ADBC: 04 – Political Views

This is part of an ongoing blog conversation with my brother, David. Here’s the premise.

Previously in the conversation: David gave a fascinating insight into whether justice is a value worth pursuing. It’s a really great piece of writing that I commend to you.

As you read that you’ll note my brother making reference to a political compass survey we both completed. In the light of that, he asked a series of related questions:

Q: What are your political views? Do they have any place on the political compass?

Despite my great interest in politics and studying the various ideologies that have influenced the way that states have been run, I’ve never put together a fully formed political view on life. Where political operations affect moral matters such as sexuality, equality, etc I do have a perspective and I’ll share that in a bit more detail when it comes to the role Christianity plays in my views. I like the idea of a spectrum or compass that helps identify where views and beliefs stand. I really am all for categories and labels that help to define things. I don’t get too hung up on them because I recognise how they vary and change from generation to generation. Likewise, I don’t get hung up with defining people on the basis of their place on the compass. When I completed the political compass survey I emerged in the quadrant of leaning towards the left and libertarian. That was the place my views were found in. I was a little surprised as I thought that overall my perspective would be a bit more right-wing and possibly more authoritarian approach. Having said that …

Q: Does the compass really fit with your view or inform you?

The compass is useful and informative. The definitions outlined and connections to the lives of key political figures over the years are intriguing to note and to see.

However, it is limited. It’s a compass, but it still cannot quite compute and reflect the complexity of political approaches. For example, I’m not convinced that democracy is the best way of governing people.

I’m not wholly convinced of the narrative that gives the impression that the liberal rights approach to things is the best way. I think, as with a number of things, that the predominant view gets to paint the picture to its preference. I think there’s been a distinct war of ideologies and we (in Britain as well as what’s referred to as the Western World) live in a view that appears to have the prevailing hand in things. I have reservations on the efficiency and ‘goodness’ of democracy, just as I have reservations on the efficiency and ‘goodness’ of the concept of rights that has influenced a lot of what’s passed for political movements in the post-war. Those reservations and alternatives are difficult to reflect on a political compass.

The nature of the statements on this compass is not that particularly rigorous. To a degree, as well, you need a good idea of what the terms mean that are used. I don’t think that the degree to which you ‘strongly agree’ or ‘strongly disagree’ with certain statements is properly reflected in the compass, especially with regard to some of the moral questions. (There are some even better expressed critiques on the compass that can be found by watching this video.)

What the compass challenges me to consider is a bit more about what my political view is as a whole. From time to time I do think about what I would do if I ruled the world and the compass puts that in a context that addresses some real personal, social and environmental issues. It’s one thing to think about what I would do if I ruled the world, however, it’s not about what I would do, it’s about what someone else is doing and calls for us to do which leads to …

Q: Does your Christianity impact your political view?

One of the most annoying things for me as a Christian is how the faith has been used by political forces to reinforce their perspectives. Essentially each party and politician in certain Christian-friendly locations like in the United States have seen the religious sector. Indeed the way Christianity has been co-opted by political forces since its inception is sickening, sad and to a large degree inevitable. What’s also fascinating is what informs believers when it comes to their political values. That crops up or the ignorance is highlighted when it comes to elections. By ignorance, I also mean how little Christianity shapes the political views of Christians. That’s particularly evident with the way certain issues get Christians so fractious on it that you wonder if they remember the Jesus they’re supposed to be representing. I refer to fractious, there’s just as much the apathy that believers have on issues. What all that highlights are the degree of time we take to see how Christianity relates to politics.

My contention is that when I profess Jesus is Lord, I make a contentious and subversive statement to suggest that my entire life is dependent on what Jesus says and how He rules. So what I think about economic policies reflects the standard of Jesus. What I think about how we are governed reflects the standard of Jesus. It’s not something that should be separated, however much some want to do that.

What’s fascinating about that is that aspects of that go into human nature as it is in rebellion to the Creator. That is to say that a lot of political views are determined by a view of humanity that is ‘basically’ good and if we give them enough space that goodness can flourish. The problem with this view is patently obvious from the squabbles that you see in a home to the wars taking place in different parts of the globe. Whereas there are political views that are determined by a view of humanity that is ‘basically’ corrupt and so we need to be protected from the likelihood of being corrupted (further).  The problem with his view is patently obvious in that if we’re all corrupt how can we trust each other or others to do what’s right to protect us from being corrupted? (It’s like asking a predator to protect other predators from being predatory to the prey who in this analogy, funnily enough, happens to be other predators.)

All political views and operations blunder from one end to the other of these views whilst never really addressing the fundamental problem – whatever ‘good’ we have is spoilt by the ‘evil’ we produce. Expecting us to moderate and regulate this is as ultimately disappointing as every political regime has proven to be. Deal with the root and the fruit should be better – which is the Christian perspective I take. Which is to say I reckon that if we address the problem of evil through the story of the gospel so we’ll connect to the source of greater righteous power that can guide us into a better way to live and to be. In the meantime, my views are ones that I want to be guided by that greater righteous power. Whether it is or not is open to scrutiny and subject to change.

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So brother that’s my response to what you asked. I suspect that you will have a response to what I’ve said and I look forward to that. Whilst you do that, answer me this, David:

Q – Outline your view on the way that the United Kingdom is governed.

Q – What pastimes/hobbies do you currently enjoy?

In the meantime, thanks for this opportunity dear brother, thanks

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

C. L. J. Dryden