As we head towards one other general election it seems as if there are particular issues for Christians, considered one of which is the query of who we should always vote for and whether we should always vote for somebody specifically because they’re a Christian.
I recall being invited to vote for somebody on the University of Edinburgh whose sole pitch appeared to be ‘I’m a Christian, subsequently I’m honest’! He had no experience of student politics, yet was standing for a senior post on the premise of this fairly flimsy manifesto. I didn’t vote for him and he didn’t get elected.
On the opposite hand, I even have known superb, committed Christians, not only CINOs (Christian in Name Only) who’ve stood for, and won elections in most political parties. Tim Farron of the Lib Dems, Murdo Fraser of the Conservatives, Marsha de Cordova (Labour), and in fact Kate Forbes of the SNP.
At one level I’m more inclined to vote for a Christian because they’d generally share the Christian values I might regard as necessary – but there are aspects that may encourage me to vote for another person. It’s not only the person, it is also the policies and the parties.
The problem is that over the past few years within the UK it has change into increasingly difficult for Christians to be involved in mainstream political parties – because the candidate selection process often seems to flag up Christianity as a negative factor. This shouldn’t be recent.
When David Cameron was desperate to indicate how compassionate/woke/normal the Tories were, I recall a prospective MP writing to me and asking me to remove her name from my website. It was only there due to a report I had given of speaking at her church, seven years previously, and she or he was only mentioned in passing as someone I used to be impressed with. Who would read that?
She explained that some activist groups were using serps to try to find any dirt to put on a prospective candidate – and even being mentioned up to now on a ‘controversial’ (i.e. Bible teaching) website could be an element. Of course I complied, but she still didn’t get the post.
I feel of one other very lively Christian Green councillor who was forced to withdraw from her job due to her Christian views. Or the Labour politician who was against abortion and faced a deselection process. Or essentially the most recent example, the Lib-Dem David Campanale, who despite being an award-winning BBC journalist, looks as if he’s going to be cancelled by his party because, within the words of 1 activist, he’s a ‘Christian nutter’. It makes me wonder why any Christian would vote for a celebration where they’re so despised and discriminated against?
Here in Australia I even have been reading the previous Prime Minister, Scott Morrison’s account of his time in power, Plans For Your Good: A Prime Minister’s Testimony of God’s Faithfulness. It is an enchanting overtly Christian perspective. One thing that stands out for me is the extent of abuse that got here ‘Sco-Mo’s’ way, not a lot due to his policies, but fairly due to his Christianity. The lion’s den exists for Christians in modern Western politics!
One of the difficulties that Christian politicians can have is that they’re demonised by some anti-Christians for being too Christian on the one hand, and criticised by their fellow believers for not being Christian enough on the opposite. Politics is the art of compromise and what is feasible. It’s all thoroughly for those on the skin to snipe and shoot arrows at those that have actually got involved and got their hands dirty, but it surely really doesn’t help.
It shows an immaturity and impracticality that makes life even harder for those Christians who’re in search of to make a difference. Of course they may make mistakes, but then so will we – and maybe all of us need a bit of more humility because sometimes we just do not know what is happening. We should pray for our Christian brothers and sisters who’re involved within the dirty business of politics, that they might be kept faithful, daring and loving. May they be as sensible as serpents and harmless as doves.
An example of a young Christian woman who has had a remarkable impact on politics in Scotland is the Scottish Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes. When Kate stated in an interview that she prayed to Jesus before deciding to face, she was subjected to vile abuse to the extent that she was under great pressure to withdraw from the SNP leadership election. But she stuck to her guns and behaved with dignity, grace and clarity. As a result, she got here inside a whisker of winning, and if the SNP leadership had not shortened the election time, most commentators think she would have won. As a results of that, her personal and political credibility has risen to recent heights.
In fact, Fraser Nelson of the Spectator thinks Forbes may very well be the sport changer in the faith and politics debate. In a recent column he wrote: “Forbes could never find yourself as first minister and, if she does, the SNP should still be doomed. But she has proven a very important point: it’s OK, now, to do God.”
We can only pray so! May the Lord raise up many more ‘Daniels’ like her.
David Robertson is the minister of Scots Kirk Presbyterian Church in Newcastle, New South Wales. He blogs at The Wee Flea.
