During a TV interview at the SNP party conference last week, the first minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, stated that she “detested the Tories and everything they stand for”. The comment was publicised widely and gained a significant amount of criticism, as well as support, on social media and in newspapers.
In a subsequent interview, while refusing to apologise for her comments, Sturgeon clarified that she had been talking about the “policies and values of the Conservative party”. Nevertheless, her comments and the response that they have received beckon the question: how do we, as followers of Christ, navigate disagreeing well with those who hold values that we profusely disagree with?
Spend time with people you disagree with
By using strong words such as “detest” to refer to the way we view others and/or their political opinions, we run the risk of shutting down any opportunity for healthy debate between contrasting viewpoints. Christians are required to stay anchored in biblical principles, and by allowing ourselves to be challenged by those we disagree with, we can test our values to ensure that we are not blindly following political movements instead. Debate and critical thinking allow us to examine our own policy stances in light of what the Bible says.
As we think about learning to disagree well, we can start by spending more time with those we disagree with. Getting to know people we differ from, including other Christians who we disagree with politically, is a good way to broaden our understanding of why people hold the views that they do. The purpose of such interactions does not have to be to change others’ minds or to change our own, but simply to deepen in sympathy for those with opposing viewpoints.
One of the greatest learning experiences for me in how to disagree well, happened when I worked for someone who I largely agreed with theologically, but who I disagreed with on a few major policy issues. Getting to know this person personally, helped me to understand why they voted the way they voted and believed in the things that they believed in. Over the course of working with them, I did not change my political views, but I did grow to have more empathy with people that I disagree with. I still speak out in opposition to some of the policies they stand for, but I refuse to speak badly of them as a person.
Ephesians 4 instructs us, without caveats, in how we should interact with fellow believers: “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (v2-3).
As young Christians, we have lots of opportunities to meet people from different walks of life and with differing political views (this could be through our local churches, places of work, the Politics Network, or our CU). If we are ensuring that we do so with kindness and grace, then these are places where we should be unafraid to ask each other hard questions. Let’s continue to recognise that no one gets everything right and let’s remember the words of Jesus to his disciples on the lead up to his death: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).
Be careful of how you speak publicly
Looking to our relationships with those we disagree with outside of the church, it is important to be even more careful about how we speak of them. The words we speak in the public sphere should be a testament to the God that we serve. As we think about how we challenge politicians and call on them to lead with justice and fairness, it is good to think through the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5) and ask God to help us bear fruit even amid disagreement. By looking to God, it is possible to disagree kindly, gently and with self-control.
Do not succumb to ‘them vs us’ mentality
Finally, it is important that as Christians, and seekers of truth, that we are vigilant to the tactics of many media outlets, who create hostility through a ‘them vs us’ mentality. Newspapers were quick to condemn Nicola Sturgeon for her comments about Tories, all the while printing divisive headlines of their own following party conferences.
It is possible to operate in the political world without getting pulled into tribalism, despite what the media would often have us believe. As we seek to live distinct lives, let’s take time to consider how we interact with name-calling headlines.
When it comes to politics, it can be all too tempting to look for quick wins, but there is a better way for Christians to disagree.
