How polarisation is tearing church and society apart: Olof Edsinger in the CNE podcast
Olof Edsinger. Photo private, Canva
European Union
Does demonising turn me into an enemy of my neighbour? Olof Edsinger warns it can. In this week’s CNE podcast, he offers a Christian response.
When people stop listening to others in a society, they will become strangers to each other. This can get dangerous, as Edsinger says in the podcast.
Olof is not only a Christian Swedish opinion maker but also the general secretary of the Evangelical Alliance in Sweden.
In the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk killing in the USA, polarisation is a current issue for Christians. But the topic was there earlier already, with the splitting debate about Israel and Hamas. In the podcast, Olof shares why his Evangelical Alliance takes no official stance on this.
Christians who participate in politics have a difficult job, he says. As Christians, they might strive for a “peaceful and quiet life”, as Paul says in his letter to Timothy. But in a political debate, you sometimes have to “create differences”, Edsinger says. “Christians in politics can’t play by the same rules as in church.”
Of course, people want to be together with others who agree with them, Olof says. But this also has another side. “In our world of social media, this has created echo chambers”, he says to podcast host Evert van Vlastuin. “You don’t have to be curious about the other person any more.”
However, Christians must remain truth seekers who do not misrepresent others. In the podcast, he explains how this works concerning Israel and Gaza. He says that both sides have legitimate opinions. “Truth seeking is not covering up.” Still, Edsinger explains in the podcast that Christians should work for de-escalation.
Olof is quite active in the debate about Christian marriage and the Biblical sexual ethics in his country. Sometimes, this can lead to a polarised situation too. Edsinger says he always tries to argue from common ground as much as possible, not specifically from the Bible. “Marriage, sexuality and family belong to the creation sphere that is valid for all humans and not just for Christians. Beliefs that you can only argue from the Bible, you should leave them outside of politics”, Olof Edsinger says.
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