Ironically, the Christian Churches could find themselves in the frontline in trying to defuse such tensions. Indeed, is it the case that the churches should move into that frontline and seize the initiative to defuse those tensions rather than wait to be asked by politicians?
After all, one of the most challenging parables of the New Testament is Jesus Christ talking about the Good Samaritan and how he helped the man in need. We can read about this in the Bible in St Luke’s Gospel chapter 10.
I recently attended a Presbytery rally of the Presbyterian Church which was focusing on the role of how we as Christians can help those who have come to Northern Ireland as migrants, asylum seekers and refugees.
One woman talked very competently about how her church was helping legal asylum seekers in her local community.
One of the key points she made was how Christians were chatting to the asylum seekers about what represented Biblical Christian values, especially to the males regarding the treatment of women.
In many of the nations, especially majority muslim countries, from where asylum seekers are coming, women are treated in many cases as second class citizens.
In Northern Ireland, there have been massive strides over the decades to bring equality between the genders. While a lot more work has still to be achieved, there is the real danger that any inequality could be hijacked by those militants in our society who would want to use the issue of the treatment of women as an excuse to verbally or physically attack asylum seekers.
One of the most horrific statistics in Northern Ireland is the number of women who have been killed by males in past years. Militants can twist these figures to suit their own extremist agendas against asylum seekers.
This is where the Christian Churches can play a vital role in combating falsehoods against asylum seekers. Many militants try to compare the supposed asylum seekers’ culture with Northern Ireland culture, especially concerning the role of women in society.
While the churches can do very little to combat the warped minds of the militants, they can support the asylum seekers by explaining how Northern Ireland culture is different from many of the muslim and other religious cultures that the asylum seekers have come from.
In a practical sense, this is a key way in which the churches can assist the asylum seekers in integrating into society in Northern Ireland. But there is no doubt, some churches may be walking a tightrope socially in seeking to be Christ’s Good Samaritan towards the asylum seekers.
The crucial question has got to be asked of the churches - while their work to help asylum seekers integrate effectively into Northern Ireland society is highly commendable, are those churches similarly doing enough to help folk in their own congregations who are struggling because of the cost of living crisis - the lonely, the hungry, those needing clothes, those feeling isolated, single parent families, the homeless?
Then again, has it taken the issue of needing to help the asylum seekers that has caused many churches to waken up and smell the social coffee that there are many people in their own communities who are in need, too.
Given the warped militant mentality of extremists who are opposed to asylum seekers being here in Northern Ireland in the first place, they will use the excuse that the churches are modern day Biblical hypocritical Pharisees - working hard to assist the asylum seekers, but ignoring the plight and suffering of their own communities.
Likewise, the churches have to recognise that the asylum seekers may not be in Northern Ireland permanently, although many have made Northern Ireland their full-time homes for many years.
A situation may arise back in their native countries from which they fled that a stability may come so that they decide it is safe to return home. Will those asylum seekers do so with a positive view of their treatment in Northern Ireland?
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| Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulter John is a Director for Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. |
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