Weekly Blog - 20 July 2024 - Political Violence
Political violence
The world was shocked by the attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump last Saturday 13 July. As has been widely reported, the former president came remarkably close to death, receiving an injury to his right ear. One member of the crowd was tragically killed, and two others injured. The would-be assassin was killed by the secret service. The incident reminded many Americans of the tragic political violence of the 1960s when President Kennedy, his brother Senator Robert Kennedy and the political activists Martin Luther King and Malcom X were all assassinated. The attempt on Donald Trump’s life has also shone the spotlight on the increasingly heated and toxic rhetoric in US politics, especially in the run up to the election later this year. And it is not just the US where this has been an issue. The recent UK election was also marred by a level of intimidation, death threats and online harassment of candidates higher than anything seen before. So too were the recent elections in France and India, to say nothing of the many other elections around the world this year, many in countries with much weaker democratic traditions.
There should of course be no place for violence in any election or other political process. The Bible is clear, that no matter how strongly we might feel about different political figures, even when they act with extreme injustice and oppression, there is no place for assassination or armed revolution against them. As David said of Saul, even when Saul was trying to have him killed, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the LORD” (1 Sam 24: 6). Instead, where political leaders act with injustice, we should absolutely challenge them and hold them to account, as the Prophet Isaiah said to the political rulers of his age “Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow” (Isa 1: 16 – 17). But we should do this peacefully, like the many brave Reform Movements striving for freedom, democracy and human rights that Arise is supporting around the world. A major report from Arise, The Arise Manifesto, explores this issue in further detail (Arise Manifesto, pg 86 – 88). There is absolutely no place for political violence. In light of this it has been positive to see politicians of all parties around the world unite in speaking out against the attempted assassination of former president Trump, even those that are opposed to all he stands for.
Taking the heat out of political debate
As well as these rightful condemnations of outright political violence, the attempted assassination should also prompt us to consider taking some of the heat, toxicity and aggression out of current political debate. A recent Arise blog on navigating the Culture Wars also touched on this issue of increasing division, demonisation and hostility in society, in our political discourse, and in many other areas. Politicians, and indeed all of us, must retain the ability to discuss ideas freely and openly, to express our views clearly and well, but to do so with respect and even love, accepting the right and freedom of those we disagree with to express their views peacefully, no matter how much we might disagree with them. Again we see this modelled in the Bible where Peter tells us “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have”, in the first half of an often quoted verse. But as it also says in the less quoted second half of that verse “But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3: 15). One encouraging moment that did express something of this in recent weeks was the grace and generosity expressed by both the former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the new Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer following the recent election in the UK, where power transitioned from one party to another smoothly, rapidly, with all sides respecting the result and no side choosing to contest or undermine it.
Politicians and all people of good will must unite in condemning political violence and toning down the heat and rhetoric in political debate. Let us recover the ability to agree to disagree with respect, whilst all holding to the deeper values of peace, free speech and democracy. As Christians we have a real opportunity to be a good witness and to model and champion this in all we say and do, in discussion, in our comments online, and in all our interactions.
Find out more
Find out more about how God is at work in the world, and the role we all have to play in that work, in the Arise Manifesto. This report is Arise’s big picture, researched, Biblical, holistic and practical vision for a better world. It looks at what the Bible says, and what we can learn from the best data and the world’s leading experts on the five major areas of evangelism, discipleship, social justice, development and the environment. It then draws these lessons together into a practical road map for the changes we need to see in our world, which the Arise movement campaigns to achieve.
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