Faith belongs in the public square

Everyone approaches life with a particular set of values. Atheists and secularists live by an ethos, although they do not stick a label on it in the same way that we Christians do. Perhaps that’s why some people are particularly nervous about Christians in high office. We can all point to people who proudly wear their faith casting judgment or being intolerant, so it is inevitable that Christians will be asked tough questions.

As a Christian, I don’t get offended when I see Christians in politics treated differently by those who consider themselves progressives. After all, it will always be countercultural to hold to the Bible’s teachings on how we live.

However, as a liberal, this peculiar treatment of Christians troubles me. Should our commitment to diversity not extend to people with faith? Liberalism is the belief that each of us should be permitted to pursue the life we choose.

Yet it seems that western liberal democracies have developed a blind spot when it comes to Christianity. Western progressives lack curiosity as to why a Christian might take a different, jarring position on issues such as refugees, sexuality, poverty, abortion, greed and gender. As it happens, I’d argue that the secular perspective is riddled with internal contradictions. For example, if there is no God or natural law, then human rights are surely an arbitrary, temporary fiction.

This unease with which Christian faith is treated was clear when I was the leader of the Liberal Democrats. It’s clear, too, in Scotland today. One of the early favourites to replace Nicola Sturgeon is Kate Forbes, the 32-year-old cabinet secretary for finance and the economy; an extraordinary job to hold at such a young age. She also happens to be a devout Presbyterian. But even before she announced her decision to stand, just as many newspaper inches were dedicated to questioning her Christian faith as they were to assessing her political aptitude.