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CARE's fringe event
at the Conservative Party Conference.
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Conference season has finally finished
and as the residents of Bournemouth and Blackpool have cleared
the streets, bars and restaurants so we can afford to take
some time to sit back and consider again the nature of our
(that is Christian) involvement in politics.
One first reflection is to reinforce the point that it is
remains as essential as ever. Martin Turner's example of the
Lib Dem motion on 'the Regulation of Pornography' (for 'regulation
of' read 'the liberalisation of laws on') is one example,
Gary Streeter's book, There is Such a Thing as Society, another
and the Christian Socialist Movement continues to show that
the role of faith in politics is not simply one for the political
right - Jesus Christ has as much to say to Tony Blair as he
does to Iain Duncan Smith.
Struggles for ideological control of each of the parties are
perennial and recurrent; Christians should never make the
assumption that any of the political parties are ever 'in
the bag'. For instance, the Conservative party is committed
to 'modernising itself' over the next few years but there
are real questions to answer as to what form that modernisation
will take. Will it be a move away from hard faced economics
toward policies orientated around the vulnerable in society?
Or will it be a hollowing out of political values and an adoption
of the libertarian ethic of political convenience. These issues
are undeniably reflected in other parties and institutions
Secondly, I want pose a counter-factual. How would the landscapes
of politics differ if Christians had chosen to quit the field
of political conflict? Critics within the church today, like
the Anabaptists of centuries past, would say that nothing
of value can be achieved.
CARE ran a fringe meeting in Bournemouth
as part of the EA's FACEVALUES campaign - the debate was on
'forgiveness in an unforgiving world'. Local Christians were
invited to attend. One man asked a question at the end - the
real change (and real forgiveness) will come, he said, when
the Gospel changes peoples' hearts. So what's the point of
getting involved in politics? Shouldn't a Christian's time
be more fruitfully spent on evangelism?
The question contrasted starkly with the contributions of
our speakers. James Mawdsley, a former prisoner of the dictatorial
regime in Burma, had spoken of the need to break the cycle
of violence in Israel and Bob Holman, a resident of the Easterhouse
estate in Glasgow, related to us some of the destructive consequences
of attritional gang violence. It struck me that something
of value can be achieved - and that, very often, it is only
Christian that can achieve it. Who knows more about grace
and forgiveness than the Christian? Who will bring these concepts
to society if we do not?
So what's the message, and how does it relate to the political
parties? Well, you can sit on the sidelines complaining ('being
prophetic', as some in the Church are wont to call it), or
you can acknowledge that you have something of value to bring
to political debate. It is, of course, up to you. But if you
are interested, please visit www.changeactivist.org.uk
and find out a little more.
Paul Bickley
Westminster Parliamentary Officer CARE
Paul.bickley@care.org.uk
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