Standing up for what you don't believe!

Hello everyone,
                      In the Summer of 1991, my brother was standing as the parlimentary candidate for the Conservative Party in the Labour safe seat, in Burnley and for some bizzare and strange reason I was persuaded to stand as a county councillor for the Tories also in our home town, far too easily if I remember correctly.
My politcal knowledge and understanding was not great, I enjoyed Spitting Image, particularly the very grey John Major, and the very Welsh Labour Leader Neil Kinncok, I prided myself on being able to do a rather good impression of him, which these days I've adapted and converted it into a really poor Tom Jones effort saying, "Where I,m from I am the voice" which causes particular annoyance to my beloved family.


 So out of allegiance to my brother I became a fully paid up member of the Tory party, and became a candidate in North Burnley going up against a Labour veteran who hadn't lost his seat since "Adam was a lad" to put it mildly, there wasn't much hope!
My brother was running his campaign from just down the road, Farnham in Surrey ! and I was left with the keys, to Tory headquarters (a run down office) where I could prepare my manifesto and election strategy.
I had absolutly no bloomin idea, but The Tory leadership had launched rather a colourful badge, with the words, "Keep The Pound" emblazened upon it. So that would be my mantra for the election, keep the pound. I had a mug shot done, and about 4000 leaflets were produced with my face, and some stuff that my brother had put together, The Frost Mafia was ready to take over Burnley, and so with that I proceeded to drop my leaflets every and anwhere, and I had far too many near missus with some of the roughest canine creatures you could wish to find in some of Burnleys most deprived areas.  I was warmly received pretty much nowhere, and knew I was flogging a dead horse when a elderly lady in late eighties rather rudely told me to "Piss Off" I was most offended,
Not to be defeated I went armed with a huge "vote tory" banner and positioned myself on Burnleys busiest roundabout where I people waved at me, with one finger and accasionally two!
Whilst on the campaign trail, I recieved some really bad news which devastated me, and my way of dealing with the upset was to hit the trail even harder, I walked and walked and walked I delivered a leaflet to every single house that was within my catchment area, no stone was left unturned.
On one moment of inspiration I decided to hit the roads, in a van, armed with a megaphone and loud speaker, and again trawled the streets of burnley yelling to one and all, "Vote Frost, Vote Frost" and "Keep the Pound, Keep the Pound". In my wisdom, I targeted the house of my big rival and parked my van in his cul de sac, and shouted out "Vote Frost, get Labour Out." Generally people couldn't quite beleive what they were seeing, and I suppose my realization that enough was enough, was when , through my megaphone, I was rude back to the, scruffs and ruffs as they gestured and rediculed my ingenuity. I was pretty much scraping the barrell as far as electioneering was concerned, but still found time to shout down genuine politicians who were championing there own causes during the build up to voting day.
On the day of the election my brother and I wore our best suits, and we floated around the borough seeking out the  "floaters" in the vague hope we may get an extra vote or two.
The Labour Party won that seat with 18,195 votes, The Frosts came second with 7,697 the battle had been lost!
When I reflect on that event, It really holds very few happy memories, I am not a political animal, I,m not a MP in the making, I suffered emotionally but more disapointedly I was fighting for something I didn't really believe in. It didn't excite me or enthuse me, the count was a torid event, with bad feeling and a huge anti climax, it was a shallow and ungratify experience.
Being a Christian is a hugely different position to be in, having belief in what I am doing, is for one greatly satisfying and joyful. This comes from a simple position of believing in the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit.
I think it is important to stand up for what you believe in, If you believe in Christ it is important to say it, to tell it, to live it, just as Atheists would argue that it is also right to stand for what they believe is the truth.
Atheists will tell you they have no faith in the existence of God, but would accept that to believe in God you must have Faith, because as far as they are concerned I can't prove the existence of him. However to be an Atheist you must also have "faith" as unless I have missed it nobody has proved that God doesn't exist. Therefore they have faith, Whilst I don't have physical proof of the existence of God, I do believe with all my heart and soul about the truth of Christianity, it is based not on doctrine, or few nice hymns, or it just feels right, It is based on life long experiences, prayer, reading, listening, watching, and seeing.
And of course there is The Bible,the good old Bible,  the book of so many misinterpretations, misunderstandings, but I wonder how many Atheists have read it and read it properly.
There are many things to take from the Bible, Truth, Myths, Legends, History, Poetry, Song, Love, Death, you name it is all in there, it is a way to a greater understanding, a way to find Jesus Christ and to accept him as your human encounter with God, give it a go it is a amazing opportunity and experience.
Finally if your of Faith, and by this I mean Christian faith, I encourage to express, in fact I plead with you, Christians are being marginalized in the UK, don't let it happen, you have a voice, that God gave you, please let it be heard.
In Christ with you all
Alex