MORAL PERSPECTIVE OF CHRISTIAN PARTICIPATION IN POLITICS

Abstract

The political involvement is a vital tool for the development or un-development of every society today, for this reason; every community needs honest personalities that will represent them in the political cycle. Practically speaking, what this means is that there must be Christian citizens who willingly offer themselves as candidates for public office. This is where we as individual Christian’s citizens come in. This researcher is not by any way advocating that the church should endorse candidates, but that members who are citizens should become involved in politics. According to Romans 13 it is God who came up with the idea and institution of Government.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background of the study

Politics and religion are two deferent entities that help in the growth and development in human existence, despite the fact that both have parallel practices, but they share some common goals which are beneficial to man. As religion importance to human life so also politics, though some religious extremists do see politics as a dirty practices and abstain themselves from it and also preach the same to their followers, but still is of a tremendous important to them. The early missionaries distant Christianity from politics especially in some African countries, and this brings a significant abstinence towards politics by Christian, and they transfer that to their children, which brought about wrong impression that some Christian have on politics and its importance to human existence. Besides, the way some of the politicians are practicing it today makes it look dirty in the eyes of some committed Christians, and they see the politicians as fraudulent people. Political involvement is a vital tool for the development or underdevelopment of every society today, the society that has good people representing them in the political circle are experiencing development and growth but those societies that are unfortunate to have bad (i.e. those that don’t have the society at heart) are not experiencing development nor Growth as it should be, that has led to a point that some concern citizen are advocating for people to get involve in political practices with a very meticulous care and concern during the excises, for whom they should elect as their representative should be people they know with good reputation and ambition, because development and growth of any society lied in the hands of who they elect to represent them. However, the purpose of this paper is to stipulate clearly the importance behind the participation in political activities by Christian, besides the research is done with the purpose of yelling at the Christian to have re-think on the political activities, and to encourage the Christians to stand up and face the reality and became active in the politic for it is only through the political system one can get into the civil Government; it is only by that we can save ourselves from the hands of the world. For Jesus in Matthew 5:15 “let yet light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds praise your father in heaven, how can we shine if we abstain ourselves from the political activities? We all know that Justice, honesty accountability, fairness and above all Godliness are needed in the political circle. Danladi Musa says that “it now generally accepted that one of the main ways that Christian can positively influence the society and make a difference is to get involved in politics, business and social action. By so doing Christians will truly become the light and the salt of the society.” If these are to be achieving for the good of the Church and the society at large then it is necessary for Christians to get directly involvement in the politics. And this should be with the purpose of giving better leadership and beneficial governmental activities in the right direction. The Christian message reiterates that political power is an inherent part of the world. It is not taken but given and thus some fundamental limitation is imposed on it. “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Mark 12.17 and parallels, Revised Standard Version Not only is politics limited by ethics, but social hierarchies are turned upside down, since the greatest shall be the servant. Violence needs to be exposed  the other cheek available for a second slap so as to have some chance of ending escalation. After its recognition as the religion of the Roman empire, Christianity developed the idea of a spiritual power checking political power, but with similar political means. In the sixteenth century, the Protestant Reformation stressed the responsibility of political rulers and citizens, and political laws as well as church governance were shaped by more participative models. Anabaptist traditions emphasized pacifism and commended laying down arms. The Roman Catholic tradition was late in acknowledging democratic patterns. Claims against injustice remain unabated.
1.2 STATEMENTS OF THE PROBLEM

Politics they say is a game of interest. Though it is believed that there is no permanent friend, no permanent enemy, but the only thing that is permanent is permanency of interest. These interests breed greed selfishness lack of honesty distrust corruption to mention but a few. All this attribute in politics give rise to the saying that “politics is a dirty game”. It is on this backdrop that the researcher intends to investigate the perspectives of Christian’s participation in politics.

• PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

 It is pertinent to state that the main purpose of this study was to ascertain the moral perspectives of Christian participation in politics. With emphasis on Akwa Ibom state. For the successful completion of the study, the researcher intends:

To investigate the importance of Christian participation in politics.

To evaluate the role of Christians in electing political office holders

To ascertain the moral implication of Christian participation in politics

To ascertain the impact of Christian participation in politics

• SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

It is believed that at the completion of the study, the findings will be of significant importance to the christiandom, as the findings intend to spell out the importance and advantages of Christian participation in politics.

The study will also be beneficial to the political parties as the will take advantage of the teeming population of the Christian by extending their hand in fellowship to invite them to become members of political parties thereby gaining numerical strength

The findings will also be of great importance to the academia’s as the findings will add to the pool of knowledge. And finally the study will be of great importance to students, teachers and the general public.

• SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of the study covers the moral perspective of Christian participation in politics in Akwa Ibom.

• LIMITATION OF STUDY

In the course of the study, the researcher encounters some constrain which limited the scope of the study. Some of the constrain encountered by the researcher includes:

• Availability of research material: The research material available to the researcher is insufficient, thereby limiting the study.
• Time: The time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the researcher has to combine other academic activities and examinations with the study.
• Finance: The finance available for the research work does not allow for wider coverage as resources are very limited as the researcher has other academic bills to cover.
  • RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This study employs both the survey and historical research designs. These are suitable and advantageous for assessing large and small populations especially where a small population is to be derived from a large one. According to Ndiyo (2005). The simple percentage method is a non-parametric test used to determine the degree of association or depending between two variables. The simple percentage method is designed to test the significance of the difference between a set of observed frequencies and a set of frequencies expected.

• DEFINITION OF TERMS

Politics

Politics is define as “affairs of the cities” is the process of making decisions applying to all members of each group. More narrowly, it refers to achieving and exercising positions of governance  organized control over a human community, particularly a state. Furthermore, politics is the study or practice of the distribution of power and resources within a given community (this is usually a hierarchically organized population) as well as the interrelationship(s) between communities.

Perspective

the technique or process of representing on a plane or curved surface the spatial relation of objects as they might appear to the eye; specifically :  representation in a drawing or painting of parallel lines as converging in order to give the illusion of depth and distance

Christian

A Christian  is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. “Christian” derives from the Koine Greek word Christós (Χριστός), a translation of the Biblical Hebrew term mashiach. While there are diverse interpretations of Christianity which sometimes conflict, they are united in believing that Jesus has a unique significance. The term “Christian” is also used as an adjective to describe anything associated with Christianity, or in a proverbial sense “all that is.

Reference

Ayubi, N. Political Islam: religion and politics in the Arab world. London:

Rutledge 1991.

Barber, B. Strong Democracy: Participatory Politics for a New Age. Los

Angeles, United States: University of California Press 1984. Colleen, D. Teixeira. Working in politics, USA: Pennsylvania Ave, SE Suite 330

Washington, DC 2003.

Dal Bo E. Di Tella, R. Democracy under Pressure: Political Parties vs. ‘Nasty’

Interest Groups, unpublished, Harvard University 1999. \

Dukor, M. Philosophy and Politics: Discourse on Values and Power in Africa

Lagos: Obaroh and Ogbiriaka Publishers, 1998.

Fiorina.M. Divided Government in American States Byproduct of Legislation

Professionalism 1994.

John F. Walvoord, Prophecy and the Seventies Chicago, IL: Moody Press,

1971.

Joseph, Losco. Am Gov. New York: McGraw-Hill 2010. Maier.K. “Northern

Exposure: Northern Nigerian states adopt Sharia”. The New Republic 223 no.7- Aug. 14 2000.

Miller, F.D. Jr. A Companion to Aristotle’s Politics, Oxford: Blackwell,1991. Mansfield H. C. America’s Constitutional Soul. Baltimore and London: Johns

Hopkin University Press 1991.

1. H. Carson. The Christian and the state, England: staples printers ltd. 1960

Related Project Topics :