SHOULD A CHRISTIAN ENGAGE IN PARTY POLITICS? || BIC Abeiku Okai

 

SHOULD A CHRISTIAN ENGAGE IN PARTY POLITICS?

Abeiku Okai 

The discussion of politics cannot end without the inclusion of political parties and party politics. For to many, politics and political parties have become synonymous that when they mention politics, they basically mean party politics or political parties, and vise versa. 

For this reason, it is important to bring into perspective whether or not a Christian should engage in party politics or be a member of a political party. Spare me to use, in this discourse, both party politics and political parties interchangeably, emphasising more on political part as an organisation. 

First of all, like politics itself, party politics has a negative image in the eyes of several folks who usually consider themselves apolitical or neutral political actors. Thus, creating the impression that genuine and honest people do not do party politics. This is well drummed out in the writing of one of American's celebrated author and screenwriter, Ray Bradbury:

"I hate all politics. I don't like either political party. One should not belong to them - one should be an individual, standing in the middle. Anyone that belongs to a party stops thinking."

Marty Rubin also opined; 

"It is the nature of different tribes to wage war against each other, Party politics is simply a form of tribalism."

Lawrence O'Donnell, observing the challenge political parties poses to their own politicians, wrote in, 'Playing with Fire: The 1968 Election and the Transformation of American Politics':

"Most politicians are more frustrated by the way their own party disappoints them than the way the other party opposes them. They expect opposition from the opposing party. That’s the way it’s supposed to be. Dealing with that opposition is a full-time job, and they expect to have the support of their own party in that eternal struggle. But when their own party turns against them, disagrees with them, or just goes off in another direction, they feel unsupported by their party and sometimes betrayed."

And then, Abhijit Naskar also asserted strongly,

"The problem with creating a political party is that, by the time you finish creating it, you forget why you created it in the first place. Then slogans replace action and manifestos replace motion. So, forget parties and take action to solve the issues of your society. Come together for a common cause, seek out a leader of merit and character, then act together. And when enough regions of a nation have enough non-partisan, acting leaders of merit and character, the entire democracy of that nation is bound to turn meritocratic. Then only will we witness the rise of true democracy - a democracy free from political authoritarianism - a democracy of the people, by the people, for the people. ('When Humans Unite: Making A World Without Borders').

All these facts quoted above give convincing reasons to discard political parties and disengage from any party politics. However, it is important to note that in a democratic political society, there cannot be an effective dispensary of political duties without a political organisation or a political party. And a person cannot effectively contribute to a political course without participating in the framework of a party. Hence I agree with the Indian actor and politician, Govinda;

"When you join a political party, you are attaching yourself with an organisation of skilled people. And when you work with an organisation, your working capacity becomes double. One can perform better with the help of an organisation to implement their thoughts."

It must be noted that one of the first organisations of people that are attacked and banned in any authoritarian regime is a political party. Thus without political parties, dictators would usually have their ways. For whenever a group of people rises to resist the abuse of power, or wrestle power from the hands of others, whether they identify themselves as political parties or not, they have, by nature, fallen into the operational definition of a political party, with the only difference being that they are not offering themselves for election as a typical political party would do - and usually in the future they do form an official political party from the group or disintegrate into other parties. Political parties can also provide an alternative to the nature and method of distribution of the wealth of the nation. 

Hence I disagree with Abhijit Naskar, in his assertion that individuals should abandon political party and "Come together for a common cause, seek out a leader of merit and character, then act together." The fact is that as soon as individuals come together for a common political cause, search for a leader and act together, they have almost always began the formation of a political party sooner or later. 

Therefore, as Govinda noted, a political party, all things being equal, is a platform for people with like passion, similar ideology, and different skills, coming together to provide a common framework for the administration of the state through democratic processes. Hence, there is nothing wrong for a Christian to identify himself with one and thus increase his capacity and opportunity in his effort to contribute to the politics of his land. 

The only challenge is that a political party, in most cases, becomes the end instead of the means to an end. We have to join political parties not because we want to be identified as members of the party and even die for the party. We should rather find ourselves in political parties only because the parties are the vehicle through which we can collectively reach the destination of the welfare of the masses, not the warfare to satisfy self-interest. We should use the machinery of political parties to satisfy the need of the people, not the greed of party bigots. We should use party politics to provide alternatives to government and government policies rather than breed hatred, jealousy, animosity, division, tribalism, and unnecessary in-fighting. A political party in power must use the power to promote the welfare of the people, not to revenge and fight against opposition political parties because without party democracy the people lose their voice and even their choice against the misuse or abuse of power. 

And a political party in opposition must not be so power hungry that it uses it platform merely to oppose, incite violence, and make the government unpopular merely for unwholesome political gains at the long run detriment of the very people it seems to lead.

In conclusion therefore, Christians need to note that they are both salts on earth and light to the world. Wherever Christians divorce themselves from they inevitably allow darkness to become thicker because the strength of darkness is the absence of light. Therefore, if Christians do not stand aloof from political party activities but join hands to straighten up the ills and evils that characterise political parties, we would be able to not only throw better light upon our democracy but also consolidate our democratic gains as salt preserves from rotting. 

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