Public sector strikes 2: Taking patients hostage, employment as service, slaves and masters, and Christian peacemaking
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There are two strong Christian traditions when it comes to robust political or industrial action such as strikes. One argues for enduring oppression and unfair employment in the manner of Jesus and points to Paul’s teaching in the Bible on slaves and masters. But a second position throws its weight behind efforts to challenge injustice and protect the vulnerable, noting Jesus’s clear teaching on care for the widow, orphan and stranger. In this episode we consider these two strands of Christian thinking and how they end up being applied, sometimes poorly, to the question of public servants going on strike. And is there a third response to the paralysis and conflict which has erupted in British society – the distinctively Christian virtue of reconciliation?
The Christian Medical Fellowship blogs by junior doctors on whether to strike can be found here:
- Should Christian doctors strike? No https://www.cmf.org.uk/resources/publications/content/?context=article&id=26387
- Should Christian doctors strike? Yes https://www.cmf.org.uk/resources/publications/content/?context=article&id=26386
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Released on 8 Mar 2023
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