Liberal Democrat Christian Forum - When People Say That the Bible and Politics Don't Mix

When People Say That the Bible and Politics Don't Mix

Written by Roger Standing
Monday, 30 April 2007
The extent to which Christians should become involved in politics has always been a contentious issue within the Church. The situation in our own time owes much to the developing of the Christian 'social conscience' and the 'Social Gospel'. This began towards the end of the nineteenth century across the Christian denominations in the UK. Things had begun to change with Wilberforce and the anti-slavery movement in the early 1800s as Christian support had been central to the campaign. The Anti Corn Law League and the Chartists also drew a great deal of strength from the Christian community as they agitated for justice and democracy as the century progressed. But it was not until the late nineteenth century that the Non-Conformist Churches (Methodist, Baptist, Congregational) particularly began to get more and more socially and politically active. Committed ministers and lay people were making their presence felt through what came to be known as the Non-Conformist Conscience. They spoke out effectively on topics such as housing and sanitation, education, the fitness of certain individuals for public office, war and many other issues. What was happening in the Free Churches was representative of what was happening in the other Churches too. From this base the political involvement of Christians in our country has grown, though many still feel that religion and politics should not mix. However, if Christians stand for truth, justice and the worth of people they cannot help but become involved in political activity. It is only through involvement and using the right of free-speech that Christian influence can be exercised in these areas. There is good precedent for speaking out on these matters in the Old Testament where the prophets often left the authorities in no doubt as to God's view on what was happening around them. Like every other group in society, Christians have a democratic right for their voice to be heard in the public square. It is not a ‘divine’ right, but it would be undemocratic if the Christian voice was ‘muzzled’ because of some ill thought out understanding of the relationship of religion and politics. Such a lack of thoughtfulness is a present danger fuelled, as it is, by a growing religiophobia within the media and an illiberal intolerance in the agenda of more militant secularists. Most Christian involvement in politics will not be party political involvement. No one party can claim to be Christian in its policies. Christians must constantly judge what is or isn't in accord with Jesus' teaching with each party programme. As such the Christian community ought properly to be politically pragmatic and support the party which most fully represents the way of Jesus at any given time. This does, of course, mean that this party might vary from election to election, the quintessential ‘floating voters’. Some Christians though will inevitably belong to the various parties and seek to influence them for good from the inside. This is time consuming and is a special calling of Christian servanthood that will only be for the few. If God has called you to serve within the political structures, exercise your influence for the good of all. Remember your ultimate responsibility is to God, not the party. Take your political freedom and responsibility seriously. Be alive to the issues and submit them to the teaching of Jesus to find which correspond most closely to your understanding of God's will. Jesus said we were to be salt and light in the world, the yeast in the dough of society. We are to exercise our influence for the benefit of all, according to the revelation of God's love as we have seen it in Jesus. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu said in the thick of the battle against apartheid, 'When people say that the Bible and politics don't mix, I ask them which Bible they are reading'. For further reflection: Isaiah 59:9 -- 21 and Matthew 5:13 -- 16. Roger Standing is the Regional Minister/Team Leader of the Southern Counties Baptist Association. This article is an extract from his forthcoming book, Re-emerging Church: baby-boomers and the future growth of denominational churches, scheduled for publication in early 2008. © Roger Standing

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