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Editorial
Alwyn Thomson
Comment:
Politics: serving God and doing good!
Ethel White
From
the Director: Cultivating the common ground
David W Porter
ECONI
Statement: Confidence in God
October 2002
Postbag: Letters to the Editor
Why
vote?
Alison Laird
Communities
of hope
Lord Alderdice
Transformation 2003: Killing for God?
View
from the south
Patrick Mitchel
Church
& state
Esmond
Birnie MLA
Taking
the plunge
John Kyle
Faith
in politics
Interview: Rt Hon Paul Murphy MP
Your
kingdom come
Heather Morrow
ECONI
Statement: Forum for Peace & Reconciliation
January 2003
Bible
study series: Faith in the future
David
W Porter
Through
a glass, darkly
Changing Women, Changing Worlds Conference
Review:
A night in November by Marie Jones
Noel
McCune
Book
Reviews
Alwyn Thomson
For
God and His Glory Alone:
Study 3: Reconciliation
For
God and His Glory Alone:
Study 4: Peace
TAKING THE PLUNGE
Charles De Gaulle’s comments, presumably made in jest, reinforce the cynicism with which people view politics and politicians. Why, you may ask, would one want to become involved in politics, given that politicians seem obsessed with power, self promotion and spin and appear deficient in integrity, a sense of public service and a capacity for selfcriticism? After all, does bad company not corrupt good morals? Surely a Christian would need to have compelling reasons to jump into that murky pool. Well, yes and no.
I have been a member of a political party for four years. My involvement sprang out of the conviction that Christian faith is best expressed through full engagement with the society in which we live and that our actions or interactions with others constitute the ‘good works which God has prepared in advance for us to do.’ (Eph 2:10). Faith, if genuine, expresses itself in good works. Since we are to let our light shine before men, the manipulative and at times doubtful behaviour of some politicians did not seem to me a convincing reason to shun politics, rather an incentive to work for change.
My interest in politics was kindled through a series of evening meetings at our church at which leading politicians spoke of their vision for the country and their assessment of the current state of the political process. The meetings were lively and entertaining but also produced a candid and meaningful dialogue which moved beyond rhetoric to thoughtful consideration of important and often controversial issues. These encounters helped me to view politicians in a new light. The decision to join a political party came about at the time of the Belfast Agreement. As the political landscape began to change dramatically with new political parties emerging and new positions being articulated, I simply wanted an opportunity to have my say and to make a contribution to the debate. Joining a political party seemed the best way to achieve that.
Choosing a political party to join can be challenging since political parties, like people, are complex organisms. They are in a perpetual state of change, shaped by debate and strong individuals with tensions existing between traditionalists and progressives. Policies take time to develop and must change in response to circumstances, events and public opinion. Each political party is a rag bag of policies and personalities some of which are more appealing than others.
I decided to join the Progressive Unionist Party because I was impressed by the public statements made by its leaders. They articulated a form of unionism which to my mind was refreshing and new: a desire to be inclusive, tolerant and anti-sectarian; a willingness to embrace change; an emphasis on social justice and a concern for the disadvantaged. Among its ranks were men who spoke openly of having changed from violent to non-violent political activity. Instinctively I wanted to join a party like that.
Having joined, however, it takes time to get to know a party and to understand its values and core principles, not least because parties can be poor at encouraging and assimilating new members. The values and ethos of the party become clear as one sees the members respond to events and crises. It would be surprising if you could find a party whose full manifesto you could wholeheartedly endorse. Life is rarely that simple. For example the Progressive Unionist Party takes a pro-choice position in the abortion debate whereas I am pro-life and oppose any extension of the 1967 Abortion Act to Northern Ireland. Other members agree with me and we will continue to argue our case at every opportunity. However, I have no difficulty supporting the party on its pro Agreement stance, its policies on social justice issues, women’s rights, policing, education and its anti-drugs campaign.
Party membership provides both opportunities and challenges. For many Christians their church commitment means that free time is spent mostly in the company of other Christians. This has many benefits but can insulate and isolate us from our local communities. Our salt may not have lost its flavour but it just doesn’t get out of the salt cellar. Joining a political party has brought me into contact with people and sections of the community I would not otherwise have met. The party includes people with backgrounds very different to my own and I am frequently challenged by their views and opinions. I have had to re-examine some basic assumptions and sharpen some of my arguments. I have realised that there are often more than two sides to an argument. To share common cause with people who are not Christians and have no interest in Christianity has been an invigorating experience. Many have become friends and a camaraderie has developed, different from the koinonia which I experience in church, yet none the less real.
Adam Smith said ‘Where there is great prosperity there is great inequality... for one very rich man there must be at least five hundred poor’. Whether his figures are accurate or not, inequality is present in our society and with inequality exists deprivation and social exclusion. Politics is about the use of power and can be one of the means of addressing deprivation and social exclusion. To be active in politics is to be involved with those people who exercise political power and with those who should be the beneficiaries. This is incarnational Christianity. It is a way in which we can care for ‘the fatherless and the widow’ and look after those who cannot look after themselves. It means participation in the arguments, hard work, sweat and graft of community life. This is unglamorous but noble work. Although some local politicians have become internationally famous and in recent years the world’s media has focused its attention to events at Stormont, most political activity is mundane, unseen and some is frankly very boring. Involvement entails a commitment for the long haul: few people make a major impact but, with the investment of time and energy, one’s influence can grow.
For many Christians the issue of compromise is a stumbling block. We tend to think in terms of right or wrong, all or nothing, black or white. We view compromise as moral capitulation, and grey as a dangerous colour. However politics is the art of the possible, it is pragmatism in action. It is to do with getting a group of people to achieve the best possible outcome given that they have finite resources. It therefore necessitates an attitude of give and take, of not allowing the best to be the enemy of the good. Most political decisions do not fall into the category of right and wrong, but of better and worse. Recognising that we live in a fallen world we attempt to do good to all and as far as possible to live at peace with all men. Choosing the better option is often the wise option.
Being a member of the PUP raises questions in regard to paramilitary organisations. Many of the founding members of the PUP were members of the UVF and the party is still often portrayed as having close links with that organisation. Should this preclude Christians from joining? Paramilitary organisations are a fact of life in large parts of Northern Ireland. Unreformed violent and criminal activity by paramilitary groups would make close co-operation extremely difficult, however some of our finest community workers are ex-paramilitaries and some paramilitary groups have taken commendable steps to abandon sectarian violence and other criminal activity. This is to be applauded. Jesus, while not condoning sin, welcomed individuals from all backgrounds and political persuasions, and often took the initiative in reaching out to people who were socially ostracised. Both scripture and contemporary experience show that the best way to reform behaviour is to work with people rather than condemn them from afar. Then we can begin to address the grievances which have contributed to the rise of paramilitary organisations. I am pleased that the PUP has been consistent in its condemnation of violence, drug trafficking and other forms of criminal activity.
It is true that some politicians are verbose and selfimportant, but most people become involved in politics out of a genuine desire to help their community. The vast majority are unpaid volunteers with no aspirations for elected office. However power corrupts and politics can be a dirty business. Is ‘honest politician’ an oxymoron? Not in my experience, for there are men and women of high integrity in all parties, but we need more who will behave with honesty and honour motivated by a concern for the vulnerable and disadvantaged, in short people who embody the spirit of the prophets. I hope more Christians will take the plunge and become involved.
DR JOHN KYLE is a Member of ECONI and member of Christian Fellowship Church, Belfast.
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