Christians awake! The Northern and Southern ballot boxes await you.
Today (Monday) is St Valentine's Day, but like the Yank gangsters of old, Irish
Christians could be heading for their own electoral massacres.
Many fundamentalist and evangelical Christians are convinced man is living in
the 'Last Days' and the end of the world is nigh, to quote the old sandwich
boards.
So why don't they get off their 'holier than thou' arses and vote in some
changes?
Christians should stop tub thumping about the pluralist society when they
know fine well they can make a difference by voting in candidates who will
defend the Christian way of life which made both Stormont and the Dáil so great.
If firebrand Paisley senior can meet with the Catholic hierarchy before
signing the St Andrews Agreement in 2006, and DUP boss Peter Robinson can tour a
chapel with leading Shinners, then Northern Christians can agree a common
political agenda, based on the Bible.
There are several issues dear to the hearts of Christians, which if they
voted in candidates who agreed with a Christian Charter, the churches could see
the Dáil and Stormont pass some relevant laws.
After all, Islamic radicals are doing their damndest to get as much Sharia
law as they can integrated into British and Irish culture. So why can't the
Christians play the Muslim extremists at their own game?
In spite of Northern parties scrambling for the centre ground, 5 May will
still see the usual sectarian headcount as unionists and republicans opt for the
best party which can deliver the first minister's post.
Christians are so disillusioned with politics that around 150,000 of them
snubbed the ballot box in last year's General Election.
In the United States, hopefully the Christians' Right-wing darling Sarah
Palin will boot Obama out of the White House because of his liberal policies.
Although time is not on their side, Irish Christians need a Charter of
Spiritual Unity to vote for candidates – of whatever party – who sign up to such
a charter.
But mention unity, and Protestant fundamentalists will not work with
Catholics. Indeed, some Protestant fundamentalists are so hardline, they won't
even work with fellow Protestants.
And mention unity to Catholics, many traditionalists and conservatives fear
there could be an English-style Anglican invasion, or even mass defections to
the Pentecostal movement as witnessed when leading evangelist James McConnell
held a Christian rally in west Belfast.
In the Protestant community, the battle for the Unionist vote will not be won
on the doorstep, but in mission halls and Bible studies across the North.
Lagan Valley is one such cockpit constituency. Top political preacher is
local MP Jeffrey Donaldson, who openly wears the Christian fish badge, denoting
his 'born again' faith.
He is headlining a 'Gospel mission' in Maghaberry Elim next weekend, where
his Sunday night 'testimony' will be a certain crowd puller.
The net effect of these DUP-style 'testimonies' is to mobilise the Christian
vote behind the Robbo camp.
Sinn Féin can also play the religious card. Although there has been friction
between the Catholic Bishops and the republican leadership since the Provos were
formed in the 1960s, the republicans are the best placed party to call for more
abuse probes.
The cancer of clerical child abuse has spread across the island, indeed, the
entire globe. While the moderate SDLP will pay lip service to the need for such
probes, the Shinners have the political balls to leave no stone unturned.
Opposing abortion and divorce, bringing pervert clerics to justice,
creationism as part of the science curriculum, and the return of morning
Biblical assembly in all Northern schools – these are all elements of a
Christian political agenda which could radically affect the outcome of 5 May.
If you are a voter and believe the Bible, it is time to put the hymn into
political action – Onward Christian Soldiers!
