The BNP’s new election poster has provoked both revulsion and mockery, with its suggestion that those who wish to emulate Jesus should vote for the party. Ekklesia reports:
Three British Churches have reminded people of the ‘true Christian message of love’ for all people following the inclusion of Jesus in a BNP election campaign.
Their statement comes after the Church of England declined to comment on the posters which feature a bible verse quoting Jesus’ words about persecution, in the run up to the European Elections in June.
The Anglican silence is odd, considering that it was recently decided that its clergy cannot be members of the party, and that the BNP’s Robert West has just denounced the Bishop of Manchester:
Manchester’s Bishop “Haw Haw” McCullough [sic – spelling is wrong] is a Traitor to His Country and People, Says BNP Church Spokesman
The Bishop of Manchester, Nigel McCulloch, is a traitor to his country and his people, and should be more concerned with why his churches are empty and being converted into mosques rather than attacking the British National Party, said that party’s official spokesman on church matters, the Reverend Robert West (picture).
“The gospels record that Judas betrayed his master with a kiss, a great but false profession of love,” said Reverend West…
West, who rails against the “mixing of races”, was was responding to McCulloch’s attack on the BNP.
Meanwhile, another Christian group that has nothing to say about the BNP is the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches, which is partnered with a group of churches called Affinity. A couple of Sundays ago West was invited into the pulpit of an FIEC-affiliated chapel; this was a Baptist chapel of which BNP Councillor Ian Derek Meller is a member – I blogged this here. Meller shares the same surname as the chapel wardens.
I blogged on BNP Christianity more generally here.
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I seem to have strayed into this debate with a reply from the Rev West to the blogpost
http://leaderswedeserve.wordpress.com/2009/04/07/back-jesus-vote-bnp/
My site is primarily intended for business students. While there is clearly a case to be made for introducing them to notions of ethical leadership, I am not sure this is a particularly constructive entry point.
Perhaps your subscribers might have some advice?
what a revolting page this is your a disgrace to christians everywhere
Just WATCH the Churches change their tune (and probably a lot of hesitant bloggers) when the BNP comes out much stronger and more mainstream.. oh WAIT..they already have.. what was it.. errr 30,000 expressions of interest immediately after the feeding frenzy when all the political PHARISEES scrammmbled to get to the head of the mob to hurl stones at Griffo. Some of you wimps are so blind.. you will all fall into a pit because you are following each other in your ignorance about the BNP. There is a DIFFerence between white supremacist and white SUPERIORITY…. ‘supremacist’ is a political disposition based on a fact of history. If the BNP were BLACK like the Australian Aboriginals..they would be called a BLACK “Supremacist” group.
You are confusing an ethnic struggle for retention of identity and sovereignty with racist ideas of superiority.
GET OVER yourselves