Bako: Let the Priests Be
By
It is highly instructive that a man of the most High God, Anglican Bishop of Lokoja, the Rt. Rev. George Bako, has chosen this time to issue a blanket ban on priests from being involved in partisan politics. Listen to him "No priest should be involved in partisan politics. He should be seen to be impartial to all. Therefore, the priest must steer clear of politics... or must first resign from the priesthood." (THISDAY, Saturday, February 1, 2003, page 3)
Admittedly, this issue is an important one, and for just that reason, people seem impelled to proceed in all haste to the comfort of "Here I Stand," which ends
their self-wrestling.
Since Bako cannot, claim that his position is revealed by God or that, indeed, it is the official position of the Anglican communion, he should not adopt a tone
of voice which seems to suggest that his position is sacrosanct and beyond challenge.
The issue at stake is not just a matter of consistency; in a very real sense, it is an open choice between integrity and hypocrisy. No one who publicly
proclaims the position that politics is dirty should be indifferent to the stoic absence of cleaners on the political scene. In essence, the Christian - be he
bishop, priest or layman-who finds it possible to maintain an Olympian silence in the face of massive misrule and corruption in the world today, has no moral
justification to complain when the same basic disregard for godliness is producing bitter fruits in governance.
The highly respected Bishop has not deemed it necessary to draw a good line at the point where partisan politics really begins. Whether he admits it or not,
nothing can be more political than the position of Director-General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) which he once occupied.
Bako says priests merely receive stipends and not salaries. According to him, "By receiving stipends, it means you are sacrificing something and not getting
what you were supposed to earn because it is a calling. Since it is a calling, your reward is with God."
It is a tragic irony that the advocates of "reward in heaven" are themselves embracing wealth here on earth. As an instance, Bako has not convinced his audience
of the address in heaven to which his monthly pension from his service in the FRCN is being forwarded. Even granting that he donates it to charity, why can't
his priests be encouraged to do the same in the event of venturing into partisan politics?
There is need for a proper understanding of the sources, functions and limitations of Government. First, it must be noted that politics is merely the science of
government. For government to exist, therefore, there must be politics in one form or the other.
Bako cannot feign ignorance of the fact that there are various theories on the origin of government among men. One of these is the theocratic theory which holds
that all governments are ordained of God. This view of government finds its classic expression in the book of Romans 13:1. Hear the Apostle Paul himself:
"...for there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God."
One may ask at this point, does this view also hold good even of tyrannical governments? The answer, it appears to me, is yes. Everything is for a purpose. The
God who ordains governments knows what to do when such governments fall out of His pleasure. Modern history is replete with instances of the horrible ends of
the regimes that turned tyrannical. Adolf Hitler of the German Reich, Idi Amin of Uganda, Sgt. Doe of Liberia and our own strong man, Sani Abacha, are just a
few examples that readily come to mind.
The second theory is the naturalistic one, which holds that governments have more or less evolved naturally. If governments are ordained of God because of man's
sinful nature, could one not argue, then, that if man had not sinned, most of the functions of modern governments would have been unnecessary? It appears to me,
though, that even in a state of innocence, there would still have to be some orderly arrangement for the peaceful co-existence of men. This means that
government is in harmony with, and evolves from, the very nature of man.
Which ever of the theories is accepted, government as such, is from God. This explains why the Apostle Paul warns most succinctly that every Christian must be
obedient or subject to the powers that be. Hear him: "Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall
receive to themselves damnation." - Romans 12:2.
In his first epistle to Timothy, Paul even makes it abundantly clear that it is in our own interest to constantly pray for kings and all those in authority
because it is when they are at peace that we can be at peace. (See I Timothy 2:1-2). Paul proceeds from there to suggest some functions of government to include
the restraining of evil and the promotion of good. Clearly, the assignment here is for all, including the clergy and the laity!
There have been various suggestions on the specific functions expected of government for its citizens. Those that have been central in any political philosophy,
particularly in a democratic setting, have been summarised under justice, liberty and security.
The fact that governments are ordained of God also presupposes that they are answerable to God. Among other things, this places an obvious limitation on the
authority of the government. In our present setting, the citizens have the right to vote out government officials who have deviated from their original
programmes. And more importantly, Government officials have the right to demand obedience only so long as they function within God's purposes for the
government. Under certain conditions, citizens do not only have the right, but the obligation, to disobey the orders of their government. The classic statement
of Christians faced with such situations was made by the early apostles (See Acts 4:19- 20; 5:29).
From the biblical viewpoint, people must not be overbearing in the area of religion. When people become overbearing, it simply means they are playing god and
this easily puts them on a collision course with God's injunction in Exodus 20:3, "Thou shall have no other gods before me." The Rt. Rev. George Bako should
please take note.
There are two principal reasons why the Christian must participate in politics. For one thing, it is in obedience to, and in conformity with, the will of God.
God wants us to rule ourselves by ourselves, not by lower animals. For another thing, there is the political theory that the easiest way of voting against
yourself is not to vote. It follows; therefore, that by our active participation in politics, we can exert Christian influence on all tiers of government, from
the village to the federal level. The influence may not bring immediate results but with time, it will germinate and blossom into fruits of joy, peace and
satisfaction. We must be prepared to affect the state before the state affects us. We must change the world without allowing the world to change us (John
17:14). Christians in the country have short-changed themselves for too long.
The Bakos of this world must realise that you do not solve any problem by running away from it. And moreso, no organisation can grow much higher than the
environment in which it exists. Leaving politics in the hands of the ungodly is the easiest way of bringing a nation to ruins. In essence, if we expect positive
changes in the art of governance; if we expect remarkable changes in the social, economic and political spheres of our society; then, there is a crying need for
active Christian participation in politics. It can't be done otherwise. We must continue to lend credence to the legal dictum that he who comes to equity must
come in clean hands.
This writer is not oblivious of the fact that there have been some isolated instances where Christians went into government and came out in unclean hands.
Unfortunately, government still remains one of those rare fields of human endeavour where people are not properly tested before being put in office. All we are
saying is that if a bad Christian misbehaves; replace him with a good one! After all, what of the very unhealthy rivalries going on in the politics of most
churches today? Shall we, therefore, run away from politics and the church? Where, then, shall we go?
April 2003