
Tom Slater, the National Director of the Australian Evangelical Alliance (AEA), penned a stinging rebuke for those who either feel threatened or are 'affronted' with the notion of having active Christian influence in the political process.
On the specially designed AEA's election website, Mr. Slater wrote that though he tried to 'walk in their shoe,' but nonetheless, he found those who opposed Christian playing a role in the nation's political arena as absurd, since they believed Christian's thinking was based on 'unsupportable religious ideas,' whereas their thinking was rooted in the axiomatic objective truth.
"The recent webcast to churches of the Australian Christian Lobby forum in Canberra with John Howard and Kevin Rudd brought another question into public discourse - whether active Christian influence in the political process is appropriate at all," he wrote.
"I try to get into the shoes of those who raise this question, who feel threatened or affronted by Christians bringing their views into the political arena. But in the end I find it hard not be dismissive of them for their failure to recognise how preposterous that position is. It is as if they believe that Christian thinking is dictated by unsupportable religious ideas, whereas their own thinking is based on axiomatic objective truths, not value-laden assumptions."
Continuing on, the vexed question, which is one of the focal points in the election site created by the AEA, of whether a Christian should vote for a Christian, regardless of their party allegiance, was raised.
Mr. Slater wrote the key thing to consider for voters was whether the candidate brings their faith into the caucus and party room. Thankfully, he noted, there were some examples in the last couple of years when Christian parliamentarians withstood the pressure from the party and exercise their conscience vote, usually contrary to the party's position.
The Federal Election is now finally coming to an end with the vote scheduled to take place on this Saturday where the fate of the Prime Minister of Australia will be decided.