Christian Politics and the Thought Police


‘To be a political leader - especially of a progressive, liberal party in 2017 - and to live as a committed Christian, to hold faithfully to the Bible's teaching, has felt impossible for me’.

So said Tim Farron as he resigned his leadership of the Liberal Democrats. His commitment to the truth of the Bible meant that he was pilloried by opponents, the press and by social media back-room commentators. He tried to manage the tension but failed.

The fact that he was a fabulous politician with integrity and leadership in abundance meant nothing – because he held a Biblical belief on issues such as homosexuality.

Such is the world we live in, where it is increasingly difficult to maintain a Christian faith whilst operating in politics.

Take the Scottish MSP Kate Forbes as a more up to date example. With the resignation of the previous leader of the Scottish National Party, it was expected that she would put her name forward, having narrowly lost last time. But no. She was pillories, yet again, for her Christian beliefs.

So much so, that the Indian Council of Scotland felt they needed to come to the rescue. This is a Council largely made up of members of other religions. But they recognised her faith, and that of her parents who had worked as missionaries in India. The Council expressed ‘collective disgust at the language used to mis-characterise a young, Scottish Protestant, Kate Forbes’.

They went on to say, ‘If every other faith was subjected to the scrutiny and opprobrium Ms Forbes and her Church is subjected to – few would be deemed fit for office by the secular ‘religious police’.’

And so, our super-woke post-Christian culture deems Kate Forbes to be inappropriate. A thought-police, cancel-culture that has removed the ability to present an alternative argument to their new religion, their angry, intolerant rants expressed on social media, where they consider it appropriate to denigrate a Christian in filthy language.

Thankfully, there are many Christians in Parliament. Sir Stephen Timms of the Labour Party comes to mind, Sir Gary Streeter of the Conservatives as well. There are many and I pray for many more. Men and women who are able to rise above the vitriol and remain honest to their Christian beliefs with integrity and ability. And to lead against the odds.

Let me leave the final words of this commentary to Kate Forbes:

‘I believe in the person of Jesus Christ, I believe He died for me, He saved me and that my calling is to serve and to love Him and to serve and love my neighbours with all my heart and soul and mind and strength. So that, for me, is essential to my being. Politics will pass. I was a person before I was a politician, and that person will continue to believe that I am made in the image of God.’

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