Over the years I have been a member of various groups. I have been a member of ten pin bowling leagues, tennis clubs, gymnasiums, churches, places of employment, a political party, and my family (initially my family that I was a child in and later my own family with spouse and children and now grandchildren). All of us are members of various groups either social, economic, political or religious.

Being a part of a group brings challenges as well as blessings. As soon as you are a part of something that you don’t have 100% control over, you can’t guarantee that every decision and action of that group will be what you would personally like. It just doesn’t happen that way. Unless you are in a “group of one” (and that means you are the only member) – you just wont be able to “have it your way all the time”. And sometimes, even when you have a degree of influence over a group, you still can’t fully control the beliefs and actions of other members in that group no matter how hard you try. (Ask any parent about raising teenagers for example!)

“Give and take”, is a common phrase for members of groups.

As a Christian I am a part of all the above groups and if you are a Christian reader, you are linked into various groups of your own as well.

Should a Christian be a part of any group if they can’t control it fully? Of course they should. Our mandate as Christians is not to seek worldly power over others to dominate them. It is to first and foremost to serve. How can a Christian not be involved in a group unless they take themselves out of the world and out of the church? Perhaps by becoming a solitaire monk in the desert we could achieve the goal!

But more seriously, if you can’t control the actions and policies of a group perfectly, then some might think it is compromise and hypocrisy to be a part of the group. How do we justify remaining in it?

The Christian in a church

Every Christian who has been in a church more than a year of so, knows that there are times when our church does not do things we 100% agree with. There will be some policies or activities, or mind-set or values that we feel a bit or a lot uncomfortable with. What do we do? Do we leave as soon as an issue comes up that we think should be handled a different way? Do we make a big song and dance about it and leave with a self-righteous huff? Or do we stay and work to influence over time, the way that particular thing is done?

If we really don’t like the “concert” style of worship in the Youth service and we believe that it is more entertainment and personal self-indulgence, than true worship – then what do we do? We might decide to still support the same church but just not go to that service. We might also tell others our views, in a friendly way rather than a judgmental way. We might even become an elder or the senior minister over time, and oversee and implement change.

Or we might tell the senior minister it is not the way it should be done, and if he or she does not change straight away, we could leave and find a different church that does not have that problem. Or start our own church.

Interestingly if we do leave and find a new church, then given a year or two, we find that there are different problems in the new group. Something else is not being done in just the right way (from my perspective). And the cycle continues.

If we stay in the church and just quietly work away behind the scenes influencing others and maybe eventually becoming an elder or the senior minister, what do we do in the meantime? What if someone asks you: should I come to your church? Is it a good church? Do we say “Not really, there are issues I am in personal disagreement with, but trying to slowly change”? Or perhaps we say: “Yes – come! You will find that our programs and teaching are terrific and even if you don’t agree with every single thing 100% you will find that you will love the overwhelming bulk of the stuff we do and believe.” Which is the better response? Surely the second response is the best way to co-exist and to represent your church…

Let me further explore the question: “should you stay in a place that has some points of disagreement with you? Isn’t it hypocrisy?” It is a question (and often a criticism) that can be leveled against Christian politicians who belong to different political parties. But it could equally be leveled against Christians who are a part of a business or Christians who are public servants, or Christians who have unruly families….. should we cut our ties with the group and become more of an island unto ourselves? Or should we start a “Christian business” or “Christian political party” or “alternative family” with likeminded people, or a “Christian tennis club” or a “Christian bowling league?” Do we stay in a group if some of the actions and policies of the group are not perfectly Christian.

The Christian businessperson

To be more specific: can a Christian stay in their work place if some of the policies and practices of their firm are unchristian? What if the company does some questionable things at tax return time? What if it tells lies to clients to help them get more time to solve some problem that has cropped up? What if the non-Christian boss has no problem wih teeing up a prostitute for his most lucrative business contact – to keep that person as a client? How does a Christian respond to any of these scenarios? Do they quit their job and look for another – in a “perfectly Christian business” that won’t do anything dodgy? Do they start their own firm in competition because they won’t let anything like that happen as they grow their own company? Or do they stay in their company and work hard and serve faithfully, and if they have opportunity, influence the practices and policies of the firm over the long haul?

To take that picture a bit further, the company that has some questionable practices might be great to work for. It may donate 10% of its annual profits to the World Vision. It might support worthwhile causes and act generously towards needy appeals. It could be renown for treating its workers really well and offering some conditions that other places don’t offer. It might be ecologically wise, and recycle and use environmentally friendly production techniques. Do we abandon that company because it is not 100% faithful at tax return time? Do we quit working for them because they occasionally tell clients lies? After all, the Ten Commandments tell us not to steal and not to lie….

This is the dilemma of being in a group.

Let’s imagine that our Christian businessperson is still working in that industry. They see more good than harm coming from the company and they can tolerate some of the less desirable practices and policies. Now let’s imagine the Christian gets a promotion and becomes the publicity officer for the company. They have to do press releases and they have to present a face to the community for the company. What will they do? Will they refuse the promotion because they know that they have to maintain confidentiality and not expose the inner dirty laundry of the company to the public? Maybe some Christians would refuse the task. But even if they refuse the task, how do they respond to the outsider who asks them about the company? Perhaps a reporter will ask about rumors they have heard. What should the Christian who works for the company say?

“Yes, we lie and do a bit of fudging on our tax return, but overall it’s a great company to work for because of other reasons.”

Or: “Our company is a great company that does some terrific things, and it also has internal processes that are in place: we are constantly self-evaluating and seeking to improve all areas of production and accountability.”

Is the Christian businessperson failing if they take the second line? If they say things that don’t undermine the consumers trust in the company? After all, if bad reports cause the stock market share price to fall significantly enough, then the company might just collapse. If the company collapses, all the good it is doing will come to an end. And hundreds of jobs will be lost and families disrupted…

If that same Christian is working away behind the scenes to try to improve areas of the company’s performance and policies, then is it inappropriate to put a positive front on their comments and statements? Is it wrong for the Christian to sign confidentiality clauses in their contracts and to maintain that confidentiality about the inner workings and happenings of the company? Is it hypocrisy for them to coexist and to seek to improve things from the inside over time?

The Christian police officer

Consider a different example. The Christian police officer. Some Christians might want to say “How can a Christian be a police officer?! Why: the police sometimes do things that are most un-Christian. They sometimes have corrupt officers getting away with their corruption for years and years. And occasionally these corrupt officers are at very high levels. And sometimes too, police are called on to break up peaceful protests and that seems inconsistent with democracy and freedom of speech. Sometimes police are very heavy handed in the way they deal with situations. And the very Police Commissioner herself (in Victoria) supports the gay community and allows gay police officers to march in gay parades. How can a Christian be a part of a group like that?”

The answer of course is similar to the Christian businessperson. I would imagine the Christian police officer would say something like: “Look, I personally seek to serve the community to the best of my abilities in this job. I am not corrupt and nor are the majority of my colleagues, Christian or non-Christian. And if I am in the force long enough and do a good job, I will get promoted and I will use my future influence to try to improve an imperfect organization. But I see myself called to serve the community in this profession. And regarding the gay community: well, surely it is Christian to live and let live. We may or may not agree with that lifestyle, but all people are created in the image of God and should be treated with respect and dignity and have equal rights in a democracy.”

And the police officer who answers the critic that way seems to have some pretty good arguments. Ok…. So Christians can be police officers or members of large business firms…..?

The Christian politician

But what about politicians? Can a Christian be a member of a political party?

And of course the answer is “Yes – for exactly the same reasons.”

Can a Christian be in the liberal party if the same party votes to allow RU486 easier access to the Australian market? Or if they tells lies about “children being thrown overboard” and “weapons of mass destruction” and “illegal boat people” or “the Australian Wheat Board and bribes to Saddam Hussein”? Can a Christian be in the National Party if they support the development of nuclear energy and the sale of uranium to unstable governments around the world? Can a Christian be in the Greens if they support gay marriage? Can a Christian be in the Labor party if they support the current abortion regime in Australia? Can a Christian be in Family First if they support the war in Iraq and the devastation it is causing thousands of Iraqi civilian families? Can a Christian be in any party because at the end of the day that party will do some things that are inconsistent with what is perceived to be “Christian”?

And of course the answer has to be “yes, they can.” The Christian in a political party will be similar to the Christian in a business company or one in the police force. They will seek to serve their party and the community through that group, and over time, if they have opportunity, they will seek to influence practices or policies that they believe are not ideal.

The balance of outcomes

It is, at the end of the day, really all about the balance of outcomes. Is more good coming out of one’s involvement, than bad? Is the amount of “turning a blind eye” kept to a minimum? Is there greater consistency for the Christian than inconsistency? So long as on balance more positive outcomes are happening, than negative, then the Christian will stay in the group. Maybe for some this will sound like plain old compromise. But maybe it is also plain old realism. Unless the “perfect” Christian starts their own party and then remains the only member, it can’t be any other way.

I knew a Christian politician who finally left the Liberal party after many successful years as a member for a lower house seat, because he finally got sick and tired of compromising his Christian principles. For him, the balance had finally tilted the wrong way. It had to end. But for other Christians still in that party, they see the balance still in the positive in their own experience and plans. Likewise Christians in any of the parties.

There seems to be a difference regarding how some Christians treat other Christians who are politicians. They critical commentators who say “How can so and so be a member of that political party?!” do not say “How can a Christian be a police officer?” Nor do they say “How can a Christian be a businessperson who works for a secular firm and a non-Christian boss?” There is a huge inconsistency here.

And so my final comment is simple: let’s get off Christian politicians backs! Leave them alone to get on with the job of serving the community and their parties. Let them be accountable to God – not accountable to self proclaimed judges on God’s behalf. Don’t ridicule them. Rather pray for them. Don’t sit in judgment on the servant of another. Pray for them and encourage them instead. And that goes for those who might be in a different party to your preferred one. Extend some grace. To the Christian police officer, the Christian businessperson and the Christian politician.

Jim Reiher