By Hans Ngala
As we go to church to worship tomorrow, there are thousands of churches and hundreds of denominations across the world and certainly in Cameroon. Some Christians are Anglicans, some are Baptist, others are Catholic, others Methodists, others are Presbyterians and others are Pentecostals of various factions and some are non-denominational or independent churches. This multiplicity of churches is partly because we as Christians have been unable to agree on everything about the faith, for centuries!
The same goes for politics. Human beings (regardless of their religion) have been unable to agree on everything political for ages as well. That is why in a country like the US, they don’t have a single party but two. In Cameroon, there are as many parties as there are Cameroonians. This inability to agree on all things political is once again reflected in the sheer number of candidates on the Cameroonian ballot – a whopping 13 of them in total. This is a rather high number, especially for a country where the incumbent has ruled for nearly half a century and the opposition agrees that he needs to be defeated at the ballots. However, the opposition’s inability to unite, simply helps Biya to get an easy ride to victory. No wonder he could treat himself to a Swiss holiday in the midst of campaigns for the October 12 voting day.
The reason I say this is to lay the groundwork for my argument: how you vote does not (and I say it deliberately), it doesn’t determine your faith. Some hyped-up charismatic preachers tend to twist the Gospel by making the claim that politics and your faith are somehow connected and nothing could be further from the truth. To suggest this is to claim that there is a perfect political party on earth and that is not true. If churches are imperfect, why would it be political parties that are perfect?
The CPDM party has held leadership in Cameroon for decades. It is only fair that Cameroonians will hold them to a higher standard than most other parties that have never led the government of the country. Given its poor record in leadership, there are many Cameroonians who feel disgruntled with the CPDM as a result. However, to say that because the CPDM has ruled for so long and produced few results, it means that they do not have any God-fearing followers or members, is both dangerous and misleading. We can commend the CPDM for its role in levelling the political playing field and accepting competition from opposition parties, we can commend the CPDM for trying (albeit insufficiently) to create some jobs for Cameroonians and for ensuring that Cameroonians get affordable and accessible education. These things may not be as obvious as many Cameroonians would love to, but the CPDM definitely is making an effort as best as they know how.
And since it is a political party and not a church, the CPDM is an epitome of Cameroonian society. There are Christians of all denominations in the CPDM, there are Muslims in the party and perhaps those who have no Christian leaning or follow traditional religions. To say that because they are the ruling party and that they cannot possibly be going to heaven would be to read the mind of God and to decide who deserves salvation and who doesn’t.
Such a dangerous intersection of politics and religion is all too common in a country like the United States where Republicans often demonize Democrats and claim that Republicans “love God” while Democrats don’t. However, a close examination makes one realize that neither party is perfect. The Republicans for example, emphasize the sanctity of an unborn baby’s life (rightly so) but on the other hand, are in cahoots with the National Rifle Association (NRA) as gun-related deaths continue to plague American society annually. On the other hand, Democrats emphasize personal freedoms to a worrying level where common sense seems to fly out the window and there’s an inability to even define basic human concepts. However, Democrats also push for inclusion of all people (something Jesus was hated for doing in His day).
My point is: moral absolutism in politics does not exist in any country in the world. The United States is one of the world’s most trusted democracies, but like I have pointed above, their political parties have their own weaknesses too and it won’t be any different for a young country like Cameroon – only slightly over 60 years removed from independence. Paul Biya who is currently serving as the country’s leader, was a boy when his part of Cameroon was still under French rule and he was a young politician in the 1960s when the Southern Cameroons chose whether to join Nigeria or French Cameroon – choosing ultimately to federate with Cameroon. What we learn from politics is that it is a thing of this world and not a spiritual thing. And politicians will always be imperfect, hence the suggestion that one’s political party affiliation somehow reflects their faith, is a lie.
In 1 John 2:15, Jesus tells Christians to “love not the world or the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the father is not in him”. This call not to love the world also covers politics. It doesn’t mean Christians should avoid politics, rather it means politics should not be what determines our worldview. As Christians, we know that this world is not our home just as Christ Himself said that “my kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). For Christians to be obsessed with politics as though they have no life after this, is where the danger lies.
Ther is no one political party that will ever succeed to eliminate poverty in any country in the world – no matter how well-planned or well-intended their policies. Jesus Himself said it: “The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me” (Matthew 26:11). Jesus said this to His disciples who were angry at a woman for “wasting” perfume by pouring it on Jesus’ feet instead of selling it to give the money to the poor. Christ understood centuries ago already, that no amount of policies from any politician, can ever completely eradicate poverty and that no one politician has all the answers. This means that even if Christians are the ones leading a country, that doesn’t automatically mean that societal problems will vanish. They may certainly get better, but they will never totally disappear.
Jimmy Carter was an American president, known for his tremendous Christian faith which he espoused publicly. That didn’t stop fuel prices from shooting up and making cost of living difficult under Americans, during his one-term rule. Former Liberian president, William Tolbert was a well-known Baptist Christian in his country but Tolbert was not shielded from a coup which toppled him and the coup organizers murdered him.
Similarly, former Zambian president Frederick Chiluba, a born-again Christian who even declared Zambia a “Christian nation,” still faced allegations of corruption and left a deeply divided political landscape. In Brazil, evangelical Christian president Jair Bolsonaro faced widespread criticism for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, despite his public display of faith.
These examples remind us that a leader’s Christian faith does not guarantee a perfect tenure, nor does it shield a nation from hardship. This is why it is dangerous for Christians to assume they have moral absolutism or to attempt to create a Christian theocracy by making Christianity the state-sanctioned religion. For a country like Cameroon, which has a large Muslim population as well as agnostics and adherents of traditional African religions, such a move would alienate entire communities and deepen divisions. Instead, conversations about religion and politics should be approached with humility and respect, focusing on shared values such as justice, integrity, and compassion rather than using faith as a political weapon.
Christians must remember that our calling is to bear witness to Christ, not to impose Him through legislation. The Kingdom of God is advanced through changed hearts, not compulsory religious or political laws. So however, you vote on October 12, vote freely. There is not a single party that embodies Christian values perfectly in Cameroon, and even in the world. Salvation is not earned by the way you vote or by whatever imperfect policies you support (or are against). “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:10). This is how salvation is gained, by confession and believing, not through which politician or political ideologies you vote for or against.
