Stop Christian Radicalization

Islamic and Christian radicalization, both quench from the same fountain. One cannot condemn Islamic extremism and fail to condemn Christian extremism in this country – they after all drink from the same fountain. They all seek to impose their religious world view on others because they seek to have their creed become the source-code for public policy. 

True Christian extremists are more subtle and will often use endearing terms like Kenya is a Christian country, or is a God fearing country which is a code-word for adoption of their world views. But they still use the most extreme of threats for those who oppose their views particularly on social issues. Never mind their projections have been proved wrong in the past – Remember they opposed the constitution because it would make Kenya an Islamic state (thanks to the Kadhi’s court) and that abortion would be on demand and all manner of accusations in their “10reasons why the country should vote No”.

As Rev. Karanja said then, “If Christians are convinced that there are provisions in the proposed constitution that undermine their practice of religion; they will stand to be counted for God.” In the event none of the apocalyptic predictions has come to pass. Islam and the Moslem continue to feel as marginalized as they were before the passing of the Kenya Constitution 2010 and in some respects the current struggle with extremists is a consequence of this marginalization.

Christians have continued to exercise undue influence on public policy. Perhaps the religious leaders need not worry because the Deputy President was on their side in rejecting the “still referred to as NEW” Constitution. Indeed only recently at a church in Nakuru, Mr. Ruto is reported as having said that “Kenya is a God Fearing Nation.”He was castigating president Obama for calling for equal treatment for all people before the law – including gay people. 

Of course the constitution says that Kenya is a secular state and it also provides for freedom of conscience, which should include freedom to believe or not to believe in any particular religion. This then goes against Anglican Archbishop - Rev. Wabukala’s, desire to influence public policy on the basis of his religious views on marriage.  In his statement on marriage Mr. Wabukala seeks to impose his religious views on non-Anglicans and non-Christians, in a law the he very well admits does not apply to practicing Christians.  This is how he puts it: 

“It is true that this legislation would not apply to Christian marriages, but we cannot stay quiet when we see the place of women in our society being demeaned.  God’s pattern is given for us in one man and one woman, Adam and Eve, before the fall and is reaffirmed in the New Testament where we see marriage used as a picture of the love of Christ for his bride, the Church.”  

He justifies this clear desire to impose his creed on non-believers, because his creed says, that it’s the only legitimate view world and faith view – well all creeds do that. Even Mr Harrison Mumia, the president of Atheists in Kenya, believes in his “atheist creed.” What if he wanted it to be the law of the land?

I have greater admiration for Mr. Harrison though, because his group, is actually helping Kenya realize the dream anticipated by the Kenya Constitution 2010. It is people like him and his group, who are at the margins, (religious in this case) that are helping protect the rights of those at the center from tactful but progressive chipping away of their constitutional rights and freedoms.

The constitution says that Kenya is a secular state – and this needs to be emphasized at every slight opportunity. What unites us as Kenyans (much to the shock of Mr. Wabukala, Cardinal Njue, Mr. Karanja of NCCK) is not the Biblical values or those of the Qur’an or the Gita, but the National values and principles of Governance as outlined in Chapter 2section 10 of our constitution.  These are the values that we should uphold in the public space or as the constitution says; these are binding in the interpretation of the constitution, in the enactment of any law or in the making or interpretation of any public policy decisions.  

We must understand that when we make religion the heartbeat of our public policy, then each church/denomination will seek to calibrate that heartbeat according to the pulse rate of its own creed. 

As a society we must appreciate the vanguard role played by the people at the margins (boundaries) of our rights and freedoms. The protections of the rights and freedoms of the people at the center are only as strong or as weak as the ability of the people at the margins to protect theirs. That is why, it is imperative to empower and strengthen the people at the margins – they are after all at the front-line of our defenses and we need to ensure their rights are not taken away by the pervasive Christian Radicalization of our nation!