Is it really possible to separate religion from the state? Have been observant of issues bordering on religion as it relates to governance vis-à-vis politics, especially in my country, Nigeria, many occasions I find it difficult to understand why a Christian should be involved in the first instance.
Politics as we know is a dirty game due to the do-or-die nature of our politicians in seeking for positions and relevance, many young, purposeful lives had been lost tracing the political history of the Nigeria; however, this seems to be the order of the day in the political jungle, if I may use the term.
Many have tried to justify their involvement in politics to a call to serve by the people, a call from God to deliver His people like the biblical Moses while some claim to have had the vision to rule directly from God; some clergy had even gone out of their way to occupy one position or the other, only to come back and confess that they were misled, thinking that they could make a difference. Whichever way we look at the participation of Christians in politics, we cannot justify staying aloof and watch.
“All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” - Edmund Burke
Asking question as to should a Christian go into politics, or should they partake in politics is a misleading one according to Bill Suggs of WallBuilders, whose write up provided by Eden Communications on Christiansanswers.net said, it brings to mind a negative image of government and politics, and it also implies that the freedom to evangelize is secure and could never be taken away. If the first part of the question is actually, "should Christians corrupt themselves with the seedy side of politics?" or "should Christians revert to the unethical, unscriptural practices of modern day 'politicians'?" the answer is, of course, no.
“God is personal, but never private. And the Bible reveals a very public God… Private religion avoids the public consequences of faith.” - Jim Wallis, God’s Politics
He however explained further, that if however, the question is about political involvement and participation in general, there is a different answer: Christians should seek political participation and representation as they go about their duties of evangelizing the world. Without this participation and representation, there is no assurance that the freedom to evangelize will remain secure.
Asking a fundamental question, the writer noted, Can we maintain the fundamental freedoms and liberties we enjoy while standing apart from the political process? The political and social trends of the last generation should offer clear warnings that freedom and liberty require diligent care and attention—especially by the Christian community.
There are numerous perspectives on why Christians should be involved in the political process: duty, responsibility, natural leadership, love of our brothers and sisters, a basic compassion for mankind, etc. One perspective that too often goes unnoticed is the concept of submission to government. Submission to our governing structures requires participation.
"Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established" - Romans 13:1 (NIV)
The first seven verses of this chapter provided a fundamental blueprint for the relationship between the Christians in Rome and the existing governing authority—the power of Rome. The Roman Christians exercised no political power in the secular order of things; participation was extremely limited.
As Christians today, we look back upon Paul's letter, and other portions of Scripture (Mark 12, I Timothy 2:1-3, Acts 5, etc.) to determine our own relationship to government.
Working from the premise that we are all participants, political involvement is not a matter of seeking "power." It is a matter of being fairly represented as we participate in government. As we participate, we have the opportunity of voting for our elected officials and of ensuring adequate choices as we vote. If we truly believe our government was divinely ordained and instituted, this luxury and opportunity should be enjoyed and exercised.
Then what does participation entail, at least in the minimum, voting. Participation means individuals involved are aware of the rules and regulations guiding the proceedings before, during and after the process; knowing the players and understand the fundamental issues, which may include but not limited to social issues, economic issues, international issues, etc., which all points to political awareness. According to Bill, Christians should rank among the most politically informed and astute people.
“Many voters including Christians have become apathetic and cynical about engagement with the political process. Yet we have an amazing opportunity to make a Christian difference at this moment in our nation’s history.” - Nola Leach, Executive Director, CARE
According to the booklet written by Christadelphians, there are many questions begging for answers; except below
The question is: 'Should a Christian take any part in politics?' Should he or she:
· Vote in a general or local election?
· Join a political party?
· Become an elected representative?
· Join in political demonstrations or pressure groups?
What is really expected of a Christian? What is the right thing to do?
Christadelphians believe that the Bible teaches us that we should avoid all involvement in politics and that the answer to each of the questions above is 'No'. But those who are not familiar with this point of view may well be puzzled by it. After all, isn't the right to vote an important part of life in any democratic society? Isn't democracy the best political system for a country, the way to ensure moderate policies and stability? Doesn't this require all of us to participate by playing our part in the political life of our country?
Millions of respectable citizen vote; there are many sincere Christians who are active in politics: and it could be argued that it's actually part of a Christian's duly to see that their country is run properly. Surely Christians should exercise their right to vote, should try to get the right people into power and so help to improve society?
It has even been suggested that it is un-Christian not to vote. What would happen, for example, if everybody abstained at election times? Wouldn't it result in complete chaos for us all? How could such a selfish attitude possibly be compatible with a Christian outlook?
Society expects its citizens to take part in the political process. It is also true that there are many politicians who enter politics with the conviction that they can improve the lot of mankind. In the recent history of the Western world, a number of governments have had remarkable success in improving the quality of life of the average individual - the establishment of the Welfare State in the UK, and the post-war German economic miracle are obvious examples of this. There are also many leading politicians who are happy to be known as practicing Christians, and who seem to have no qualms of conscience about the exercise of power in the interests of the public good. Some political parties even include the description 'Christian' in their party's name.
All these points certainly look like reasons for Christians to be willing to play a responsible part in the way their county is managed, especially if it is 'for the right motives'. So why do Christadelphians take such a different view of these important issues?
Everything so far in this booklet has been looked at from a purely human standpoint. The phrases used include expressions such as "the public good", "the quality of life", and "improving the lot of mankind".
Now these expressions are all very well if you are a humanist. If you don't believe in God, and you think that man is the author of his own destiny, then it's perfectly reasonable for you to believe that we can manage our own political affairs in a way which will bring about a better future for the world.
But what about God's instructions? What about the teachings of Jesus Christ? Surely, if we claim to be Christians, followers of Christ, then we cannot leave them out of our considerations. Quite the opposite in fact, we must look very carefully at what they tell us.
Christadelphians believe that it is only God's view on this subject that matters - as with every other aspect of our lives. So we must turn to the Bible to read what He has to say about our relationships with the societies in which we live. What then does the Bible have to say about the Christian and Politics? What is the positive teaching of the Word of God?
The Bible has much helpful and clear teaching on this subject; in particular there are three principles which we must consider. Briefly summarized, these are:
· God rules in the kingdom of men
· God has His own political manifesto for us
· We should follow the personal example and teaching of Jesus
It is vital for Christians to understand these principles. They will help us to work out exactly how we should respond to calls to vote or become more deeply involved in the political process of the country in which we live.
God's claim is that He is king - King over all who worship Him now, and King in the past over the nation of Israel. He called the children of Israel to be "a kingdom of priests, a holy nation" (Exodus 19:6). Other nations and their leaders, particularly those surrounding Israel, were influenced by God, often without knowing the part they played in His purpose. One of these was king Nebuchadnezzar, an autocratic ruler of ancient Babylon who lived six hundred years before Christ. Like modern humanists who think that people can improve the world by their own devices, he refuted the supremacy of the God in the control of human affairs. The Book of Daniel, in the Old Testament, gives us a picture of this great Eastern monarch full of pride at his own achievements. We read of him boasting out loud:
"Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?" - Daniel 4:30
However, Nebuchadnezzar had a hard lesson to learn; three times in this same chapter the all important principle is repeated that:
"The Most High rules the kingdom of men, and gives it to whom he will".
To reinforce this principle, Nebuchadnezzar, the great ruler, was suddenly and dramatically struck down with mental illness, was driven away to make his home with animals, and was deprived of his kingdom until he humbled himself before God.
Nebuchadnezzar rose from the most humble background to be the leader of a great empire. The world saw him as a man who succeeded through his own abilities, yet his life was ordered by God to teach us that God, and not man, is ultimately in control.
When Nebuchadnezzar had his sanity restored by God, he was honest enough to acknowledge these lessons.
"At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honoured him who lives for ever ... he does according to his will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, What doest thou?" - Daniel 4:34-35
"He does according to his will ... and none can stay his hand". What implications there are in these words for us as we listen to the promises and the claims of the political leaders of our times! God's rule, as Nebuchadnezzar came to know, "is an everlasting dominion ..."
It doesn't really matter which era of man's history you look into: if you see it from God's point of view, His control is always in evidence. His hand can be seen, overruling and directing the will of men - whether or not they believe in Him. Sometimes, for our benefit, the curtain is drawn fully back, as in the example of Cyrus, the great ruler of the Persian Empire in the sixth century BC.
This example of Cyrus gives us a clear insight into how God works 'behind the scenes' with men and nations. In Isaiah 45:1, God refers to this powerful ruler as "His anointed", even though Cyrus himself was not consciously aware of God's direct involvement in his life. "I call you by your name, I surname you, though you do not know me", God said to the king (verse 4). The remarkable thing about these words is that they were given by God to the prophet Isaiah, and written down by him, about 170 years before Cyrus was born. At the time the name 'Cyrus' would mean nothing! Why did God tell Isaiah that He would control the actions of this man - why was He willing to smooth his path to victory after victory in his rise to power? The prophet tells us why: it was so that the political survival of God's people, Israel, would be assured. It was done "for the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen" (verse 4). God's purpose with Israel would be fulfilled by Cyrus, even though he didn't know it at the time.
Now you may wonder whether all this history is relevant to the politics of the early 21st century. Surely this first Bible principle makes it clear that this really is the case. "The Most High rules the kingdom of men, and gives it to whom he will", holds true today just as it did over two thousand years ago. The true Christian, the Bible-based believer, understands that God, and not man, is still in control of human affairs. Throughout the Bible, we are shown how the tangled web of local, national, and international politics - so many aspects of which are hidden even from those directly involved - is all in God's good hands, both in history and in the contemporary world. "His dominion", said Nebuchadnezzar, "is an everlasting dominion". God never changes: this Bible principle still applies today, and it applies whether we recognise it or not.
Our personal response to all this will depend on how much we acknowledge the Bible as the Word of God and how much we are prepared to listen to its message to us.
If we refuse to accept that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God", and that it is able to make us "wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus", then Bible teaching about God's control of human affairs will appear meaningless to us. If this is the case then we are justified in making our own fallible political decisions and to make up our own minds as best we may on the basis of what we see and hear in the world around us. But ... we then need to live with the consequences of those decisions, especially when we get them wrong!
Christadelphians believe differently. We accept fully the authority of the Bible and believe that it tells us of the unchanging and everlasting rule of God throughout human history. To unbelievers, a position of complete non-involvement in political affairs seems to be a negative attitude to the political challenges of the world. However, true Christians are men and women who are convinced that God is in control of human affairs, and that His plan and purpose is being worked out on this earth, regardless of what any man may do to thwart it. They believe that such non-involvement is a positive and deliberate statement of allegiance to God, and a complete subjection to His will. Convinced that God is in control-not man-such people take no part at all in politics. How are we to know which of our leaders is the one God wants to be in power? How shall we be sure, if we cast our vote, that we are voting for the person who is the right one in God's eyes? It is sufficient to know, and to be certain that God's will shall be done "on earth, as it is in heaven".
Christianity and Politics ….Wikipedia.org
Christian In Politics…http://www.christiansinpolitics.org.uk/home/
http://www.bibleed.com/bibleteachings/pamphlets/politics.htm
Pastor Williams, Pastor-In-charge, RCCG Edo Province 3
http://christiananswers.net/q-wall/wal-g005.html
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