The Political Christian:
Christian Advocacy & Policy
This is the second part of a two-part series called “The Political Christian”
Part 1: 10/14/20
Part 2: 10/28/20
As of the writing of this article, Egypt is undergoing its own MeToo movement, the US Senate is confirming a Supreme Court Justice, and 100,000 more Californians are being evacuated because of raging wildfires. Even during the pandemic that seems to have overtaken our lives, the earth has not stopped turning. As such, the Christian must continue to perform his civil duties. In the last post, we spent most of the time discussing the Christian’s demeanor in politics. In this article, I hope to outline a framework we can use as Christian political thinkers. What I hope to avoid is detailing what specific policies you “should” hold.
Firstly, it is important to distinguish between the role of the Church, as an institution, and the role of the Christian man or woman. The Church is a nurturing mother who feeds us from the holy teachings of Christ, as preserved by the apostles. Taking from the banquet she has prepared for us, we fill ourselves and turn to the world to show them what it means to be satiated. While in the world, the Christian has the freedom to hold a range of political opinions and should personally engage in civil, social, and political actions. The Church, on the other hand, is not a citizen of any country; she serves as the backbone of the Christian in every nation. It is often unwise of the Church to involve itself in contemporary political struggles because the primary message of the Church is the Gospel and the Kingdom of Heaven. We sometimes want the Church to make official statements on hot-topic issues but this is usually very short-sighted of us. The Church is not even meant to push specific policies upon its congregants. Father Matthew the Poor writes, “As we know that the Church is not to guide in his conduct all social, economic, and political matters, so also it cannot back him except through prayer.”
If not from a Church catechism, then from where should the Christian develop his political thought system? It is from his life experiences that are steeped in the moral teachings of the Church. It is from reading Scripture (for the sake of personal edification, not cherry-picking verses to supplement an argument). It is from educating himself concerning the culture and history of his country, the ramifications of policy proposals, and the experiences and discourses of people who have been impacted by the laws of the nation. In this way, the Church sends out her children to evangelize through civil engagement.
While that may sound like a lot of learning to do, it is not something you will accomplish by a quick google search. It is a lifelong journey you will undertake while humbly realizing that you will probably never be an expert in any topic and must therefore keep listening and learning. Despite that, if done honestly, this journey should lead you to become an advocate for a cause. Every Christian should be an advocate. His Grace Bishop Angelos describes pockets of the Church that are inactive in advocacy efforts as being similar to still, murky water: their stillness and lack of activity causes them to become cesspools of disease.
But for which causes should the Christian be an advocate? That is not for me to say. That is a personal decision you must make. Regardless of what cause you choose to support, I would like to warn you against bludgeoning the people around you for not being as passionate as you concerning the cause that you advocate for. It is not helpful nor righteous to suggest that because other people have not commented on a movement that “their silence is deafening” or that “they will find themselves on the wrong side of history.”* It is impossible for everyone to be passionate about every issue that plagues people in the world. You may not be as passionate as your parents about the plight of Coptic Christians in Egypt; that is fine since it is only natural that people will choose to be advocates for causes depending on personal connections. It is not ok to question people’s genuineness simply because they are not passionate about your cause.
Furthermore, it is important to objectively question the efficiency of your method of advocacy. If your method of advocacy is limited to venting on [fill in favorite social media], it seems probable that you are not advocating for anyone but simply criticizing those who oppose you. In addition, it is critical to understand the implications of choosing to associate yourself with a specific label or movement. Oftentimes, a movement may stand for a lot more than you initially realize. Saying you belong to _____ cause or _____ party may suggest that you hold a lot of opinions that you do not actually hold. Do not be distracted by these frivolous arguments when they can be avoided by cutting through the noise associated with labels and getting to the substance of the matter.*
Lastly, I urge you to be nuanced both in your opinions and your understanding of political realities. For example, if you are pro-life and against the murder of children under any circumstances, does that necessarily translate to supporting a complete ban on abortions? There is research that suggests that abortion bans tend to increase the rate of abortions. If true, that definitely complicates the question of how to advocate for the unborn. I use this example not to influence how you will vote but rather to encourage you to be a critical thinker. A complicated question leads us to become better listeners and helps us to evolve and improve our efforts.
When you vote in about a week, pray that God guides your heart and your mind to choose capable leaders. But let the ballot box be the beginning of your efforts, not the conclusion.
* Fr. Antony Paul, Social Justice