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Showing posts with label Christian politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christian politics. Show all posts
In the wake of the recent service marking the creation of Northern Ireland via partition, commentator Dr John Coulter urges the Christian Churches in Ireland to get a clear roadmap as the debate on Irish Unity gathers momentum.

As folk reflect on the celebrations and commemorations to mark the centenary of the founding of Northern Ireland amid the increasing relaxation of the pandemic restrictions, the various Christian Churches across the island need to step up to the mark and enter the debate on Irish Unity.

The recent Armagh service of remembrance, reflection and hope about the creation of Northern Ireland via the route of partition caused more stir because the Queen and the Irish president did not attend rather than focusing on who actually was in Armagh last week, and indeed, what the message should be, not just in recalling the past, but in preparing a roadmap for the future.

The bottom line is - the Christian Churches have now been presented with a golden opportunity to take the initiative when it comes to developing the securing the Irish peace process. My advice is to the Churches - don’t miss the political boat!

After all, the four main Christian denominations - the Catholic Church, Church of Ireland, mainstream Presbyterianism and Methodism - are all organised on an all-island basis.

Even the fundamentalist denomination - the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster, founded by the late Rev Ian Paisley in 1951 - has a number of congregations based in Southern Ireland.

The Elim pentecostal movement, which has numerous churches across the Emerald Isle, was founded in Monaghan in 1915 during the era of the Great War.

The Orange Order - which is the largest of the Protestant Loyal Orders - boasted its governing body as being the Grand Lodge of Ireland. Irish Freemasonry is also organised on an all-island basis.

While the overwhelming majority of these ‘all-island’ organisations will claim their structures existed pre-partition in the 1920s, this should not be taken as an excuse to abstain from the Irish Unity debate.

The main contribution which the Churches can make is to ensure that any debate on Irish Unity or the future of the Union is done in a calm and respectful manner. In short, the Churches must put on a united front as a soothing influence, ensuring that its clerics do not indulge in inflammatory rhetoric.

In the past, some clerics have been accused of allegedly making sermons and speeches with contentious statements. It has even been suggested that people have acted on the content of these words and have ended up with a jail term.

There is much talk about Northern Ireland’s future direction, of a shared island, of a new Ireland. What is the Christian Churches’ vision for this island over the next century? In a seemingly increasingly pluralist and secular society, how will the Christian Churches find a meaningful role in the community?

Could the various Christian denominations unite to produce a roadmap for the faith as Northern Ireland enters its second century? Or would such discussions typically descend into theological wrangling over dress codes in church, the translation of the Bible which should be used, the role of women in the Church and other side issues?

There is a real fear among some sections of the Christian community that the recent vote in the Northern Ireland Assembly on so-called ‘gay conversion therapy’ could be the thin edge of the wedge to stop Christians praying for people who face challenges, not just concerning their sexual orientation, but over many other issues in life.

Could the ridiculous situation emerge whereby some Christian who prays for someone suffering from cancer or COPD is jailed for making that prayer?

Perhaps the real issue at stake in the Irish Unity debate is whether the Christian Churches will have the freedom to actually practice their faith, let alone express that faith in public.

The Churches need to ensure Christianity does not see the emergence of the so-called ‘sermon police’, whereby the content of sermons preached in places of worship - even if they are not live-streamed - are closely monitored in terms of ‘causing offence’.

While those Christians who classify themselves as liberal in their theology may not be at risk, certainly those believers who classify themselves as evangelicals or fundamentalists and take a strong theological Salvationist position could find themselves being hauled before the courts.

And it’s not just inside places of worship whereby the Christian Churches could find their content closely monitored. Open air ministry has always been a key tool for communicating the Gospel. Would the activities of such evangelical outreaches also be intensely monitored for so-called ‘offensive material’?

For example, when my late dad was in full-time Presbyterian ministry during the Seventies, our family summer holidays were spent in Portballintrae, and our time there normally coincided with the annual beach mission by the Christian organisation, CSSM (Children’s Special Service Mission).

We would gather on the beach in front of the former Beach Hotel in the north Antrim coastal village and enjoy Bible readings, choruses, games and a wee sermon. But all it would take would be one person to lodge a complaint with the police that he or she was ‘offended’ by the evangelical content of the beach evangelists and the service could be brought to a rapid conclusion.

The Churches cannot afford to bury their heads in the historical sand and pass the buck by stating that the future development of Ireland belongs solely to the politicians and parties.

If the Churches want to have a relevant voice in the so-called new Ireland, they may need to shout a bit louder, but they will need to do so with a united platform.

Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulter
Listen to commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning around 10.15 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online. 

Christian Churches Need A Clear Roadmap On Irish Unity Debate

One of Northern Ireland’s largest Christian denominations, the mainstream Presbyterian Church, has just had its annual General Assembly. Presbyterian minister’s son and political commentator Dr John Coulter analyses what lessons for the wider Christian faith can be learned from the delegates’ debates.

Many people view me as spiritually mixed up! Then again, many folk believe I’m just mixed up generally as a result of my experience in life as a preacher’s kid.

After all, I am a Presbyterian minister’s son, married to a Baptist pastor’s daughter, and worship regularly in an Elim Pentecostal church - so work that one out theologically!

Last week, the mainstream Presbyterian Church held its General Assembly and while there were some interesting debates around gender equality and same-sex marriage - especially during the breaks when delegates had the opportunity to talk privately with one another - the subject of how faith should be celebrated in schools was largely ignored.

The bottom line is that Christian Churches - of whatever denomination - must get out of their pulpits and pews and fight to save faith schools in Ireland or the secular society will have us drowned in a sea of forced integrated education.

While it makes common sense to cut the number of administrative bodies controlling schools, that should not mean we waste millions of much-needed funding on the integrated education sector.

Northern Ireland requires a clear, single education body which at the same time protects the identity of the Christian ethos.

Listening to the pundits who sing the praises of integrated education, you would think they had magically discovered the cure for eight centuries of conflict in Ireland.

But in Northern Ireland, the regional colleges and universities have been providing integrated education for decades.

For example, affectionately still known as the ‘Tech’, these regional colleges have had Protestants and Catholics mixing together in the classroom for generations.

Yet Stormont seems hell-bent on slashing funding to such colleges.

It will only be a matter of time for the trendy liberals of the ‘politically correct’ brigade are successful in banning Christian morning assembly in many schools whether they be primary or secondary.

Meanwhile, the Christian Churches sit on their asses and do nothing.

Too many churches, especially in mainstream Christianity, are more interested in preserving their image than helping young people cope with the stresses and strains of modern society.

Okay, I fully recognise the pressures which the pandemic has placed on places of worship, especially as a result of the initial 2020 lockdown when all churches were physically shut, forcing many of them to go online for Sunday worship and mid-week Bible studies.

The pluralist and secular society has provided a more attractive alternative to the traditional Sunday School and Bible classes which were all the rage in the Super Seventies.

Instead of pushing integrated education, the Stormont Executive (once it has Covid firmly under control) should pump cash into helping existing schools provide sound Christian education classes as part of the school, college and university curriculum.

If the mainstream Catholic and Protestant denominations are not careful, teaching Christian values will be booted out of schools altogether.

In this scenario, it will be left to the growing band of smaller independent Christian denominations, such as the Elim Pentecostalists, to provide Biblical teaching to our children.

Elim celebrated its Irish centenary in 2015 and has become one of the fastest growing faiths on the island, pulling in converts from across the religious divide on both sides of the border.

While abortion, same sex relationships and gender identity are important subjects for the Christian Churches to take stands on, those churches must not forget that the real battle for the Christian faith will be fought in the schools.

Catholicism is still recovering from the clerical sex abuse scandals while Protestantism is so split it’s hard to know who really speaks for the faith. For example, I’ve used the term ‘mainstream’ to describe the Presbyterian Church in Ireland’s General Assembly.

There are also other denominations which lay claim to the term ‘Presbyterian’. There is also the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, the Reformed Presbyterian Church (known as the Covenanters), the Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church (also known as the Unitarians), and not forgetting the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster founded in 1951 by the late Rev Ian Paisley. Put bluntly, which one of these five is the ‘true’ Presbyterian faith?

Lose the schools battle and the churches might as well shut up shop for good.

Unfortunately, many Christians are too scared about upsetting people. Many clerics need to have the courage to get into the community and defend Christian values.

Have we reached a situation post Covid where there are too many toothless twits wearing dog collars who are more interested in getting pats on the back from their flocks rather than getting their hands dirty for the faith?

Then again, the genuine open air evangelists have had their work tarnished by the increasing band of so-called street preachers whose sole aim seems to be to provoke sections of the community and get themselves arrested.

These street provocateurs are more interested in getting themselves branded as modern-day Christian martyrs than actually preaching the Gospel.

Social media footage of some of these street provocateurs in action with their public address systems fuels the perception they are more interested in taunting sections of society, such as the police or the LGBT community, than genuine and responsible evangelical Christian preaching.

The problem is, these street provocateurs are getting the genuine open air evangelists a bad reputation and all are becoming tarred with the same brush.

Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulter
Listen to commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning around 10.15 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online. 

Christian Churches Need To Get Out Of Pews And Into The Public!

Ian Major ✒ Godless Unionists voted for the DUP, not for their Christian policies but because they saw them as willing to stand up to Republicans much more than the UUP.

It seems those days are over: secular Unionists now think the LGBTQ+ policies more important than the Union. Or maybe they think the Christians in the DUP will drop their opposition to abortion and the silencing of Christians on the immorality of homosexuality. 

They are very mistaken, if that is the case. I'm not and never was a member of the DUP, but I will never vote for any party that chooses to endorse abortion and ban pastoral prayer and counselling for those who come to them looking help for their unwanted sexual attractions. I will not vote for them, even if that means Republicans taking the seat.

Opponents of the motion have made it clear that they support a ban on gay conversion therapy, the psychological techniques that are abusive. But it seems the proposers intend that the only prayer and counsel acceptable is that which affirms homosexuality and would help the homosexual to embrace his/her unwanted sexual desires.
 
If the DUP remain faithful to their Christian electorate on these matters of first importance, they will continue to get the Christian vote. If they don't, I can see no point in voting for them. And the UUP will not gain those votes. The Union is not more important to us than basic Christian morality.

If the DUP cut loose from any residual disrespect for Nationalists, and maintain their Christian values, they may well add to the number of Catholics who already vote for them because of their pro-life stance.

This present crisis may well be a watershed for Unionism. If secular anti-Christian policies become the majority view of Unionism, and the DUP elect a leader who caves in on it, I reckon most Christians will walk away from politics completely. No support for any party, and no voting in elections. That certainly will be my position. Some Christians I know have already adopted that course.

⏭Ian Major grew up a heathen Protestant, was converted at 17. He lives out his Evangelical faith as a Baptist.  

DUP Must Do The Right Thing Or Christians Will Walk Away

In his Fearless Flying column today, Political Commentator Dr John Coulter, argues the success of any future round of peace negotiations could depend on the Democratic Unionists’ ability to keep their religious fundamentalist clique in control.

There’s been so much focus on the rudderless and leaderless political Titanic, namely the suspended Stormont Executive, the political eye has been taken off the motionless Direct Rule U-Boat basking calming off the Ulster shores waiting on the 12 December General Election outcome.

There has been much speculation on what the DUP could lose in the General Election, rather than on how many of the 10 seats it will hold, or potential new ones it could win.

We all know the real reason for any stalled peace deal between Sinn Fein and the Arlene Foster camp during the summer had nothing to do with humiliating republicans over a stand-alone Irish Language Act or guaranteeing a unionist veto, but had everything to do with inflicting meltdown on their political rivals.

Even the dogs in the street knew a General Election was in the pipeline - all that needed to be confirmed was the date.

The big problem for the current peace process is whilst Sinn Fein methodically reaffirmed its position as the main voice of nationalism in the North in the European and council elections, Foster’s DUP dished out another drubbing to the Ulster Unionists.

The DUP maintaining its lead over the UUP has forced the latter onto the electoral back foot in terms of 12 December. But the danger signals for the peace process is that it has brought the religious fundamentalist fringe into the centre arena of political talks.

Christian evangelicals within the body politic have been unable to prevent Westminster from implementing same-sex marriage and more liberal abortion laws to Northern Ireland.

If the DUP loses seats after the votes are counted on 12 December, could the party’s founding fundamentalist wing flex its muscles again? Could we see a mixture of political and religious sermons from DUP evangelicals lamenting that party losses - especially in Belfast - were because of a more ‘liberal’ stance by the DUP?

One of the successes of the DUP was that it gave a voice to working class Protestant fundamentalism in a unionist family which was controlled by the more liberal and pluralist unionist middle class.

A major side effect of the UUP electoral misfortunes since 2003 has been the fact that not only has the hard-line fundamentalism grown within the DUP, it has now become one of the most powerful lobbies within the North itself.

However, at the moment that fundamentalist lobby is powerful on paper - it still needs to flex its muscles at the ballot box. What happens if the Christian vote remains at home?

At one time, Paisley senior’s fundamentalist, uncompromising Right-wing gained a political platform in Northern politics on a par with the influence of the Christian Right-wing Moral Majority faction in American politics – especially in the era of the Bush administration.

In the nationalist camp, the SDLP is still in business, but talk of a formal merger with Fianna Fail in the Republic has been relegated to the long finger. Its just a working relationship as the party humiliated in the last General Election has its eye on winning three seats in the December poll - South Belfast, Foyle and South Down (the latter depending on tactical voting by Unionists).

Talk has now returned to the notorious peace train about to leave the mythical station as if it was a political version of the Hogwarts Express from the Harry Potter films.

May’s elections have confirmed the DUP’s seats in the first-class compartments, but for the UUP – it’s standing room only in the economy class.

Ever since the January 2017 Assembly suspension, there has been a constant media barrage the train must leave without Sinn Fein because of the stand alone Irish Language Act.

However, the real danger is faced by the Old Guard Paisleyites. They are the party of government within Unionism. It’s their responsibility as a devolutionist party to deliver a working, legislative Stormont – only this time, DUP ministers will not be able to work the electorate by either blaming Sinn Fein or boasting about their ‘confidence and supply’ arrangement with the Tories at Westminster.

There is the real threat to Unionism after 12 December that the British, Irish and American governments give the peace train the signal to move on, with Sinn Fein sneaking into the rear guards van at the last moment, but leave the DUP still squabbling with its hard-line Right-wing fundamentalists on the platform.

It is the DUP that has shifted its ground – from the ultra-Right ‘Ulster Says No’ to the modernising ‘do a deal centre Right’. The DUP may well have stolen the UUP’s political garments, position, policies and voters. But it has also inherited the fleas’ nest of internecine feuding.

Electoral euphoria may well hide the effects of the flea bites for a few months. The real crisis will come when Foster has to sell the Sinn Fein deal to her ultra religious fundamentalists who have a traditional of not agreeing with anybody!.

As for the UUP, it needs to be ultra careful about how it packages the trendy talk about becoming a liberal party. That’s what the late Brian Faulkner’s Unionist Party of Northern Ireland tried after its Westminster defeats in 1974 – and it’s now in the political cemetery.

The UUP may be forced to re-establish itself as the party of the positive radical Right under the leadership of Steve Aiken. For such a move, the ghost of former boss Jim Molyneaux will be chuckling as will UUP members who were activists in the Right-wing Ulster Monday Club pressure group.

While words such as ‘liberal’, ‘middle road’, ‘moderate’, ‘centre ground’ and even ‘radical moderate’ may be the political buzz phrases of this General Election, when the votes are counted and the post mortems conducted, could the ‘hardliners’ move in for a rebrand?


Listen to religious commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning around 9.30 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online at www.thisissunshine.com

DUP & It's Religious Fundamentalist Clique

Having been legislatively slaughtered on the political beaches, Northern Irish Christians need to find a new cause. Religious commentator, Dr John Coulter, looks at how the Christian Churches can regroup after last night’s defeats on same-sex marriage and more liberal abortion law. 

Yesterday was D-Day (Decision Day) for Christian evangelicals and fundamentalists in Northern Ireland. But unlike their counterparts on 6th June 1944 on the beaches of Normandy, the Christians lost the fight to stop same-sex marriage and the pro-life lobby suffered yet another humiliating defeat.

For many Christians, yesterday’s recall of the Stormont Assembly was a religious Alamo plan to save the unborn. For many in the pro-choice lobby, recalling Stormont was a political stunt.

Midnight came and went. No power-sharing Executive at Stormont meant that laws on same-sex marriage and some of the most liberal abortion laws in Europe being introduced into Northern Ireland via Westminster became a reality.

If you thought the battle to find a Brexit deal, extend the Brexit deadline, or even halt the Brexit process entirely before the 31 October deadline, then Christian evangelicals and fundamentalists opposed such laws on same-sex marriage and abortion coming from Westminster have an even bigger mountain to climb now.

In practical political terms, their plan to find a loophole in Stormont standing orders so that 30 Assembly members can recall Stormont, form some kind of hotchpotch Executive, and get a petition of concern up and running to halt what Christians view as some of the most draconian abortion laws in Europe has crashed and burned harder than a chariot in Ben Hur!

Sunday 13 October saw a day of prayer across many churches - both Catholic and Protestant - to pray against this legislation and for the protection of the unborn. Monday 21 October saw defeat yet again for the Christian community.

It must be a bitter pill to swallow coming hot on the heels of defeats by Christians in the same-sex and abortion referenda in the Republic.

At face value, it seemed an astute move to get Westminster to introduce legislation which has always appeared as political sticking points and red lines to getting a power-sharing Executive back at Stormont.

That could allow the Christian community to point the judgemental finger at London, pretend to be a modern day Pontius Pilate, and say - ‘it was Westminster what done it!’

On paper now, only a stand alone Irish Language Act remains a stumbling block to the restoration of devolution, which has been moth-balled since January 2017. So why can’t the Westminster Government bring in such an Act in a similar way it has legislated for same-sex marriage and more liberal abortion laws?

While it has been some five years since death of the founder of the DUP, the late Rev Ian Paisley, who was also the founder of the fundamentalist Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster in 1951, the voter influence of Christian evangelicals and fundamentalists both within and outside the party should not be underestimated.

Similarly, of the three supposed red lines to devolution’s return - same-sex marriage, abortion, and an Irish Language Act - perhaps the most contentious is abortion. Two of those red lines disappeared at midnight.

The electoral challenge which the DUP faces is - which issue has the potential to lose or gain votes. In practical terms, pluralist Protestants may not have the same strong views on protecting the unborn as DUP traditionalists among the socially conservative evangelical and fundamentalists.

If the DUP was to agree to a stand alone Irish Language Act in exchange for blocking new draconian abortion laws, would liberal unionists and secular Protestants punish the DUP at the ballot box, especially in the looming Westminster General Election?

The DUP privately recognises that it has lost the battle to halt same-sex marriage coming to Northern Ireland. But for the Christian lobby, it would rather see the protection of the unborn than halt same-sex marriage. Now the Christian community has lost that abortion battle, too, so where do the Christian Churches pass their standards now?

Why is abortion such a major issue now with Christians? Practically, you cannot save an aborted baby, but you could ‘witness’ to same-sex couples that a Christian heterosexual lifestyle is a better alternative to gay marriage. In Christian thinking, at least the people in a same-sex marriage are alive; aborted babies are corpses.

However, pro-life lobbyists are well aware of this month’s earlier ruling in the Sarah Ewart case in which the Belfast High Court ruled that Northern Ireland’s abortion restrictions breach UK human rights laws.

If pro-life lobbyists ever did manage to create a situation whereby any new abortion law was halted in its tracks, how would that decision play out against the October 3 Belfast High Court ruling?

And its not just the DUP which faces an abortion dilemma. Sinn Fein may have been able to see off any electoral challenge from parties supporting dissident republican groups, or even a revitalised SDLP, but could the intervention of the vehemently pro-life Aontu party cost Sinn Fein vital seats.

Okay, pundits can point to the fact that Aontu has only a handful of elected councillors straddling both sides of the border, but many socially conservative Catholics may also opt either to vote for Aontu or the DUP if pro-life lobbyists can move the debate to the top of the political agenda ahead of, or even on a par with, Brexit.

The abortion debate could provide the Catholic Church in Northern Ireland with the chance to regain some moral ground lost because of the fallout from the clerical abuse scandals which have hounded the Church in recent decades.

A visible tactic orchestrated by the Church would be to picket Sinn Fein offices and advice centres with the warning - support pro-life or we abandon you! In electoral terms, the pro-life lobby within Catholicism has a better opportunity to inflict voter damage on Sinn Fein than the dissident republican lobby.

My late father, Rev Dr Robert Coulter MBE, was a North Antrim UUP Assembly member from 1998 to 2011. He was an avowed pro-life champion because of his strongly evangelical Biblical views. In elections, he attracted a significant number of transfers from Catholic nationalist voters because of his tough pro-life stance.

The same observation can also be said of the late Rev Ian Paisley’s vote in North Antrim, too. In elections, voters knew precisely what either my father or Rev Dr Paisley stood for in terms of the pro-life debate.

Likewise, the UUP faces a similar electoral dilemma as it seeks to find a new party leader. Presently, the UUP allows a conscience vote on abortion.

One of the accusations which has been levelled at the UUP compared to the more liberal Alliance party is that voters in the European poll in May were actually confused as to the UUP’s stance - pointedly, what does the UUP stand for?

A new more liberal UUP leader could make support for the pro-choice position party policy in a bid to go head to head with Alliance, which also operates a conscience clause for its elected representatives.

However, that could backfire on the UUP if the traditional Right-wing party members who were to the fore in the Molyneaux era vote with their feet and defect to the DUP.

With parties seeking to boast that they are all ‘broad churches’ to use the political pun, what battles lines should the Christians Churches now adopt?

The real danger for the Churches is that their physical places of worship become targets for the ‘politically correct brigade’ who actually visit such churches to ‘deliberately’ become offended.

Will we see an extension of the Communications Act so that people visiting churches can actually complain about the content of sermons spoken, rather than sermons transmitted over the internet?

At the moment, Churches are basking in the belief that their religious gatherings enjoy freedom of expression. But at what point will this freedom be diluted?

In the 1970s, the corner street evangelist was part of the Northern Ireland culture. But are such preachers being driven off the streets into the church pulpits? The Churches need to be careful that the next ‘red line’ they need to defend is to preach the Gospel from their pulpits.

Granted, some clerics will prefer to preach a ‘fluffy bunny’ liberal agenda whereby Hell, sin, sexual immorality and the Salvationist theology are all ignored or banned.

In such a situation, Christianity would be nothing more than a Pharisee-style badge as the very evangelical and Biblical pillars upon which true Salvationist Christianity is based would be eradicated. When will we see a law jailing clerics or preachers for ‘Non-PC’ sermons?

Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulter

Listen to religious commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning around 9.30 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online at www.thisissunshine.com

Christians Need New Battle Ground

With Unionism and Nationalism becoming increasingly politically secular in the battle for the supposed ‘centre’ vote, religious commentator Dr John Coulter uses his Fearless Flying Column today to pose the question if an Irish Christian Party is no longer speculation, but an inevitable reality, and sets out the clear challenges now faced by an ICP. 

A few years ago, I got an awful lot of political flak for daring to suggest that if Irish society became more secular and pluralist, Christians may need to band together and form an Irish Christian Party to protect their values and beliefs.

Since then, we have seen successful referenda in the Republic supporting same-sex marriage, as well as more liberal legislation on abortion and divorce.

In Northern Ireland, many of the mainstream Protestant denominations have become embroiled in bitter theological debates over same-sex marriage. The Catholic Church throughout Ireland continues to feel the knock-out punches from the clerical abuse scandals.

Put bluntly, Irish Christianity would appear to be on the back foot across the island. So how should Christians respond if they want to truly influence society? Northern Ireland politics is still itself reeling from the shock after effects of the Alliance surge in the recent local government and European elections.

There’s much talk about the battle for secular nationalism, liberal unionism, moderate loyalism, centrist republicanism, and that that battle will take place purely in the centre ground of Irish politics.

So how should Christian evangelicals and fundamentalists react to these developments given that, for them, liberalism is a spiritual red line they should not cross?

For me personally, the real debate kicked off a couple of years ago following my participation in a discussion on BBC Radio Ulster’s Sunday Sequence about the need for an Irish Christian Party, and even the possibility of the Protestant Loyal Orders fielding their own pro-Union candidates.

At that time, my academic analysis concerning the need for an Irish Christian Party because of the secular drift in Irish society on both sides of the Irish border certainly had social media in hyper drive and resulted in a very positive live debate with myself, fellow commentator Jude Collins, and North Belfast Ulster Unionist Party Assembly candidate Rev Lesley Carroll.

So where do these ideas go from that Sunday Sequence debate? Christians and church goers need to follow the constructive example set by Jesus Himself in the New Testament when he entered the Temple and found it dominated by the so-called money changers.

Did Jesus moan and complain, but do nothing? No. Did Jesus bury his head in the sand and pretend nothing was happening? No. The Biblical account clearly states that he took positive action and physically threw the money changers out of the Temple.

Christians and church goes need to follow Christ’s example – get off your bottoms, get out of your pews and get into the polling booths! Indeed, they need to go a step further and get involved in active politics.

Christians and church goes need to stop complaining about the perceived forward march of the secular society and get out and vote! They can no longer adopt the fundamentalist tactic – which is very common among the ‘born again’ Salvationist faction of the Christian faith – of ‘come ye out from amongst them’.

This, unfortunately, has been interpreted by many Christians as a signal both not to become involved with political parties, or indeed, even to come out to vote.

The big challenge to Christians and church goes in general is how they are going to positively combat the perception that society is drifting steadily towards a secular abyss?

Has the Christian Church become so fixated with arguing about theology that the secular society has crept up behind Irish Christianity and yelled ‘Boo’?

Given the voter turnouts at the recent council and European elections, Christians and church goers need to watch they do not succumb to the apathy bug.

Take the pro-Union community as a hypothetical example. How can members of the fundamentalist Loyal Orders be expected to vote for candidates who are atheists, agnostics, humanists or ecumenists given the clear Salvationist stance of the Qualifications of an Orangeman, which people joining the Order must swear allegiance to?

Already there are perceptions among some sections of the Loyal Orders – especially the Orange Order and Royal Black Institution – that pro-Union parties are trying to distance themselves from the Orders.

Could this be why the traditionally Right wing-leaning Unionist parties are having to move towards the centre of Ulster politics because it is now the centre people who are coming out to vote?

Academically speaking, was the supposed liberal-leaning policy of past UUP leaderships a bid to outflank the DUP in the pro-Union middle ground?

Could this mean that the UUP should be keen to rebrand itself as a soft unionist version of the moderate and middle ground – but totally defunct – NI21 party, formed by two former UUP MLAs – Basil McCrea and John McCallister?

However, the challenge which liberal-leaning tacticians within the pro-Union community must face is to ensure that this liberal agenda can be sold to the Unionism’s heartland voters – centre Right Protestants with strong Loyal Order sympathies.

If the ‘Let’s All Be Trendy Liberals’ agenda does not deliver significant increases in elected representatives for the pro-Union parties, the perception will be further created that political Unionism has become nothing more than a Right wing Alliance Party dominated by liberal Protestants and Presbyterians.

There is even talk among Unionism’s Right wing that if the ‘liberal trend’ does not result in an increase in seats for the pro-Union family, would the Loyal Orders – the Orange, Black and Apprentice Boys – consider fielding Independent Unionist candidates in future elections.

As a starting point for an Irish Christian political movement, when candidates and representatives begin their election visits – ask them point blank: do you believe in God? If they say they don’t, or have no time for religion – then don’t vote for them!

However, in the event of future polls returning a majority of elected representatives who do not adhere to Biblical principles, then Christians and church goers will have no other path but to launch formally the Irish Christian Party.

Unfortunately, over the centuries, especially in Ireland, mention Christianity and politics in the same breath and the stereotype image of the street corner, hell-fire preacher, bellowing out extreme Protestant fundamentalism springs to mind.

The Crusades of the Middle Ages did nothing to advance the Christian socialist cause, and the weird ideological concoction of Identity Christianity spewed out by the Ku Klux Klan in America does equal damage to the notion of Christians and political activity.

But now is the chance for Christians and church goers under the banner of an Irish Christian Party to strike.

Such a grassroots movement is seeking a return of biblical Christianity as a central core of political thinking by getting Christians to focus politically on the New Testament account of the Sermon on the Mount by Jesus Christ, as told in St Matthew’s Gospel, Chapter Five.

It has been this Sermon by Jesus which has become the foundation stone of the political thinking of the Irish Christian Party.

In this aspect, Christ outlines a series of attributes, commonly known as The Beatitudes. There is a school of ideological thinking – to which I personally belong – which maintains that Marx based Das Capital on The Beatitudes, and his overt criticism of religion was merely a ploy to disguise the fact that he had pinched his ideas from the Bible, and the words of Jesus.

In reality, Jesus Christ was the first real communist – not Karl Marx. The Irish Christian Party’s Christ and state ideology is, therefore, based on St Matthew’s Gospel Chapter Five, verses one to 12. Many of the Beatitudes begin (using the Authorised King James translation): “Blessed are …”

However, when the words of Jesus are taken in a modern context, they make the basis for a realistic political agenda for the Irish Christian Party.

Here are the key points which the Beatitudes highlight. The poor in spirit (verse three) – the need to restore national pride in society; those who mourn (verse four) – the need to remember and help the victims of the conflict in Ireland; the meek (verse five) – the need to help the working class, and for the rich to invest their wealth in helping those less well off in society; they which do hunger (verse six) – the need to combat growing poverty in society, and also provide a sound educational and health system for all; the merciful (verse seven) – the need for a fair and accountable justice system; the pure in heart (verse eight) – the need to restore the moral fabric of society, to encourage family values and implement the concept of society’s conscience; peacemakers (verse nine) – the need for compromise and respect of people’s views based on the concept of accommodation, not capitulation; the persecuted (verse 10) – the need for members, activists and voters of the Irish Christian Party to have the courage to stand up for their beliefs; when men shall revile you (verse 11) – the need for a free press with responsible regulation.

Taken as an overall Beatitudes-based manifesto, the Irish Christian Party is about the creation of the concept of Christian citizenship. Under this concept, compulsory voting – as exists in Australia – would be introduced to Ireland.

Tragically, Christianity in Ireland has become bogged down in recent years over theological debates about women clerics, translations of the Bible, abortion, gay marriage, relations with Islam, and even petty issues such as should women wear hats to church, and how “loud’ in colour should men’s ties be before they can enter a church building.

Christians have even “gone to theological war” with each other over the type of worship coming from the pews, with traditionalists favouring the old fashioned hymns and psalms from the 19th century, with modernisers (especially the Pentecostalist factions) opting for the 21st century lively tunes, often referred to as Hill Songs.

Ironically, extreme Christian fundamentalists – particularly from the militant pro-life lobby – have coined the perfect rallying call which can see the birth of an Irish Christian Party.

It is based on the abbreviation WWJD? –What Would Jesus Do? Where Marxism can be accused of trying to remove religion from politics, the Irish Christian Party seeks to put the teachings of Jesus back into political thinking.

The big problem that many evangelicals and fundamentalists have long-faced as Christian socialists, trying to implement the teachings of Jesus Christ, is to find a political vehicle to expound those views.

Being a Christian socialist in Ireland is a tough challenge, given that the island of Ireland has been at war with itself for the past eight centuries, as two of the largest Christian denominations, Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, battle for supremacy.

Hopefully, the Irish Christian Party can be a way forward. But practically, how would such a party function? Should Christians even be getting involved in politics, or should they concentrate more on spreading the Gospel message through traditional means, such as evangelical and beach missions? Here’s the fundamental issues to address:

➤The role of a Christian in politics should be an extension of their Christian faith where constituency work is about caring for the needs of people.
➤The key approach is not one of condemnation, but asking the question – what would Jesus do?
➤The Beatitudes in Matthew’s Gospel is one of the best agendas for social action which both politicians and churches can follow.
➤Are Christians having to go into politics because the churches are not being given the chance to fulfil their pastoral and caring roles in society?
➤Note the role of Christophobia in society – persecution against Christians. Key issues which may come up – gay marriage, blood donations from gay men, gay adoption, divorce, assisted suicide, abortion, LGBT in churches, the churches and the EU, Christian assembly in schools, faith schools, going to war, relations with other faiths, eg Islam.
➤Biblically, John 3 verse 16 is about freedom of choice – we chose or reject salvation; the same Christian principle should be applied in politics.
➤People make choices – if they chose a gay lifestyle, then they must accept the challenges that go with it – just as those who accept a heterosexual lifestyle live with the challenges which that brings.
➤Why single out the LGBT community? are we saying the heterosexual community does not face the same challenges? Christian politicians have to see the concept of the ‘person’ – what are their needs and challenges? For example, cancer can hit all sections of society irrespective of gender or sexuality.
➤What about people who feel the need to self-harm or take their own lives? Again, what would Jesus do?
➤Many in the heterosexual community feel this is the only solution too? We have a responsibility as Christians in politics to see the people behind these issues; our role is to help, not hinder.
➤Equally, there is a responsibility of sections of society not to force their views on others – freedom of choice.
➤Abortion – pro-life, but recognise the medical dangers in pregnancy. People must first ask themselves – does life begin at conception or birth?
➤Each person must address that issue according to their own conscience. The 1967 Abortion Act should not be used as an alternative form of contraception.


Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulter

Listen to religious commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning around 9.30 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online at www.thisissunshine.com



Now Is The Chance For Christians

What sort of Irish society should the Christian Churches be preparing their flocks for? Should they just roll over and lay down and accept secularism, or should they organise and mobilise for future elections? That’s the challenge which religious commentator, Dr John Coulter, addresses in his latest Fearless Flying Column today. 

Hopefully by the end of the Spring Bank Holiday today, Northern Ireland will know the names of the three MEPs who will be representing this part of the United Kingdom in the European Parliament.

Irrespective of who is elected, there will be a huge challenge for the Christian Churches in the days ahead. Should they just adapt to meet the challenges of the secular drift in society, or should they make a stand for Biblical values?

One of the major problems in trying to chart a way forward spiritually for the Christian Churches is that they are so radically divided theologically.

I was brought up in traditional Irish Presbyterianism. Taking the 2018 General Assembly as a benchmark, even that denomination is badly split over the issue of marriage equality.

And even within the broad Presbyterian family in Ireland, there are deep divisions on same-sex marriage. Fundamentalist denominations, such as the Free Presbyterian Church and Reformed Presbyterian Church (also known as the Covenanters) are clearly theologically opposed to same-sex marriage.

However, the much more liberal Non Subscribing Presbyterian Church (also known as the Unitarians) would support marriage equality. All this begs the question - who speaks for the real Presbyterian tradition in Ireland?

The marriage equality issues have sparked a massive debate within Christianity about Old Testament scripture versus New Testament thinking. Some Christians believe the entire Bible is the inspired Word of God and it must be taken as a whole; others maintain the teachings in the New Testament outranks the theology of the Old Testament.

The source of this argument heralds from the view there were three main laws outlined in the Old Testament.

Firstly, there was civil law, which deals with disputes between individuals and expired with the demise of the Jewish civil government.

Secondly, there is the ceremonial law, which expired with the fulfilment of the priestly work of Jesus Christ, especially His death on the cross.

Thirdly, there is the moral law. Many theologians believe there is no expiration of this law because it is based on God’s character.

There is a body of thinking within the Christian Church broadly which adheres to the view that congregations and fellowships should forget about getting involved in the political discourse, but instead should concentrate on ensuring Christian flocks know and gain the benefits of ‘abundant life.’

In practical terms, where the Old and New Testaments can have an accommodation is in the third law - the moral law. Much of this strategy is based on the words of Jesus in the New Testament text from the Gospel of St John, commonly known as John 10:10.

Taken from the King James Version, this verse reads: 

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

What is this ‘abundant life’ which Jesus talks about? Is it a reference to blessings which God gives Christians once they become born-again believers on earth, and also to the eternal life which they will enjoy once they enter heaven after death. 

Does this mean that the Church should focus on a social agenda among its flocks and the wider community rather than get involved in the worldly arena of politics?

This would tend to support the ‘come ye out from amongst them’ theology. But if Churches ignore the political world, they cannot complain when politicians pass laws which run contrary to the teachings of Scripture.

Perhaps a pointer to the way forward can be found in the final book of the Old Testament, Malachi.

In Chapter 3, verse 10, it states: 

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Are we Christians missing our goal in this life? Have we become so consumed with trying to please secular thinking that we have totally missed our true aim in society? Have we become so caught up with ritual and religion that we have abandoned the real meaning of the Christian faith?

In this verse 10, is God challenging us Christians to test Him and see what can be achieved for the faith? If we give ourselves completely to serving God, He will reward us with blessings.

Could one way in which we Christians can influence society is to get involved in politics so that legislation can be passed which protects Christian values?

However, many Christians are simply too scared to put their heads above the parapets of society and defend Biblical principles because anti-Christian groups are so well organised in terms of their propaganda.

Like looking through a window, Malachi 3:10 urges Christians to look through a spiritual window to see what blessings are in store for those who follow the Christian faith.

But can Malachi 3:10 be interpreted as a call to action for Christians - namely, they SHOULD get involved with political movements and campaigns.

After reading Malachi 3:10, many Christians want to opt out of the political process through fear. Maybe they should have the courage to read an even more powerful verse in Malachi 3:11.

It states: 

And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.

The way forward for the Churches is, therefore, Biblically simple - mobilise and organise politically; either get involved with existing political parties and movements and influence from within. If that is not suitable, form an Irish Christian Party with the New Testament Beatitudes as the political manifesto.


Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulter
Listen to religious commentator Dr John Coulter’s slot, Call Coulter, every Saturday morning around 9.15 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM, as part of the ‘At The Table’ show.
Listen online at www.thisissunshine.co

Biblically Simple - Mobilise And Organise Politically


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Chink Of Light

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