Elections 2020: Resources and Upcoming Content on Metanoia
Image: Electoral Commission
The Aotearoa General Election is less than two months away now. At Metanoia, we think that this is a pretty important event for all New Zealanders so we’re going to be dedicating our Tuesdays to providing content that will help to delve into some of the key issues this election cycle.
On this blog over the next 8 weeks we will be posting a piece every Tuesday about an issue that is central to this year’s election. These will be intentionally non-partisan (we’re not promoting an approach from any particular political party or philosophy even if we personally have our own) and will focus instead on the issue and provide some perspectives and connection to Christian faith. However, it is important to note that a lot of these issues aren’t clear cut. There is very rarely one clear ‘Christian’ answer, and politics is full of nuances and trade-offs. We hope to be able to bring these before you so that you can make a well-informed decision when election day comes.
Also at stake this year are two different referendum votes: one on the End of Life Choice Act (a yes vote will make this law) and one on the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill (a yes vote will place this bill before parliament—it will then be subject to further discussion and research). We will be engaging specifically with both of these referendums as there are some pretty big decisions to be made.
Keep an eye out for these posts every Tuesday for the next two months. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up to date. We will also be providing details soon about an event we will hold to view the first of the televised Leaders Debates. This will be a fun and informative night and we’ll provide details as soon as the date for the debate is finalised.
We also want to include here a call for submissions for articles relating to issues around this year’s election. We’re looking for a couple more people who have expertise in a specific field that could contribute to our discussions around political issues and help us all to make the best, informed decisions we can. Please get in touch if you have something you would like to offer.
As well as this, Metanoia is hosting its first ever event! We’ll be getting together at Carey Baptist College on Tuesday 25th of August for a watch party for the first Leader’s Debate. This is designed to be a low-key environment both to watch the Leader’s Debate together and help introduce people to politics if it seems intimidating. There will be snacks and debate bingo. RSVP on Facebook.
For now, here are some steps to take and resources to read.
Make sure you’re enrolled to vote! It’s super simple but important that you do so ASAP to make voting easier and quicker on the day. (If you do forget it’s okay, you can still enrol on the day you vote.) Head to vote.nz to enrol or update your details now.
As well as these resources, elections.nz has some really good information to provide you with the basics about Aotearoa’s electoral system, the ways we vote, and what we’re voting for. If you’re wanting to understand a bit more about what an election is then I really recommend heading over to this site and clicking on a few links. Next week we’ll be publishing a piece that explains a bit more about this system, so make sure you follow our social media (@metanoia.nz) to keep up to date.
Finally, I want to highlight why we think this is something that a Christian platform is spending our time on. I’ve certainly heard the perspective from Christians that politics (the activities associated with the governance of a country or area) are a strictly secular realm and shouldn’t be the concern of Christians. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are those that believe that Christianity and politics are so deeply linked that there is a particularly Christian way of voting, leading to the creation of Christian political parties and pushes for power to be concentrated into the hands of those that believe in Jesus. Either of these two perspectives can have dangerous outcomes.
Against the former, that Christianity has nothing to say about politics, I would argue that the only way this could be true is if these Christians chose to live in seclusion from the rest of the country. If we are participating citizens of our democracy, as most of us are, then we have a duty to engage with politics so that the governance of our country can be as representative as possible. Democracies rely on the participation of the majority of the population to be fruitful; if only a select group of people vote then only the interests of those people are represented. Being Christian does not remove us from this need to participate. Each of us holds a particular space in society and a particular worldview, and it is important that we use our vote to make sure that our voice is heard when decisions are being made. People will disagree with us—even other Christians will disagree with us—but that’s why we must vote so that those governing this country can best represent the people who they make decisions for.
This brings me to the second prominent Christian political perspective. The danger here is in claiming that there is a singular Christian voice on political issues. I’m sure that there may be some spaces where more Christians align than others, however we cannot assume that to be Christian is to necessarily hold all of those views. Many of the political issues that we will be addressing over the coming weeks do not have a clear Christian stance—I would be foolish to claim that I know how Jesus would vote on them. Yes—we bring faithful discernment to our choices—but no, that does not mean that we will all land in the same place.
Check out this piece we featured earlier this year from Caleb Haurua about Christians engaging with politics.
With that all being said, as an editorial team, we are really excited to discuss, debate, and engage in this year’s coming election. If you have something you think is worth saying and want to submit, get in touch with us at editors.metanoianz@gmail.com.
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Jaimee van Gemerden is the current editor of Metanoia.
