Simon Cox Blog: As UK Votes 'In' or 'Out' on EU, Christians Have Two Tasks

Thursday 23 June 2016

As UK Votes 'In' or 'Out' on EU, Christians Have Two Tasks

Today, the United Kingdom decides on its European Union membership. Tomorrow, the most important role of Christians begins.

Editor’s note: Last week, the EAUK’s Daniel Webster explored why Christians must show that disagreement without division is possible in both UK and US politics. Today, he explores the two roles that Christians must play during and after closely divided votes, whether “Brexit” today or Trump v. Clinton in November.

Today the United Kingdom finally votes on whether to remain in the European Union (EU), or to leave it.

After a couple days of respite after the shocking murder of politician Jo Cox, campaigning resumed at a frenzied pace. Having led in the polls since the start of the campaign, the #Bremain camp slipped behind the #Brexit camp over the last couple of weeks. But the trend may have shifted direction once again in the final few days.

The tight finish suits both campaigns. It energizes activists, and it gives voters a reason to get out and vote.

It’s always heartening to hear people want to talk politics. It’s encouraging that churches provide space to debate vital issues, and it’s crucial that Christian leaders speak into the public sphere.

There is a lot of good in how British Christians have engaged throughout this campaign, and just a couple of points of concern:

Evangelicals vote

Evangelical Christians have remarkably high levels of participation: more than 4 out of 5 were certain to vote last year, according to polling by the Evangelical Alliance UK (EAUK). There is a similar level of engagement in this referendum, but it is matched with intense frustration at the state of the campaign.

Even before the tragic events of last week, the campaign had descended into bitter and bizarre spats. And despite pleas for a more civil tone, the early salvos after the ceasefire didn’t ...