Faith and Politics

We seek God’s vision for the world where human dignity is defended, creation is mended, and gifts are shared for the good of all.

In and with God,
   we can direct our lives toward right relationship
with each other and with God.
We can discover our place as one strand in the web of life.
We can grow in wisdom and compassion.
We can recognize all people as kin.
We can accept our mortality and finitude, not as a curse,
but as a challenge to make our lives and choices matter.

—A Song of Faith

What We Believe

People of faith have a responsibility to cast a vision of Canadian society

• that honours diversity, and opposes hate in all its forms, against all peoples;
• that is open and welcoming to displaced persons;
• that leads a movement of healing and protecting places and people being negatively affected by climate change, in our own communities and around the world;
• that leads with integrity in the international community—Canada’s global relationships must demonstrate an unwavering commitment to human rights, dignity, and international law.

The vision above is grounded in the fact that all human beings are created in the image of God, equal, and infinitely precious, and we individually and collectively have a responsibility to live that out in action.

When we engage with government officials, elected and non-elected people, we are collaborating with those who have the responsibility to listen and engage with their communities to ensure that government decisions have the community’s best interests at the forefront.

Many individuals and communities feel sidelined and persecuted in the current moment. Although we cannot alleviate those feelings through democratic involvement, we can name issues and offer alternatives that might influence policies and practices of governments that can make a difference to our communities in real ways. Many rights and structures we have collectively understood to be fundamental are being questioned and/or dismantled.

During the Election, You Can...

As a person of faith, you can insert a Christian perspective and values into the political discourse in individual and collective settings. It is through campaigning that candidates get to know their communities and what is important to those they hope to represent.

• Build a relationship with your future Member of Parliament and learn more about where they stand on issues you care about.
• Ask questions of candidates and get them to commit to action.
• Collaborate with other communities of faith to host All Candidates meetings during any election (a guide found in the downloads, below).
• Disinformation and misinformation are in regular circulation. Fact-check the information you are sharing and only share if you can cite a reputable source.
• Volunteer with candidates whose values align with your own. Do this as an individual and do not represent your community of faith (Political Activity Guidelines in the downloads provide additional detail).
• Let your candidate know that you will be in touch once they are in office and look forward to opportunities for collaborative work.
• Vote and encourage others to vote.

Background

This work is guided by three principles: 

• Prophetic: Much public witness draws on the biblical prophetic tradition of speaking truth about the state of society/world and calling for change and transformation to promote life and peace. Isaiah, Micah, Ezekiel, Amos, and Jesus are examples for us.
• Political: This word comes from the Greek root polis, which refers to the building up of life, health, and sustainability of the city, our communities, and all within them.
• Partisan: Refers, in this case, to a strong affiliation with a specific political party. As a church, we seek to work with those who are negatively affected by government policies but remain non-partisan regarding the democratic government of our country. As a registered charity regulated by Canada Revenue Agency, the United Church must remain non-partisan. (Details on how to be non-partisan can be found in the Political Activity Guidelines in the downloads, below.) Nationally, regionally, and locally, the church advocates and comments on particular policies based on our principles but does not advocate for or comment on political party platforms.

To dive deeper read the full background in the downloads, below.

Resources

• Succeed in Advocacy: Casting a Vision for a Better World is an ongoing community of advocates who can support one another and continue improving their skills. Available on ChurchX.

Want to know more? Want to tell us what has worked for you? E-mail