THE CHURCH has a duty to be involved in politics. Not the advocacy of party but the true “polis” – the common weal of the state. If, as we believe as orthodox Christians, that can only be done by the restoration of the Christian foundations of the nation there is much work to do and it is urgent.
The last thirty years have seen a phenomenal erosion of the Christian nation climaxing in a millennium celebration not of Jesus Christ but of the man made construct of time. The media rides roughshod and unpunished over the third commandment and the divorce and abortion laws do massive violence to the fifth, sixth and seventh commandments. A law is passed to take the fourth commandment out of the reach of many who do not wish to lose their jobs and the parties compete to see which can offer the most attractive ways of breaking the tenth.
We do not need to wait for the rare voice of an orthodox bishop, like Cardinal Winning, to be raised in protest. It is the public duty of every Christian to draw these things to the attention of those who seek to represent us. Nor need we be fobbed off with some nonsense about multi faith, multi ethnic considerations etc. The truth is that on most of these key issues Muslims and Jews agree with us and wonder why we have been silent for so long.
The democratic state gives the very serious responsibility of choosing its own leaders and, if it wishes, confirming, chastening or replacing them. Not a luxury the church gives to its members.
If we seek to call the nation back to God we dare not be silent. Those who seek to represent us must know what we pray and where we stand, and – that we will vote accordingly.