The far-right are misusing Christianity for their warped ideology. There’s nothing Christian about them

The far-right are not any extra consultant of Christianity than they’re of Britain or of the working class. We should get up and say so.

The misuse of Christian language by far-right activists within the UK has stepped up a gear within the wake of the racist and Islamophobic violence that has engulfed cities round England within the final week.

The far-right usually declare that they’re defending “Christian Britain” from Muslims. The “Patriot March” addressed by Tommy Robinson in London on twenty seventh July featured the Lord’s Prayer being recited from the stage – though the footage reveals few individuals becoming a member of in.

However these far-right varieties now appear to have some precise churchgoing Christians of their ranks – and even just a few clergy.

Early on Sunday morning, the far-right Twitter account @QueenBob inspired individuals who had taken half in racist protests to attend church (https://x.com/KingBobIIV/standing/1819990009857863766):

“Everybody who has attended a march or protest, get to church this morning.

“Tens of 1000’s of individuals, attending church, on Sunday morning, to hope for our nation, and all who love her would and will change all the pieces.

“You could not consider in God, however you do consider in your nation, it’s [sic] values and your neighborhood. Stand with them in peace and prayer.”

It’s the third sentence that provides away the far-right perspective to Christianity. Go to church not due to God however since you consider in “your nation”. British nationalists like church in the identical method they like roast beef and driving on the left – as a side of British tradition. The historic actuality of Jesus as an Aramaic-speaking Center Jap refugee is an inconvenience they’d somewhat neglect.

One respondent to @QueenBob’s tweet wrote:

“Please, please come to Holy Communion this morning! You will see that a heat welcome!” (https://x.com/deborahjrobert7/standing/1820009939823170031).

Her feed is filled with deceptive feedback about Muslims and retweets of Tommy Robinson.

After all such persons are an exception. Most British Christians – even centrist and reasonably conservative Christians – will reject makes an attempt by the far-right to co-opt them. On Friday, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby declared:

“Utilizing Christian symbolism or the identify of God to justify violence is offensive to all the pieces that Christ stands for”.

Anybody with any familiarity with the Bible is conscious that it contains actually a whole bunch of statements encouraging individuals to welcome refugees and migrants. The irony appears to be misplaced on Christian supporters of events reminiscent of Reform UK – the semi-respectable face of the far-right – who declare to be defending Britain’s Christian heritage. Lee Anderson final week trumpeted his condemnation of a function of the Olympic opening ceremony that referenced the Da Vinci portray of the Final Supper and which supposedly offended Christians.

Anderson and Nigel Farage appear to be torn between making excuses for the riots and making an attempt to clean their palms as they declare themselves harmless of the violence that their rhetoric did a lot to gas.

Some far-right figures, nonetheless, appear to have no downside being related to the riots. And we have to be conscious that the far-right have discovered a responsive, if small, pocket of help amongst practising, churchgoing Christians. No determine is extra pivotal to this improvement than Calvin Robinson.

Except you’re a fan of GB Information, you’ve got most likely not heard a lot of Calvin Robinson. He pops up sometimes on mainstream TV, carrying his clerical collar and speaking of Christian religion. What’s much less apparent in these moments is that his views border on Fascism (and I don’t say that flippantly).

Robinson’s 357,000 Twitter followers can learn him agreeing with individuals who name for Islam to be banned and describing LGBT+ Pleasure marches as “demonic”. After being declined ordination within the Church of England, Robinson joined the breakaway Free Church of England earlier than changing into a priest within the Nordic Catholic Church (an “Outdated Catholic” denomination, distinct from the Roman Catholic Church).

Within the final week, Robinson has repeatedly described racist rioters as “white working class individuals” who’re upset over the homicide of kids.

In actuality after all, most white working class individuals don’t react to the homicide of kids by attacking harmless individuals who have gotten nothing to do with homicide. Robinson has little curiosity within the many white working class individuals protesting in opposition to the far-right or – for instance – in white working class bricklayers who’ve supplied their expertise totally free to rebuild mosques and outlets attacked by racists.

Robinson just isn’t the one one. The Christian Individuals’s Alliance (CPA) was once a centre-right social gathering who mixed conservative views on sexuality and marriage with criticism of the arms commerce and concern about poverty. Now they appear to be a right-wing membership for British supporters of Donald Trump. As late as Thursday – after the identify of the Southport killer had been printed – they had been nonetheless suggesting that he may need been an Islamic terrorist: (https://x.com/CPA_Party/standing/1818940782184735046).

On Sunday, Robinson led a web based prayer service with two different right-wing clergymen related to the Free Church of England, Brett Murphy and Phil Harris. Feedback from attenders on You Tube included:

“I’m praying for the misplaced and brought, and the English boys on the streets tonight protesting” (https://www.youtube.com/stay/uzP8c9RxIsc).

Robinson and his pals are fortunately a good distance from constructing any kind of US-style Christian Proper within the UK. Nonetheless, it’s not troublesome to search out individuals who determine themselves as Christians whereas backing or excusing far-right violence. We have to keep in mind that we’re speaking a few small group, nonetheless outrageous a few of their views are (https://symonhill.org/2023/09/30/if-you-think-calvin-robinson-is-bizarre-look-at-his-supporters/). On the identical time, we have to make sure that this tendency doesn’t develop. There are three issues that may be executed.

Firstly, we have to see Christians and church leaders going past merely condemning far-right violence. They want actively to again nonviolent resistance to racism and Islamophobia, and to the financial inequalities and injustices on which Fascism feeds.

Secondly, I hope individuals of all faiths and none who’re resisting the far-right can problem their claims to be defending Christianity, pointing to the anti-racist and pro-migration views of many church buildings and the truth of Jesus’ teachings.

Thirdly, in case you are concerned in organising anti-racist and anti-Fascist protests, I encourage you to contact church buildings in your space and ask them to participate. In the event you’re unsure which church buildings are more likely to be supportive, you might get an concept of their views from their web sites or social media accounts. Now we have seen some nice examples of Christians becoming a member of within the safety of mosques as religion teams come collectively to reject the far-right.  

The far-right are not any extra consultant of Christianity than they’re of Britain or of the working class. We should get up and say so.

Symon Hill is a Baptist Minister-in-Coaching, college chaplain and historical past tutor for the Employees’ Instructional Affiliation. His newest e book is The Peace Protestors: A historical past of modern-day battle resistance (Pen & Sword, 2022).