More often, we hear these words, “Politics is a dirty game!”And this makes the clean people to avoid it, because it discourages them.
But what exactly is politics? Politics in simple term, is the management of people and goods. So, parents are also politicians.
But of course, when the word politics is mentioned, it immediately brings to mind, the activities associated with the governance of a country. For in everyday life the term “politics” refers to the way that countries are governed, and to the ways that governments make rules and laws to manage the human society properly. Politics as stated above can also be seen in other groups, such as in companies, clubs, schools, and churches.
The current political situation seems to give a bad name to the vocation of politics so much so, that people say that politics is a dirty game and only the bad and ugly do politics, when in truth there are some very good people in politics.
If the only way to govern our land and people is through politics, then the need has arisen for the clean and dedicated good Christians and good men and women from other religions to join politics and make it cleaner. Pope Benedict XVI encouragedall Catholics to join politics so that they can help bring out Christ-like laws. But if the good Christians are keeping a bay, becausepolitics is said to be a dirty game, how can we have God-fearing people to come out with God-fearing laws.
The truth is politics has been over populated with people who engineer their own ideas which depart from God’s will and force it on others. That is the problem, here.
For example, a politician who loves drinking and would want all others to follow suit, may be walking past a church in session, with the pastor who sharing the Word of God, quoted from Jeremiah 25:27 these words, “Tell them: Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Drink! Get drunk …” Bingo! He will go about encouraging people to drink and get drunk because the Lord God says so.
Then again, a dye-in-the-wool socialist who does not believe in God, would be passing by a church and hear the pastor reading from Psalm 14: 1, the words, “there is no God,”traps his ears. He would go about telling people that God should not be placed in the center of affairs because the Bible says there is no God.
This is what is going on in politics today, as people are misquoted or their submissions are quoted out of context, just to satisfy some politicians and enhance their agenda.
In one of my feature articles, submitted in the Ghanaian Chronicle in February this year, I made mention that “Unfortunately, ORAL was centred only on the eight-yearduration of the past NPP government, targeting its appointees and others who were perceived to be corrupt,” referring to the 52-page document on the ORAL’s final report. I went on to mention some NDC person who should have been added to the ORAL list. Peoplelike Collins Dauda, Alfred Woyome and others.
Unfortunately, just as the politician heard from the Bible “Drink. Get Drunk,” and went about encouraging people to drink, without taking the trouble to read the full text which is about the Cup of Judgement on all nations,from Jeremiah 25: 15-38, which reads, “For thus said the Lord, the God of Israel, to me: Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My Hand and have all the nations to whom I will send you, drink it…..Tell them: Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Drink! Get drunk and vomit! Fall, never to rise, before the sword that I will send among you!…. and their land is made desolate, by the sweeping sword,and the burning wrath of the Lord.”And just like the politician who does not believe in God and hearing from Scriptures that “there is no God,” without taking the trouble to read what Psalm 14:1 says, which is, “The fool says in his heart, there is no God.Their deeds are loathsome and corrupt;not one does what is good,” Kwesi Pratt Jnr, a political journalist, could go about the place saying I created the impression that ORAL attacked only NPP appointees, without volunteering any NDC appointee whom I thought was corrupt or perceived to be, when that was the case.
Some people in politics, will use any means to push their agenda through even if it means misquoting what good people say; taking other people’s words out of context and making political capital out of it.
Such people go ahead to re-write political history just to condemn good deeds that their political opponents had done and cover-up the evil deeds of their parties. Even within the individual political parties, these political miscreants are there to tarnish anyone’s reputation to gain advantages and favours.
Yes, even within, the mischief is so horrible that one would think there are fights between people of different parties. Party members aspiring to rise high in the party and also to carry the party high are plucked down and made to look like traitors who seek the downfall of the party.
When it comes to national level, a chapter from the Political Theory of Organised Chaos comes to play, “When a Thief is Being Pursued, Thieves Join in the Pursuit.”Politicians will condemn what their opponents do, but will do the same thing, if not even worse.
Politicians will rise up the ladder in a democracy but quickly turn into democratic dictators and whenever these politicians are forced to admit wrong doings, they will only apologise for not apologising at first.
Instead of seeking to achieve what the people need, some politicians in high places will look more into seeking for their selfish wants. In the end, such politicians, are given honourable positions and recognitions in church, and will decide to do whatever they want, irrespective of whether it is Christlike or not. They hold the power and so people must respect and obey them.
Some men and women in high places who parade themselves as Christians can be seen condoning and practicing vices instead of virtues. But here I blame the good Christians who have decided to remain out of politics because it is said to be a dirty game.
On election days, the good Christians would go and vote and hope that things will become better. No other contribution will be made to politics. Democracy is politics of the people and by the people and so instead correcting politicians, from outside,anytime they go wrong or join the political parties and make changes from within, the good Christians’ only role in politics is to vote and wait for another four years to vote again.
When things go wrong, they will fast and pray and beg God to change the situations, meanwhile God has put a gift in them that when utilised would change politics for the better. Moses did not change the fate of the Israelites by standing aside and only praying. He changed the fate of his people from slavery to freedom by accepting to take up leadership role and guided by God, he led his people.
David did not see politics as a dirty game and stayed clear, but he accepted God’s choice in him to lead his people and make them His own. Politics can only be clean when good people join and overpopulate all aspects of politics that govern the people.
When that happens, people-sensitive laws will be implemented and God will bless the land. Only true men and women of God will arise and help lead the nation on God’s path.
Journalists will not get up and destroy people they dislike by spreading lies about them at any opportunity they will get. There will not be cases where journalists will become the most difficult people to wake from sleep because they are always pretending to sleep. There will not be cases where politicians when in opposition will condemn whatever those in power do, but when they come to power, they will do the same things and seek to justify it.
Only clean water washes clean and dirty water makes things dirtier.Politics is our way of life as a nation and it should involve everyone and if we allow only the dirty people to take control of politics, silencing the few good Christians, Muslims and people of other religions among them or converting such good people to sin along with them, politics will always be seen to be dirty.
The good Christians, Muslims and people of other religions must endeavour to join and take over politics. They are God’s choice to lead and transform the people.
But like seriously, with over 71% of Ghanaians being Christians, Christ is still not felt in every aspect of our lives: personal, social and political.
On that day, in front of the Judgment Throne when one is asked “Why did you not use the gifts I gave you, to lead my people to me?” Replying that, that question should go to politicians will not help.
Hon. Daniel Dugan
