NC Council of Churches Policy Statement on Christians, Churches and Politics

 

Politics in our democratic society is the process whereby citizens determine how they will live together. The direction and shape of our community and our communities are influence by political decisions. Almost all political decisions have a moral dimension. The living conditions of neighbors in need are determined in significant measure by politics. Issues of war and peace, the distribution of resources, of crime and punishment, and many other vital matters are dealt with in the political arena.

 

As Christians we believe in a God who works in and through the world to bring justice, peace, and reconciliation. God’s salvation includes the whole creation of social and economic orders, as well as individual persons. If we are faithful to this God, we will engage political issues and enter political struggles in pursuit of compassion and justice. We will labor to see God’s mercy and God’s passion for justice reflected in so far as possible in public policies.

 

Often, when Christians have entered the political realm, they have fallen into the sins of fanatical self-righteousness and dogmatism. These sins must be guarded against. The more common sins among our ecumenical and mainline churches, however, are the sins of indifference, apathy, and hopelessness. We must especially guard against these sins and constantly renew our faith in the God who promises salvation and promises to be with us in the struggles for justice and peace. We need to be reminded of our power and responsibility as Christian citizens in a democratic society, and of the need for witness in the political sector.

 

To read the complete statement, visit: http://www.nccouncilofchurches.org/1996/04/a-statement-on-christians-churches-and-politics/

 

NC Council of Churches Policy Statement on Good Government

 

Over 10 years ago, on April 18, 1996, the Executive Board of the NC Council of Churches adopted “A Statement on Christians, Churches, and Politics.”  It explained:  As Christians we believe in a God who works in and through the world to bring justice, peace, and reconciliation.   God’s salvation includes the whole creation of social and economic orders…. If we are faithful to this God, we will engage political issues and enter political struggles in pursuit of compassion and justice.

 

Since our founding in 1935, we have taken seriously the biblical ethic of jubilee.  The jubilee traditions called for concrete social mechanisms to mitigate the wealth and power disparities that left some too rich, some in debt slavery, and the community thereby unwhole.   At his first public teaching in Nazareth, Jesus claimed this ethic to define God’s Spirit at work in the world.  Recalling Isaiah, he announced:

 

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.
Luke 4:18-19

 

The poor, the oppressed, the captives and the blind—those our tradition deems worthy– are increasingly invisible and unheard in our state and national political systems.  Signs abound that our republic is not democratic.  “The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord,” according to the book of James, but those cries often are muffled in the halls of our North Carolina General Assembly.

 

Special interest dollars fuel elections and prop up privilege.   Those who donate the most money have the most influence in shaping political priorities.  The high cost of elections keeps incumbents in and discourages qualified persons from running.  Parties draw district lines to keep their own in power.  Rules for becoming a third party on the North Carolina ballot are far more restrictive than those in most states.  Our ethics regulations leave loopholes for corporate lobbyists and political action committees (PACs) that expect favors.  These hindrances to legitimate democracy elicit cries of protest from the majority around health care for all, sound education, affordable homes, treatment for the mentally ill, fair wages, and other equity concerns.  And the cries seem to fall on deaf ears….

 

A hallmark of our Christian faith is the open table of hospitality, the wide circle, the inclusiveness that marks each person as God’s creature graced with worth.  Working for honest, fair, open, and accessible government is a critical component of this Christian witness.   Therefore, we seek ethics and lobbying reform, independent bodies for electoral redistricting, increased public financing of elections, paper accountability of electronic voting, same-day voter registration, easier ballot access, and all similar initiatives for public accountability and more inclusive representation.  We urge the appropriate bodies within our denominations and congregations to take part in shaping these government processes that so powerfully shape our communities.

 

To read the complete statement, visit: http://www.nccouncilofchurches.org/2006/12/good-government/