Why we have this election web-site

By Tom Slater, National Director of the Australian Evangelical Alliance

The fact that there is a federal election coming up was not the sole motivation for this web-site about the federal election, even though it has affected (ie. accelerated!) the timing of the publication. To the extent that it touches on the current political scene in this election year, it’s not about who to vote for – it’s about how one goes about making such a decision as a Christian.

The fact is that Christians vote differently from each other. The challenge for all of us is not to come to a common political position, but to develop a greater and greater ability to think and act out of convictions derived from our understanding of God. We believe God created the world, cares intensely about it, revealed basic laws which make for a just and cohesive society, and actually became a citizen of it in the person of Jesus.

The one thing certain is that there is no one right way to vote. But there are better and worse ways of deciding. But beyond voting, we have many choices – from staying right out of the dirty business of politics (as some think it is) and leaving it to others, right through to active involvement as candidates or active members of political parties. In between there are lots of other possibilities, and there are practical suggestions here about some realistic, achievable ways of being engaged and making a difference.

For some, that engagement may be limited to determining who to vote for. For others it may mean a first-ever letter to be written to a local candidate, or attendance at a campaign meeting, or support for a ‘meet the candidates’ meeting arranged by the local churches. But for those of us who really claim to be followers of Jesus, we are obliged to ask what God requires of us.

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