Praying for pols who care

What would Canadian churches and church groups like to hear the leaders of Canada's political parties talk more about during this election?

Poverty, for one thing, and foreign aid. And also the environment, peace, aboriginal issues, human trafficking, refugees, respect for life, alternative ways of dealing with offenders, the plight of migrant workers and the protection of children.

That's the conclusion one would reach after reviewing election guides posted by groups such as the Canadian Council of Churches, the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, the United Church of Canada, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Anglican Church of Canada.

In addition to the church bodies, a number of church-related non-profit groups have also produced guides that focus on many of the same issues. They are Mennonite Central Committee, The Primates World Relief and Development Fund, Canadian Foodgrains Bank, Citizens for Public Justice and the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee.

The guides are intended to be used by members and supporters to engage politicians about various issues. They provide sample questions people can ask candidates, such as:

-- What steps will you take to ensure global poverty reduction is a priority in Canada's international policy?

-- What measures do you propose to care for and protect the environment?

-- What will you do to address poverty in Canada, particularly as it affects families and their ability to care adequately for their children?

-- Do you agree that Canada needs a national affordable-housing strategy?

-- What specific measures will you take to assist the homeless?

-- How do you see your government strengthening the Canadian International Development Agency's ability to deliver development and aid?

-- How will your party work toward achieving the vision of a world without nuclear weapons?

-- What federal legislation will your party introduce to better prevent, protect, prosecute and partner to end human trafficking in Canada?

-- How will you provide access to quality hospital care for all?

There are four things that are apparent from looking at the guides.

First, no other sector in Canada seems to be as active in encouraging members to think about and evaluate the issues from a particular perspective -- Christian faith, in this case. (At the time of writing, only one other Canadian faith group had posted a guide on the web.)

Second, there is strong encouragement to vote. Christians are encouraged to see voting as a duty and responsibility -- no small thing at a time when voter participation is falling.

Third, even though the churches and church groups the guides represent range widely across the theological spectrum, they show a large degree of uniformity on the issues they believe are important for people to consider during this election.

Fourth, and perhaps most striking, the focus of the guides is mostly external. The churches suggest decisions about who to vote for shouldn't revolve around us and our needs, but be about the needs of others -- especially the needs of the poor and the vulnerable, both in Canada and in the developing world

Chandra Pasma put it well, on the website of Citizens for Public Justice: "As citizens we need to ask our candidates and their leaders hard questions. Our number-one concern should not be 'What will you do for me and my family?' but 'What will you do to promote public justice and the common good?' "

For her, that means evaluating policies "based on how they treat the poor, the marginalized, and the newcomer, not just on how they impact us. We need to question whether party platforms promote the common good or the narrow interests of a few voters."

To most political observers, that sounds incredibly naive. Everyone knows what wins elections is answering the question: What's in it for me? But religion, these guides suggest, asks a different question, the same one addressed to Jesus in the New Testament: Who is my neighbour? The answer is people in need -- the poor, the sick, the vulnerable, the oppressed.

In his pastoral letter about the election, Anglican Archbishop Fred Hiltz says: "The times in which we live call for inspired leadership that is committed to bold action. This leadership contributes to our true growth and well-being as a country, and to our place on this earth in building a truly just, healthy and peaceful world. For this we pray and work."

If the churches are successful in encouraging Christians to use their guides, many will be praying and working for this during the election.

jdl562000@yahoo.com

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition April 18, 2011 A13