A Christian believer is dangerous

Annamarie Sibylla (HS 26.2) highlights an important topic related to the Christian faith and especially when it comes to a Christian politician of faith. Her conclusion is that weak faith is better because then you are not hurting anyone. A faithful Christian, in her opinion, is viewed as a sorcerer (sorcerer), or something worse. This is especially true for women who publicly profess their Christian faith.

In Britain, politicians lost their political appointments because they declared themselves devout Christians. One must outwardly appear to be a regular Christian, Muslim or Hindu in order to obtain political office. A faithful Christian must hide, water down, or belittle his faith in public.

What makes a faithful Christian so dangerous when it comes to appointments to public political office? The question is relevant in Finland because it applies to the upcoming parliamentary elections in 2023 and the presidential elections in 2024. The devout Christian believes in God and that he works through us humans regarding the plan of salvation for humanity. Thus, every Christian believer is sent to God. Therefore, the Christian believer, from a political standpoint, has a dual role and a dual solidarity. Christian values ​​will, or should, always come first. For a Christian, political action is a tool for his integration into society. You cannot hide behind a political façade, a party platform or a parliamentary majority. Perhaps here lies the danger. A political party and its leadership cannot fully trust a Christian politician of faith to always implement the political decisions made by the party. This applies in particular to ethical and moral issues, but also to issues related to value.

Essential to every Christian believer are, of course, the sanctity of life, social justice, honesty, and not least the equitable distribution of the Earth’s resources. Here the faithful Christian can find himself in conflict not only with public and commercial life and with the practical implementation of political decisions and legislation that conflict with the Christian faith. Christianity is not a fluid faith that always adapts to the decisions or mores of society. The martyrs of historical times are examples of the sacrifices that faithful Christians must make to strengthen and live out their faith. The martyrs did not die in vain. One may question whether Christianity that adapts to society’s norms and laws truly represents the true faith.

Today’s martyrs can be found in the rainforests of Brazil, mining areas in Africa, in poor areas in many developing countries, but also in Western welfare societies. Democracy does not guarantee true religious freedom. Democracies and supranational organizations also make decisions on legislation that are radically inconsistent with the core values ​​of the Christian faith.

It is ultimately important for every Christian believer to make his or her own decision about the value in each new situation that arises. You shouldn’t be silent. Cowardice is not a Christian virtue.

jean peter paul, Helsinki