Whilst we may despair at the sorry state of our society, we are still called to be witnesses to it. One way to uphold God's standards, is to seek to influence those in authority. As we do so, we witness to the work of Jesus within us, and seek to build his kingdom here on earth. This article outlines why seeking influence over those in authority (lobbying) is worthwhile, and gives practical hints about how to do it.
Why lobbying?
God's task for us on earth is to share the gospel with others. Far from being a distraction, I believe that lobbying is an integral part of this work. For the following reasons, lobbying both follows the commands of Jesus, and supports our evangelism:
- Jesus commands us to be salt and light to those around us.[1] Salt was an ancient food preservative, so this gives us good imagery of what we should be doing, preventing moral decay in society. With God's law so widely ignored within our profession, we must show that we as Christians are different and promote the standards that God demands. Lobbying those with the power to make changes is an important part of doing this. We must also uphold high standards in our own work and study.
- If we stand idly by when we see wrongdoing, our lives are inconsistent. We cannot claim to trust in the person and teachings of Jesus Christ if we do not share his respect for God's law and his concern to see it upheld. For our evangelism to be effective, we must show that knowing Jesus makes a difference in our lives. Making our views known is a powerful force for change as we seek to follow God's commands.
- Lobbying leads to openings for evangelism. Many who do not read Christian writings are prepared to consider Christian viewpoints on medical ethics. This is especially so when our views are presented coherently and succinctly. Our writing and speaking must be of a high standard if we expect others to take notice.
A well-expressed Christian viewpoint may lead to questions about where such views have come from. This naturally leads to sharing the gospel, and talking about the impact that Jesus has on our lives.
Lobbying as a member of a committee is particularly powerful, since there is the opportunity to know the other members personally, and for them to see more of the difference Jesus has made in our lives.
What issues should we cover?
We should campaign on issues where we are likely to make a difference. We must choose topical subjects (those that are currently in prominent discussion). We must keep up to date with news, both generally and within our profession. Topical subjects include those where there are current court cases or consultations taking place - or those where there is an imminent debate scheduled in parliament.
We should also use our membership of the medical profession to our advantage, and focus on medical issues. More weight is attached to the views of medical students and doctors on ethical issues than those of other Christians, so we should make use of this privileged position. We should not ignore non-medical issues, but be aware that other Christians may be better placed to campaign about them.
As our time is limited, our efforts must be focussed. Christians will have views on all manner of issues. However, many of these issues will be campaigned about by others. The number of Christians active in the political arena is still small. We need to concentrate on more obviously 'Christian' areas (such as ethics) since few others will care about these. This is not to say that issues such as junior doctors' hours or student debt are unimportant - indeed Christians have a vital contribution to make to such debate. However, since there are numerous others already campaigning in these areas, our time is better used where workers are few.
Whom should we lobby?
We should lobby the people or organisations that have influence in the areas in which we are interested.
As members of the medical profession, we are some of the only Christians who can influence medical organisations such as the British Medical Association (BMA) or General Medical Council (GMC). The BMA is particularly accessible to students, with a dedicated student committee and annual conference (12-14 April 2002). Motions from this conference form part of the agenda for the Annual Representative Meeting each summer that can change BMA policy.
Members of Parliament are strategic targets for lobbying. With frequent changes of law in medical ethics, MPs have a lot of power in this area. Parliament sets laws governing issues such as abortion and euthanasia. The law plays a powerful role in shaping people's opinions. The fact that abortion is legal in the UK legitimises it in some people's eyes and many doctors who would not perform euthanasia now would do so if the law was changed.
As few MPs are medically trained, some are not well informed about medical ethics and are less likely to have preconceived ideas. This means that our lobbying is likely to be more effective in this area.
We have the most influence over our local MPs, as they need our votes to stay in office at forthcoming elections! Writing to the appropriate government minister may be effective in some circumstances, as may writing to members of the House of Lords when a relevant issue is under debate there.
If you don't know who your MP is, you can find out by visiting the website www.whereonearth.com/commons/ which has a search facility that will give your constituency and current MP if you enter a postcode. The MP can then be contacted, care of House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA. If you want to email your MP, visit www.parliament.uk/directories/directories31.cfm to find out if they have an email address.
When should we lobby?
Issues need to be raised when they are topical. Bodies such as the GMC and BMA often hold consultations on issues of interest. CMF usually produces a corporate submission, but private submissions are always welcome as well, and help to strengthen the Christian response.
Parliament is best lobbied when there is a specific motion or bill of interest being debated. It is then possible to lobby very specifically to the issue in hand, which will have more effect. This is also when other organisations active in parliament will be concentrating their efforts, leading to greater exposure for the issue.
How should we go about it?
We need to understand well the issues on which we lobby. The CMF website [2] is an invaluable resource on medical ethics. Books such as Christian Choices in Healthcare [3] and Matters of Life and Death [4] are also useful. Although it is important to be accurate and well researched, we should not be put off lobbying by a lack of knowledge. Many politicians will have far less knowledge in medical ethics than we do. Even our limited understanding will be used by God for his glory.
Letters are a key tool in lobbying. They need to be clear, concise, and legible (preferably typed). Few people make the effort to write on an issue, so even a single letter may make a big impact.
If writing to politicians on a medical issue, remember that they will have little or no medical knowledge, so clear simple explanations are needed. It is best to make a point specific to the vote or debate in question. State why you are interested in the issue, why you consider it important, state your viewpoint, and urge your MP to vote in the appropriate way.
As well as contacting your local MP at university, you may wish to contact the MP at your parental home if you are still registered to vote there. Doing this will increase the number of MPs reached by a student campaign.
Letters may also be written to publications. Although not directly aimed at people in authority, such letters can still change opinions. Student BMJ offers the widest audience for medical students, and there is always a good chance that letters will be published. Letters should be topical, related to items recently published. It is important to follow clearly the instructions given by the publication for submitting letters.
If responding to public consultations run by organisations such as the GMC, there will usually be a template for responses. It is important to answer the questions posed, but you should not be put off from adding your own comments, as the questions may be written to lead towards the conclusion that the organisation wants.
We may wish to lobby more personally, by standing for election to committees within our medical school or further afield. The Medical Students' Committee (MSC) of the BMA is a particularly influential committee to be a part of. It is possible for Christians to get elected to such committees - Christian representation on the MSC has increased considerably in recent years.
Committees within the medical school or students' union are a good forum within which to gain experience. There may still be chances to influence policy locally - the disaffiliation of some university student unions from the National Abortion Campaign is a recent example of the fruit of this work.
God's work, not ours
Lobbying is God's work. If it is not done in him, it will be in vain.[5] Therefore, we must pray over it just as with any other Christian work that we do. Much of the battle is in the spiritual realm [6] - if there were more Christian believers in politics the laws of this land might reflect God's will a great deal more. Therefore, we should pray for those in positions of influence and authority, that God might open their eyes to his revelation.
We should also pray over our own work - asking God for guidance in areas where we might wish to lobby, and over how we go about it.
Seizing the moment
Lobbying works. The course of a recent BMA conference on physician-assisted suicide was changed when one fifth of the delegates were Christians. Thanks to a court action by the Profile Alliance, the implementation of a new law permitting human cloning has been delayed.
Sadly there are also examples of what happens when Christians fail to influence the debate. The 1967 Abortion Act was intended to allow abortion in very limited circumstances. Yet it opened the floodgates. There are now circumstances where some would consider it immoral to refuse an abortion (such as in fetal abnormality). Once the law has been changed in a liberal direction, it is very hard to turn the tide the other way.
We must make sure that we do not miss the opportunities that we are given. The next few years are likely to be our last chance to prevent the legalisation of euthanasia in Britain. We must seize the opportunity and act. It would be tragic if in 30 years' time we regretted missing a final chance to turn the tide towards God.
Is lobbying biblical?
Some see involvement in politics as something Christians shouldn't do. They may think politics is a 'secular' activity whilst church activities are 'spiritual' and that Christians should be primarily concerned with the spiritual side of life. We need to be clear on what the Bible says so that we can lobby wholeheartedly, knowing that this is God's will for us.
The first point to make is that the sacred/secular divide is not biblical. All of life can be sacred, whether it is mowing the lawn, prescribing antibiotics or sharing the gospel. Paul exhorts us: 'whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God'.[6]
We can do this because God is the Lord of all creation. There is nothing in life that is not subject to him. Everything was created good and that includes our work.[8]
Equally God is the Lord of political structures. Paul tells us that 'The authorities that exist have been established by God'.[9] Daniel declared that 'the Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and sets over them anyone he wishes'.[10] Several biblical heroes accomplished God's purposes by high-level political involvement, including Joseph, Esther, Nehemiah and Daniel.[11]
Scripture contains many passages that urge us to speak out for the oppressed. Isaiah tells us to 'loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke'.[12] We are to 'speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves', and 'defend the rights of the poor and needy'.[13]
The chains of injustice are often rooted in unjust laws. Unborn children are vulnerable to abortion because the law gives them no rights. Euthanasia law in the Netherlands and Belgium makes the elderly and brain-damaged liable to exploitation. God gives specific instruction to his people to use their influence in the public sphere in order to change this situation for good, as we see from the verses listed above.
Listen to Isaiah: 'Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people'.[14] Our God is clearly concerned with seeing that there are just laws on the statute book.
One objection to all this may be raised from Romans 13:1-7, which tells us to submit to the governing authorities, as they have been established by God. Is it disobeying Paul's instruction if we involve ourselves in politics in any way other than prayer? Not at all, for here Paul is actually denouncing anarchy and the abandonment of law. Lobbying is submitting to the governing authorities, as it utilises the proper channels for democratic representation. This is the way a democracy is meant to function and it certainly isn't disobeying those in authority. Rather it is part of our duty as citizens. Paul himself sought representation before the ruling powers when he was being persecuted.[15]
