it achieve?
SAID POPE John Paul II at Katowice, Poland, "From the Creator comes the social character of human aspirations the need to join, together and to unite with one another." The urge to unite seems to be a basic human characteristic. The latest major manifestation of this fundamental urge of humankind occurred at the Inter-Continental Hotel in London in June. The list of names was impressive to say the least: Margaret Thatcher, George Bush, Helmut Kohl and Franz Josef Strauss, to mention just a few. There, each representative personally signed a Declaration of Principles designed to undergird the International Democrat Union. Human rights were repeatedly stressed in this brief document. All the usual statements about free elections, an independent media, basic personal freedoms, rights of assembly, were present in the document. The wording was careful to reject any form of totalitarianism. Yet the generally liberal press in the United States took little note of the document. Many leaders made major speeches. Said British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher: "The International Democrat Union girdles the earth. It is not an empire. But it will be, we hope, a great dominion of mind and spirit." West Germany's Franz Josef Strauss concluded, "The coming together today represents a spiritual confrontation with Marxism." U.S. Vice President George Bush ended his speech with a statement that "the world, under God, should have a new birth of freedom." Australian Opposition Leader George Peacock began his talk, "The greatest strength of the International Democrat Union will be its unity of purpose and its ability to bring together political parties which share common ideals." All admirable — from an idealistic point of view.
Precious Little Liberty!
International freedom, justice and liberty were basic themes of these meetings. But in truth there is precious little of these commodities left in the world. In general, totalitarianism reigns in the world. Politically speaking, millions upon millions of human beings experience few personal freedoms. True, human beings do join themselves together with other human beings. They associate themselves with others to accomplish a common purpose. But that purpose that is common to them is often at variance with the goals of another group or groups.
The Coming of a World
Human groups are in a constant state of confusion. Some members are always splitting off to form other groups. And the purposes, aims and goals of anyone group tend to change over time. In the end it seems people unite to eventually divide. Only the eternal God can bring order out of all this chaos. This is the promise of all the prophets in the Holy Bible. The Word of God speaks of "the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began" (Acts 3:21). The overriding purpose of this magazine is to herald that future world government — a utopian state with superhuman rulers who will finally unite this divided world through a common purpose. Jesus said to pray, "Thy Kingdom come!" When that happens God's government will "girdle the earth with a great dominion of mind and spirit." Then the world will "have a new birth of freedom."
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