Politics
Voting is compulsory in Australia. Therefore,
unlike Scotland where the citizens are free to reject the candidates in an
election simply by staying at home, Australians have to drag themselves to the
polling booth in order to ‘spoil’ the ballot if they wish to reject all the
candidates! Yes, some are not happy with politics and others would substitute ‘politicians’
for ‘Cretans’ in the adage ‘Cretans are always liars’ Titus 1:12. Why would
politics cause some to speak so? It might be a whole range of issues including
economics, taxes, national roads, abortion, marriage redefinition, refugees and
a whole lot more. We try to vote in politicians who share our views on these
and such-like issues. Therefore Western political systems depend on the honesty
of their political candidates.
Some
would claim that an honest politician is an oxymoron. But is this a fair
assessment of Western politicians and politics? Well, it doesn’t help the cause
of politicians when we see them never directly answer any questions when being
interviewed. No doubt they ramble on about their ‘talking points’ out of fear
of the ‘gotcha’ questions whereby some interviewers purposely set out to trip
them up in their speech. Thus the derogatory term ‘spin doctor’ has been used
of certain politicians.
Should
Christians give politics a wide berth? I know of at least one Atheist who
thinks Christians ought not to become politicians because they cannot separate
their religion from their politics! One can only wonder at the arrogance of
this sort of anti-Christian view of politics in light of the fact that there is
still a Christian majority in most Western nations![i] However, and more to the
point, it is thanks to Christianity that we have democracy in the West in the
first place! If it is true that the West was built on the back of Christianity
then that which is contrary to it would be sand in the gearbox!
Lenin,
Marx, and Engels introduced Atheism into Western politics with their different
forms of Socialism in which the citizens ultimately serve the State rather than
God, by which the God-given rights of the individual began to give way to the
imposed will of the collective. (Some Christians still buy into various shades
of Socialism!) Then came the ‘thought police’ in the forms of the KGB and SS
etc. in the 20th century. These have morphed into the Political
Correctness (PC) movement of the 21st where it is now difficult even
to discuss issues without being demonized for disagreeing with the
narrative of ‘mob thinking’!
The
West was built on the Westminster-system of politics which in turn was built
upon Biblical principles. Presbyterianism still clearly displays those biblical
principles. There is an ‘issue’ (or a motion). There are those who speak for
the motion and those who speak against it. There is a moderator (or referee).
After the issue has been discussed sufficiently by both sides it is then put to
a vote. The majority wins. This is Western democracy in practice! It is
Christianity in politics! No one is shouted down and drowned out by ad hominem attacks! This is freedom of
speech!
Because
of this system we tend to have a two-party system, i.e., those with left wing
views of the issues and those on the right. Yes, some politicians are
Independents but they too tend to be either left or right on issues. Always remember,
“The first one to plead his cause seems right, until his neighbour comes and examines him." Proverbs 18:17.
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