Dear Friends,
It’s June 2024, and we are in the middle of a general election to decide who is going to be the next prime minister. As I write on this midsummer day, the outcome does not seem to be in any doubt, and certainly after the 4th July it will all be settled. The thing is, we are often told that in polite company, the two subjects we should not discuss are religion and politics. If we don't want to offend anyone, then our strongly held views in such circumstances should be held in control and not expressed.
The other thing is, that politics and religion are intertwined and it's difficult if not impossible to separate the two. Clearly, when we are in the company of others it does behove us to think carefully before we speak especially if diplomacy is called for. But then of course we do often find ourselves on the horns of a dilemma, so to speak, wondering whether to abandon caution and just ‘say it as it is' or instead, rather to consider the unpleasant consequences of candid speech and let discretion be the better part of valour.
It can be a very fine line to tread, personally I never see the point in being rude or unduly upsetting people; it always has consequences. We would always do well to remember that proverb:
A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. (Proverbs 15:1)
But then, I am often conflicted with that adage that says ‘silence is complicity.' When to speak up and when to remain silent is an acquired art, based no doubt, on experience and wisdom.
But Jesus, it seems, had no such concerns when he graphically described the Pharisees as 'white washed tombs', in other words, as hypocrites who were clean on the outside but not on the inside. (Matthew 23:27). Was He in polite company? Well, perhaps not, but it's clear that the people He was condemning were part of his audience. And what about Paul who wrote to his own Churches in Galatia describing them as 'foolish' and said:
'But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.' (Galatians 1:8).
At a recent Bible study I attended, it was the view that when it comes to voting in elections, we should not consider the party, but the integrity of the individual candidate. This is a fair point, but surely, we should also consider the manifesto on which that candidate is standing. Does that manifesto, for example, reflect Christian values: the family, the sanctity of life, and the rules for living that are commensurate with the Ten Commandments? Perhaps these days, people don't want to hear these questions. But, the failure to ask such questions and to express such demands would be an omission, in fact it would be an abrogation of one's duty.
My best wishes as always,
Bob.