Press Releases
Deciding On The Agreement
Statement by the Bishop of Down and Dromore, the Right Reverend Harold Miller
On 22 May, the peoples of this land, concurrently North and South, will engage in a referendum on The Agreement reached in the multi-party negotiations on Good Friday, 10 April 1998. In casting our vote on that date, we will, under God and his sovereignty, be taking an historic decision about the future of Northern Ireland.
As we know, this decision arises out of a long and tortuous process of dialogue among politicians, at the behest of a large section of the community, and supported by the prayers of Christians all over the world. Those who have engaged in this process deserve our thanks for the courage they have shown.
Followers of Christ will, above all, seek to know his will and have his mind, whether or not that concurs with our own preferences and feelings. We should also be alert to the possibility that this agreement may be part of God's guidance and an answer to prayer.
The following may be of some help in coming to a decision on these matters:
Read it! It is helpful that every home has been sent a copy of The Agreement. Every individual should read it with an open mind and a desire to understand it clearly. We also need to be honest and balanced in how we report it and speak about it to others. This is not simply common sense, it is a Biblical imperative for us not to 'bear false witness'. There are people who have a vested interest in persuading us either way, and we should be careful to make our own decision on the basis of what The Agreement actually says.
Respect those who differ. One of the characteristics of a Christian person in the context of argument and disagreement, is the way in which the discussion is conducted. There is no place for agressive manipulation, personal insults, or demeaning people, as St Paul makes it clear in 1 Corinthians 13:4 'Love is not ... boastful, arrogant or rude, irritable, resentful'.
Think of others. It is important that we come to our conclusions on the basis of what is best for everybody, not just for ourselves. This may mean intentionally putting ourselves in the shoes of others who are very different culturally, politically or socially. 'Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.' Phillippians 2:3-4
Put God's Kingdom first. In our decisions, the Kingdom of God should have priority over all earthly commitments, '-isms' or affiliations. This means that the basic question we should ask is not "Does this make our own political position more secure?" but rather, "Will this help to heal the divisions in our community and lead to peace and justice for all?" 'Strive first for the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.' Matthew 6:33
Pray. Prayer must be at the heart of all we do over the coming weeks as we prepare for the Referendum. Ultimately, Christians believe that through prayer the will of God becomes known and active in our world. In 1 Timothy 2:3, Paul urges prayer for those who lead us politically 'so that we might lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity'.
Weigh it up. It is important to read the document with an eye open to the moral and ethical issues implicit in it. Uppermost among these is the early release of prisoners. This is a particularly difficult and emotive issue because of the suffering of so many victims of violence. As with many moral dilemmas, Christians may well find themselves, at the end of the day, weighing up a "lesser of two evils" situation.
Vote. It goes without saying that the exercise of the vote in this matter is part of our Christian citizenship. Everyone has been given the opportunity to express their own decision on The Agreement, and it is to be hoped that all will do so.
We are all well aware that the position we are in as we approach the Referendum has got to be seen against the background of thirty years of violence and the loss of over three thousand lives. The question we must all answer is this: "Does this Agreement offer us the hope of a new start in which trust and co-operation will gradually replace bitterness and fear?" Each of us must come to our own conclusion about this before God, and trust that his way forward will be revealed through the outcome.
Further information from:
THE CHURCH OF IRELAND PRESS OFFICE
Church of Ireland House
61 - 67 Donegall Street
Belfast BT1 2QH