Christian Involvement in Politics: A Panacea for Moral Decadence Among Contemporary Politicians

In this contemporary age, Christian no longer see politics as unchristian and dirty game compare to how it was perceived before. The advent of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and its blocs, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, the Bible Society of Nigeria and Organization of Africa Instituted Churches has brought a new appreciation of Politics and government. Also in the recent years “one of the Pentecostal leaders, Rev. Chris Okotie” ran for presidency. Since then, the radical distinction between Christian body and state no longer stands. Christians are now seen as an important and necessary ingredient of the society that must be actively involved in the political activities in order to maintain its relevance as the light of the world. The challenges of moral decadence among the politicians should not be seen as the problem to some people; rather, it should be seen as the collective responsibility of every Christian. The thrust of this paper, therefore, is to examine and encourage appropriation of Christian ethical roles and response as a panacea to moral decadence among the contemporary politicians. Therefore, through the descriptive research method, the writer elucidates the biblical perspectives of moral decadence, factors like injustice, separation from God, craving for material wealth and many others which are causal agents of moral decadence. The work also reveals that Christian as a moral agent plays cogent roles in many moral decisions. That is, standing for truth and justice, exemplary leadership and good governance. This could be done ethically through prayer of intercession, emphasis on biblical spirituality, expression of love and active involvement in the nation’s political system. The work recommends that, Christian should always stand for truth and that every Christian, as a body of Christ should respond positively and ensure that their involvement in politics would bring a relief to common citizen in the society.

Keywords: Christian, Politics, Moral, Decadence and Panacea.