[Concludes "Biblical principles by which to evaluate policy"]

Making it Practical: Applying the Principles to Policy

Consider some examples:

 “Offer free personal care at home for those with the highest needs” – resonates well with the biblical principles of empowering people to take personal responsibility for themselves and showing community compassion.

“Give social tenants with five years of good behaviour a 10% equity stake in their properties” – could almost have been taken straight out of the pages of Leviticus 25, empowering families.

“End asylum-seekers' dependence on benefits by allowing them to work to support themselves and their families” – strongly echoes the Bible’s inclusive attitude towards foreigners, enabling individuals to take responsibility for themselves and their families and showing community compassion.

The problem is, even just these three examples are taken from three different manifestos. How should we weigh up the various positive or negative policies or how should we prioritise between different principles or areas of policy? Should we allow Samuel’s warning in 1Samuel 8 against the centralisation of power to take precedence and give overriding consideration to the model of government? Or should we be most concerned with the biggest of the election, the economy and the unprecedented levels of personal, corporate and national debt now enslaving so many?

I’m not going to tell you how to vote – but I will make one suggestion of how not to vote: All too often, Christians are perceived to campaign against things, and against things that appear to be of very little relevance to the vast majority of people – issues such as same sex marriage, abortion, and freedom of religion. Negative campaigning by Christians on such issues tends just to reinforce the mistaken impression held by many that the Bible is a book full of restrictions, of “do not”s. In truth, the Bible is a book of liberating good news. To coin a phrase, it shows us how to be Free to Live! Yes, the Bible is interested in issues of life and sex, but it always considers them in the much broader context of the social, political, economic and personal issues that concern the whole world – healthcare, education, criminal justice, housing, race and immigration, the economy, and so on – and it has something positive to say even to those who do not believe in the good news of Christ’s resurrection. Given the way we've seen the Bible links our social engagement to the success of our outreach, let us avoid the negative and accentuate the positive!

Biblical principles by which to vote and to live

Finally, two principles by which we should vote and live, that will be of relevance even to those who do not have a vote in this particular election.

²⁵ Then Samuel dismissed the people, each to his own home.

²⁶ Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God had touched. ²⁷ But some troublemakers said, "How can this fellow save us?" They despised him and brought him no gifts. But Saul kept silent.

Participate – Don’t be a troublemaker!

More than 1100 businesses warn that Labour’s 2 per cent National Insurance rise will cost jobs.

On the other hand, ten of the leading investment funds, who manage a total of more than £4.5trillion in assets, have already reduced holdings of UK government bonds recently and warn that a hung Parliament is the biggest threat to the market – and therefore to all of our pensions, savings and job security.

Yet others warn that Conservative plans to tackle the UK's £167billion deficit will necessitate drastic cuts in public services.

It is right that we all debate the possible implications of the various policy agendas currently before us. However, once the election results are in, we are called to support the candidates and party that wins, whether or not we actually voted for them. As it says in Romans 13, everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established and the authorities are God's servants. If we reject God’s servants, then, like Israel, we risk rejecting God, who saves us out of all our calamities and distresses.

Pray and serve

Being those whose hearts God has touched, we should:

1. Pray: 1Timothy 2:1-6. We should pray that God would surround our leaders with those who, like Samuel, will teach them “the way that is good and right.” (1Samuel 12:23)
2. “Be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all our heart” (12:24), knowing that we are all called to exercise God’s delegated rule in our families, church and communities.

So, we should participate, pray, and vote wisely! “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5)

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