A Question of Conscience

I concede that many in our part of the world view current US political happenings as little more than the next step in the regular cycle of strange American behaviour.   At the same time, the deeper we dig into the probable culmination of this apparent clash of irreconcilable positions and those inevitable party sales pitches, perhaps there are examples and warnings we would be wise to heed.

Among the bizarre scenes currently playing out in North America, we see increasing numbers of frustrated and desperate refugees denied entrance.  As with our own border protection, the leading political parties offer their own version of how refugee numbers can be controlled without sacrificing ethics.   Although, like the US, New Zealand assumes a notional acceptance of Christian values, current border practice raises a genuine suspicion that care for neighbours is not actually part of mainstream thinking for either nation.  While our own neighbours present a much smaller problem in that we have a more geographically isolated country, we can hardly deny signs that New Zealand society appears to be rejecting a significant proportion of refugee applicants.   Could it be that unless we note potential advantage to the host nation, we secretly prefer to view most applicants as unacceptable refugees and even unworthy of deserving equal opportunities?    If we look back, I suggest this paternalism is not a new phenomenon.

Irony abounds.  

In the US the indigenous peoples were pushed aside by colonists who arrived with every intention of taking over land and resources, enforcing the claims with superior weapons and technology.  Eventually limited rights were extended to some groups of indigenous people but for the most part the newcomers took the best of the land and in effect ensured that those colonized were disadvantaged in terms of education and resources.    We can take comfort that New Zealand’s relative geographical isolation has meant a rather less dramatic upheaval, but the ethnic disparities are still worryingly evident.

Most New Zealanders looking at threats to political instability will be aware of that recent assassination attempt on Past-President Trump.   I imagine a good part of the global viewing audience found themselves replaying the memory of that video clip of Donald Trump diving for cover, emerging from a human shield of gathering secret service agents, pumping the air with his fist and shouting “Fight, fight, fight!”   Given candidate Trump’s previous assertions about his relationship with God, it was probably no surprise to hear his certainty that God was looking after his interests.   Donald Trump’s version of God had not been so fussed about saving one other member of the crowd, killed while shielding members of his own family.  

In retrospect, particularly with the intention behind the following call “Fight! Fight! Fight!” Trump’s words risked ambiguity. We can assume the majority attending the subsequent Republican Party Convention seemed happy enough to reprise that same slogan.  It did not seem to occur to the chanting crowd that the call to fight clashed with Trump’s other electioneering slogan about his intention to bring America together.

 During the inevitable investigation that followed the assassination attempt, it transpired the young, aspiring assassin was a paid-up member of Trump’s political party. He used a weapon  owned by his father, another Republican who was apparently trusted enough to be the possessor of a “carry and conceal” licence.   Perhaps those who cheered Trump at the Republican Convention missed the irony when he reminded his audience that, as President, he had once made it easier for citizens to get “carry and conceal” permission.   In a nation where the “Pew Research” statistics included that there are more guns in the population than there are people, and that numbers of mass shootings each year remain at persistently high levels, it seems that the US example is a dangerous one to follow.  This should concern our nation as I understand there has been an increase in gun crime over the last few years and the US situation demonstrates why allowing this to happen is unwise.

Since this essay is intended for a Church readership, I need to warn the reader that the next bit may trample on some of the common belief patterns found among a typical New Zealand audience.

It is true that what  separately offends voters in the two main parties of the US is only partly mirrored in this country.   Data from the Pew Research surveys indicates that evangelical voters in the US are disproportionately preferentially represented in the Republican party. This may explain why some of the Republican policy recommendations - such as an anti-abortion stance - appear to emerge from a literalist interpretation of part of the Bible.  Reflective Christians might question why such a set of beliefs appears to go with a strong anti-abortion stance, or why so many claiming Christian affiliation harbour a deep distrust of immigrants with Islamic beliefs. 

While there is much in conventional religion which supports the acceptance of values which support healthy communities there should always be room for cautious reflection.  The fact that our longstanding international ally (the US) claims such Christian values while at the same time pouring weapons into volatile trouble spots should be an expressed concern in this country.

 The catch for us, identifying designated enemies and official friends, is that from that moment of identification our viewpoint of history is severely distorted.  Gaza is now besieged and under attack by the Israel Defence Forces who have killed 40,000 - with more than two thirds of the victims women and children.  Many in Gaza are currently dying from starvation.     Israel’s Prime Minister says this is in order to wipe out Hamas who are responsible for an attack on Israel on 7 October,  and that such action  will  ensure the release of the Israeli captives.   As the US is supplying the weapons for the assault, for the most part the US allies (including New Zealand) are reluctant to carry through with a serious protest.   Although the US has encouraged Israel to negotiate with Hamas, the Hamas chief negotiator was recently killed by an Israeli missile in Iran.    Was anyone surprised the negotiations have now stalled?

I  have not noticed the mainstream Christian groups in Aotearoa pressuring our government to adopt a leadership role in encouraging peace-making.   I would be happy to be convinced otherwise.