When Christopher Luxon gave his maiden speech, I was astounded by how many Christians were excited by what he had to say. I was disappointed. Yes, he pointed out the difference his faith has made to his life. He pointed out that it was helpful having something bigger than oneself.
Yet he then went to show how ill-thought-out his theology of politics was – a shameful thing in a Christian seeking to lead in civil government, but unsurprising given the weak state of the church in New Zealand. In his maiden speech, Luxon praised and highlighted the work of Christians like William Wilberforce who worked tirelessly for the abolition of the slave trade. Yet in a contradictory fashion, he continued by explaining his faith was personal to him and that he didn’t think religion should dictate to the state, and that politicians shouldn’t use their political platform to force beliefs on others.
Where is the contradiction you ask? Well, if Wilberforce had the same theology of government that Luxon did, he wouldn’t have fought for the abolition of slavery. He would have argued that while his faith made a difference in his life, it was very personal to him and although his own personal religious convictions meant that he thought slavery was wrong, he didn’t believe it was the role of a politician to use his platform to force that belief on others.
This bizarre philosophy is directly attributable to the dualism that infects the thinking of the Western Church. We think there are some realms where we can put aside our faith and Christ’s lordship in some hermetically sealed ‘spiritual’ realm, and the rest of life is somehow able to be lived in a ‘neutral’ manner. This is patently diabolical (literally characteristic of the devil) nonsense. Christ claims lordship over all. There is not one atom that does not belong to him. If we are not for him, we are against him.
The blindness of modern Christians and their refusal to let their beliefs inform their lives in whatever role they play in society is unfortunately not mirrored in many of our unbelieving leaders. Many of them are completely self-conscious in applying their beliefs to their political decisions. They push for the genocide of babies. They push and promote sexual degeneracy as virtue. All civic leaders force their beliefs on others. The big question is what beliefs will be informing the civil government. Will it be the tyranny of autonomous man, or the freedom that comes from those under Christ?
So let’s go back to Wilberforce. What informed his politics? Here are some excerpts from a letter he wrote on the Abolition of the Slave Trade.
Of all the motives by which I am prompted to address you, that which operates on me with the greatest force, is, the consideration of the present state and prospects of our country, and of the duty which at so critical a moment presses imperiously on every member of the community, to exert his utmost powers in the public cause. That the Almighty Creator of the Universe governs the world which he has made; that the sufferings of nations are to be regarded as the punishment of national crimes; and their decline and fall, as the execution of His sentence; are truths which I trust are still generally believed among us. Indeed to deny them, would be directly to contradict the express and repeated declarations of the Holy Scriptures. If these truths be admitted, and if it be also true, that fraud, oppression, and cruelty, are crimes of the blackest dye, and that guilt is aggravated in proportion as the criminal acts in defiance of the clearer light, and of stronger motives to virtue (and these are positions to which we cannot refuse our assent, without rejecting the authority not only of revealed, but even of natural religion); have we not abundant cause for serious apprehension? The course of public events has, for many years, been such as human wisdom and human force have in vain endeavoured to control or resist…though the storm has been raging for many years, yet, instead of having ceased, it appears to be now increasing in fury… if such be our condition; and if the slave trade be a national crime, declared by every wise and respectable man of all parties, without exception, to be a compound of the grossest wickedness and cruelty, a crime to which we cling in defiance of the clearest light…is not this then a time in which all who are not perfectly sure that the Providence of God is but a fable, should be strenuous in their endeavour to lighten the vessel of the state, of such a load of guilt and infamy?
Quoted in The Mission of God by Joseph Boot
Wilberforce viewed the world as Christ’s. He saw the sin of his nation in their involvement in slavery. and trembled as he thought of God’s righteous judgment against the breaking of his law. Christian politicians ought to be in awe of God and his righteous requirements in his law. They ought to see those laws enacted and laws that are an abomination to God struck down. They ought to tremble as they see a country that is slaughtering innocents. They ought to passionately call for national repentance and the immediate criminalisation of barbaric practices like abortion. That’s called being a Christian in politics. If a Christian won’t apply his faith to his politics, he will apply the devil’s.