This, I can tell, is going to be a contentious post, so before I start I’m going to issue a number of disclaimers. This is not an attack on religion, Christianity, faith or otherwise. It is an examination of the issues that arise by invoking religion in politics and the effect that can have. Secondly, I am an atheist. This does not preclude me from discussing this topic for, like many children, I went to Sunday school. My atheism stems from the lack of reconciliation between science and God(s). My ‘faith’ is in something that can be examined, reviewed and proved by evidence, not something that requires unquestioned belief. Finally, it is important to understand that I have an open mind, as this is part and parcel of the Scientific Method. The path to discovering the answer, to transform theory into into truth, requires the acceptance that you may very well be wrong.
With that out of the way let’s get started shall we?
Religion has always dominated the Northern Ireland political scene. It’s divisiveness is all too clear given the often quoted ‘us’ vs. ‘them’ mentality of the current parties involved. Protestant = Unionist against Catholic = Nationalist. While there are exceptions to this rule it is relatively safe to say this is the ‘normal’ in Northern Ireland. There are of course similar situations in other political arenas but in these cases religion is not the primary basis for joining one party or another. In other words you usually go with the party that most represents what your viewpoint is regardless. This theological separation is really more of a Northern Ireland quirk than anything else. It’s another way for the parties involved to draw lines in the sand, for it is far more inflammatory to call someone out on the basis of religion than it is on their political point of view.
Religion only becomes a problem when it is relied upon for policy. This is the true crux of the issue facing Northern Ireland, especially in relation to the current largest party the DUP. Now, I’m going to take a slight tangent here but bear with me, the background is important for the sake of context. It is likely you have heard of the Caleb Foundation in some form or another albeit indirectly. Caleb is a religious lobby group, founded by evangelical Christians, that has significant ties to the political establishment in Stormont. They have on various occasions been called Peter Robinson’s ‘Militant Tendency’ or in some cases, as a private in-joke, the ‘Caliban.’
While not a political entity in and of itself Caleb is to the DUP what the Tea Party movement is to the GOP (the Republican party) in America, that is to say to the far right of the position of the party in question. It believes in a literal interpretation of the Bible and as far as churches involved are concerned the Caleb council of reference (CR) includes the Congregation denomination alongside Independent Methodist, Baptists, Congregational Reformed, Elim, Church of the Nazarene and Evangelical Presbyterian. Of the 22 seats on the CR the Free Presbyterian Church holds 7 positions. This is more than enough to cement its ties to Northern Ireland politics.
Now, like I said this is not an attack. Most of what I have said above is freely available online and in the news. What follows is a few direct quotes from the Foundation and its chairman Wallace Thompson. The Caleb statement of faith includes the following: “The Bible is the inspired, infallible and inerrant word of God. It is final in its authority. None may add thereto or take away therefrom except at their own peril,” with a vengeful God who will visit “eternal conscious punishment of the unregenerate in hell” (‘unregenerate’ includes everyone except for born-again Christians). It is safe to say Caleb is more of the extreme than other groups with Mr Thompson conceding, many of the views it espouses are losing ground in the wider society, and even among evangelical Christians themselves.
Everyone with me so far?
Among its Facebook friends Caleb lists, among others, MLA Edwin Poots, MLA Nelson McCausland, Jonathan Bell, MEP Diane Dodds, MP Gregory Campbell and two other DUP MLAs Paul Givan and Stephen Moutray, (who is also mayor of Craigavon), as well as Jim Allister, the TUV leader, and Sammy Morrison, his Press officer. Mervyn Storey, the DUP education spokesman, is a Free Presbyterian representative on the organisation’s ruling council of reference, David Simpson, the DUP MP, is a leading young Earth creationist who is close to Caleb and has employed David McConaghie, a former CR chairman, in his office. Mr Thompson himself is a former adviser to Nigel Dodds and his daughter Sharon is married to Mr Dodds’ son. (Note this information was obtained directly from this Belfast Telegraph article).
In policy, Caleb is supportive of the gay blood ban still enforced in Northern Ireland by Edwin Poots. What Mr. Poots has failed to take into account (amongst many, many other things) is that when blood supplies run short in Northern Ireland it is imported into the country from other parts of the UK which have already relaxed the ban on homosexuals donating blood. I’m no haematologist but I’m pretty sure blood is blood regardless of sexual orientation and it’s not as if it comes out of a gay person a different colour for easy reference.
It was primarily responsible, and continues to lobby for, Creationism being taught alongside Evolution in places that include museums, classrooms and the visitors centre at the Giant’s Causeway (thanks to Mr. McCausland for that corker). If Creationism is your thing, all credit to you. If you ignore the dinosaurs and fossils (which are apparently only 6,000 years old and remnants of Noah’s flood) and the massive pile of evidence to the contrary as part of your faith, fine. I truly draw the line though at this being taught as Science! What about all the other Creation myths? If you’re gonna teach Genesis in schools you have to include the other creation stories of Judaism, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Taoist, maybe even Mayan and beyond for balance. More to the point you have to teach it as part of Religious Education! You do a tremendous disservice to both Science and Religion by trying to force them upon each other.
These are but a few examples but here is what I want to address. If as Leviticus 18:22 states homosexuality as an ‘abomination’ (“You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; such thing is an abomination.”) then surely you have to include all the other parts Biblical law as well? If your interpretation is literal you can’t pick and choose. Therefore you would have to include Exodus 35:2 (”On six days work may be done, but the seventh day shall be sacred to you as the sabbath of compete rest to the Lord. Anyone who does work on that day shall be put to death.”). Am I therefore legally required to kill Belfast market workers or should I call the PSNI in?
As an expectant parent, if I have a daughter and I wish to sell her into slavery as sanctioned by Exodus 21:7 (“When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go free as male slaves do.”) what would be a good price? While you think about that here are a few others. Does a whole town really have to be together to stone a farmer for planting different crops side by side? Can families burn their mothers in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads? (Leviticus 19:19). I could go on but in the end none of these matter for they would surely never be allowed in society today. Oh, hang on, the whole homosexuality as an abomination thing is still alive and kicking.
My final point is this. Separation of church and state is a good thing. Religion is powerful. I am of the genuine belief that for people the world over, it is also a benefit. It promotes charity and good will. Provides comfort and solace. At the same time it should, however, be something private (Matthew 6:6: “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”)
For too long Northern Ireland has been subject to the whims of the religious viewpoints of it’s politicians. If we leave religion at the door, and base policy upon peer review, public opinion and evidence, a true consensus can be reached. Progress can be achieved. The problem however is that currently such change seems a long way off.
That’s your lot today folks. A lot of stuff covered. I welcome any comments you have. If you feel I have been unfair in any respect I apologise but I pretty much call it as I see it. I would recommend a read of the Belfast Telegraph article linked above and maybe even a visit to the Caleb Foundation website here for more information.
Practical Idealism 