Weekly Action - 2 July 2024 - UK Election

 

UK election

This week on Thursday 4 July it is the UK’s general election.  In the run up to the election Arise has sent out several weekly actions with asks for the main candidates and parties asking for significantly scaled up action in the areas of green and fair economics and democracy and human rights, linked to our 4 Shifts and Reform Movements campaigns.  We also posted a recent blog looking at the whole issue of how Christians should approach voting, democracy and elections.  This week we focus on the vote itself, this coming Thursday 4 July. 

As Christians, it’s really important that we take our democratic responsibility seriously and turn up and vote.  God wants to see every government ruling with fairness, equality, justice and care for all in society.  As we see in the Bible, God was delighted with the great ruler Solomon when he asked “give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong” (1 King 3: 9).  In a democracy, we all have a crucial role to play in appointing the authorities, when we vote.  It’s a privilege that millions of people around the world do not have and are desperately seeking. 

 

Who should Christians vote for?

Christians should pray about who to vote for, look into the manifestos of all the major parties, and vote for the one we feel most closely reflects Biblical teaching on establishing social justice, ensuring prosperity, eliminating poverty, caring for all in society and restoring the environment.  Of course, no single political party will reflect all of God’s standards.  Each will be good on some, not so good on others.  There is no such thing as a perfect political party.  We can’t be purist, but should vote for the one we feel matches God’s standards most closely.  We should also avoid obsessing over any one single issue, rather it is a question of which political party’s overall balance of policies we feel most aligns with God’s standards for social justice, ensuring prosperity, caring for all in society and protecting the environment.

 

How parties score against the Arise Manifesto

To help you as you do this, consider creating a table like the one below as a useful tool in considering how closely the policies of the main political parties fit with God’s standards for establishing social justice, eliminating poverty, and restoring the environment, as set out in the Arise Manifesto (Arise Manifesto, pg 314 – 330).  Have a quick look at their websites and manifestos, and make a note on whether they score ‘good’, ‘bad’ or ‘average’ on each area below.  Then pray and make your decision.

	Conservatives	Labour	Liberal Democrats	Reform	Green	Scottish National Party	Plaid Cymru
Standards for democracy, human rights and good governance at home
Improving democracy, human rights and good governance abroad
Preventing major conflicts emerging
Reducing and ending conflicts
Building a strong and fair economy
Taxation and social spending on health, education, social care etc.
International development
Tackling climate change
Shifting to a circular economy

Will you take action this week and turn out to vote?

 

Take Action

Speak out in advocacy

Turn up to vote in the UK election this week.  Research, pray and vote for the party you feel best reflects Biblical teaching and God’s standards for establishing social justice, eliminating poverty, and restoring the environment.  Remember to take ID with you when you vote.

Pray

Pray for political leaders and all those involved in politics, especially for those that end up forming the new government.  It’s a tough job.  Pray that God will give every one of them vision for their role, and that they will lead with justice, compassion, courage and effectiveness.

Practical Action

Get involved in the decision-making by joining a political party, and in due course running for office at local or even national level.  Use your position within that party to advocate for policies that establish social justice, eliminate poverty, restore the environment and build God’s Kingdom.

Give

Give to the political party that you think best reflects Biblical teaching and God’s standards.

 

Encourage us and others by letting us know what actions you have taken – message us at info@ariseuk.org, or via Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

 

Find out more

It’s great to take this action as individual Christians, but even better to come together with others to pray, discuss, worship, learn, have fun and take action together.  Contact Arise if you are interested in joining or starting a local Arise group in your church or area. 

Find out more in the Arise Manifesto, 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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