Christians and Politics

All Saints Ilkley was packed for a public form on the recent Bishops' letter (‘Who is my neighbour?’) which urges  congregations to vote in the General Election.

Taking part were Bishop Nick, Ann Cryer (former MP for Keighley) and Professor Arthur Francis (former Dean of Bradford University School of Management). Both Ann and Arthur are Canons of Bradford Cathedral.

Bishop Nick explained why the Bishops decided to write the 52 page pastoral letter which has provoked much national comment. He said, “In the context of massive political apathy, we wanted to find a non-party-political way of encouraging people to take seriously their reponse as citizens in a complex society.

“The concern is that we now live in a country that doesn’t have a vision, that everything is about pragmatically reactive responses to the same narrow  issues. It’s sterile, and it’s why people disengage. We need to get beyond a political discourse that immediately polarises an issue and rather create space in which there can be genuine reflection and in which leaders can even change their minds.”

To any criticism of hypocrisy the Bishop said, “The letter wasn’t a public letter but was rather written to church members, so we’re saying it starts with us”.

To any claim that the Church shouldn’t be involved in politics, he said, “But politics is about people. Christian faith means engaging for the good of all people now.

“There’s a myth that there is a neutral public square, but everyone has a world view. if you exclude Christians from the public square you should exclude everyone else with a world view.

“What we need is someone to offer a vision that drives everything else, a vision that's based on people’s worth. If the vision is simply to be in power, it won’t wash anymore”.

He said the letter asks questions with the intention of stimulating debate - and that's precisely what it's done up and down the country. Questions such as, is equality something that matters, how do we get beyond the binary dogma of left and right, how do we strengthen our institutions when they’re largely derided and how do we forge coalitions?

Ann Cryer appealed for people not to disengage from politics because they think politicians are ‘all the same’. She said, “In my experience, the vast majority are working for a better world, they work hard for their constituents and they want what is best for them”.

In relation to economic issues, Prof Arthur Francis said, “We have to learn to love the corporations and markets. Sin and grace meet daily in the world of business; it’s just as much the location of love’s endeavour as the the church”.

Bishop Nick said, “The church is torn between encouraging business but also asking prophetic questions. We need to to beware of the commodification of people, to distinguish between a market economy and a market society; if they become indistinguisable, we’ve lost the plot.”

There was a lively discussion from the floor with questions ranging from why is everthing judged in monetary terms to should we have compulsory voting.

There was a consensus that on all levels of society it is important to engage with individuals, rather than make blanket statements about whole groups – whether that’s in business, the Church or politics.