Dr Justin Welby
Your Election Questions with the AB of C
Dear Justin,
HOW would Jesus have voted in the upcoming election?
Hector Drumcree, Wales
Justin says…That is a simple question to answer, Mr Drumcree. Jesus was an exceptionally nice chap, perhaps the nicest ever to have lived, and he would have voted for the party which would have done the best for the greatest number of people. Of course, deciding which party that might be is not so simple. Perhaps He would have voted Labour, since they have promised to scrap the Rwanda scheme, which he would undoubtedly view as cruel. After all, did Jesus not say that “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me,” showing that we must protect the vulnerable? On the other hand, His father (God) says “I will be your God throughout your lifetime, until your hair is white with age," a clear promise to look after the elderly. And with the Tory party promising to retain the triple lock on pensions, maybe Jesus would have gone blue at the ballot box. Then again, in Numbers 35:33, God decrees that “You shall not pollute the land in which you live,” a clear instruction to look after our planet, maybe convincing Jesus to vote Green. Of course, being a Holy Trinity – the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost – perhaps Jesus would have had three votes, and given one to each party. Only one thing is for certain – he would not have voted for Reform, because Farage is an arsehole.
Dear Justin,
I LIVE in a marginal seat which will either go Conservative or Labour. I don’t like anything the Tories stand for, but their candidate, like me, is a Christian and therefore good. The Labour party, whose policies I like, are fielding a candidate who is an atheist and a homosexual to boot, and is therefore pure evil. Can I in all conscience vote for someone who would work well for my constituency, but is bound for the very depths of Hell? Or should I vote for a Heaven-bound Christian whose political policies I abhor?
Doris Bluebeard, Surrey
Justin says... That’s a tricky one, Doris, but I think you can discount the fact that the Labour candidate is homosexual, because I’m pretty sure we’re alright with gays in the church these days. Your choice comes down to Christian Tory or atheist Labour, and that is a difficult choice to make. The Christian Tory candidate will have a wonderful moral compass, but on the other hand, God loves an atheist lost soul. I think the best thing you can do is pray to Him upstairs and ask Him what you should do. Although he’ll probably just tell you to do what you feel is right in your heart, so I’d just do that and save your knees.