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tree_and_leafThis is one of the most sickening things I've seen in ages: the BNP have taken their efforts to pose as defenders of Britain's Christian heritage to a new level, by equating themselves with Christ. (Link goes to the ekklesia press-release reporting the matter; I'm not linking to fascist websites, but you can see the poster in a very poor-quality photo at an anti-fascist blog here.
Citing Jn 15:20 ("If they persecute me, they will persecute you also"), the post reads "What would Jesus do? Vote BNP" (to which the answer is, "He'd probably invite you to join the Poles for supper, but he certainly wouldn't vote for you, you illiterate thugs"). On one level, this is oddly reminiscent of the BNP's previous attempt at a European election poster, in which the party whose candidates complain about Polish (and other) migrant workers coming over here and taking our jobs,used the slogan "Battle for Britain", and a photograph of a Spitfire - from 303 squadron, which was made up entirely of Poles (link goes to the Torygraph). The unedifying spectacle of a bunch of Nazis using a white-washed Palestinian Jew (and, for that matter, a one-time asylum seeker) as their poster-boy fits right into their pattern of opportunism combined with not quite managing to think through why any of the things they claim to value as 'British' (fighting, er fascism, in WWII, Christianity) actually matter.
The Ekklesia press report quotes an email from Nick Griffin (leader of the BNP, and well-known fascist thug) making nauseating claims about his party being the only one interested in defending Britain's 'Christian heritage' against 'the threat of Islamification', and has the gall to complain that
What has become of the Christian church in this country? Instead of inclusively ‘embracing all’ which the church claims is its basis, certain groups within that body have banned people from their ranks simply because of their membership in the British National Party.
“Surely if God calls a man to his service, no church has the right to contradict HIS holy will! For many years, the churches in this country scrupulously avoided being politically biased. Nowadays however we see a small number of clerics and bishops openly preaching hatred towards the BNP.
“Church leaders actively shun the word of God on issues like sodomy, abortion and social justice.
There is so much wrong with this that I don't even know where to start, but one might note the confusion: on the one hand, Griffin appears to think that the church has to reflect God's all-inclusive love - but only as it applies to fascists, not gays or women. 'Call' includes 'call to repentence', and that goes for absolutely everyone, whoever they are, and no matter how 'decent', 'good' or 'nice' (which both liberals and conservatives are prone to forget, though the ideal of 'decency' is different in every case). I'm also not entirely sure how one can campaign on social justice issues without risking being politically biased (why worry? - the Old Testament in particular reminds us that God is decidedly biased towards the poor and the oppressed). Though I wish the Church of England was as welcoming of homosexuals as its alleged to be here.... Griffin goes on to note that Jesus was "seen as a revolutionary" and "hounded to death... by the corrupt hypocrites who ran the church. Has nothing changed in two thousand years?"
Excuse me while I'm sick, OK? Alas, it is true that the church has, over the years, had a good line in re-crucifying Christ, but those were rarely moments which Griffin would disapprove of. But there's something, yes, sickening, about the cynical aping of the language of Christianity and, indeed, of socialism, in order to try and woo disaffected white working class voters. And it must not be tolerated without contradiction. Christ healed foreigners and outcasts of all kinds; the Old Testament is insistently concerned with the need to show justice to foreigners, and yes, including foreign workers. And, above all, the God who gave himself so totally and defencelessly in Christ is about as far removed from the fascist glorification of the strong and the powerful as it is possible to get.
At the same time: it's easy to let totally justifiable outrage about this disgusting poster blind one to the fact that the BNP wouldn't have a chance if they weren't tapping into existing fear and anger in the white working class. It's not that racial minorities are over-privileged, but there needs to be some way of building communities that encourages solidarity and understanding across the board. This ought to be something the church is doing - and in some places it is, or trying to - but if it looks like middle-class educated people preaching at people they despise, it's doomed to fail. There has to be another way. But at the moment, I find it hard to get past my inner 'Son of thunder', which is having unhelpful thoughts about how much good a spot of fire from heaven would do if applied to BNP party head-quarters). It won't do just to hate (though I loathe that poster with every fibre of my being, and I think a spot of vandalism would be entirely justified, morally speaking). But it's too easy to congratulate oneself on being a good Christian, not one of them†, and that doesn't actually get us anywhere. Instead, we need to engage with the ideas - and talking to people, rather than at them, would be a good place to start.
† Though I bet Griffin doesn't actually believe any of it, any more than Hitler believed in Christianity - but he successfully persuaded a number of people that he really was defending it against the threat ofIslam International Bolshevism.
Citing Jn 15:20 ("If they persecute me, they will persecute you also"), the post reads "What would Jesus do? Vote BNP" (to which the answer is, "He'd probably invite you to join the Poles for supper, but he certainly wouldn't vote for you, you illiterate thugs"). On one level, this is oddly reminiscent of the BNP's previous attempt at a European election poster, in which the party whose candidates complain about Polish (and other) migrant workers coming over here and taking our jobs,used the slogan "Battle for Britain", and a photograph of a Spitfire - from 303 squadron, which was made up entirely of Poles (link goes to the Torygraph). The unedifying spectacle of a bunch of Nazis using a white-washed Palestinian Jew (and, for that matter, a one-time asylum seeker) as their poster-boy fits right into their pattern of opportunism combined with not quite managing to think through why any of the things they claim to value as 'British' (fighting, er fascism, in WWII, Christianity) actually matter.
The Ekklesia press report quotes an email from Nick Griffin (leader of the BNP, and well-known fascist thug) making nauseating claims about his party being the only one interested in defending Britain's 'Christian heritage' against 'the threat of Islamification', and has the gall to complain that
What has become of the Christian church in this country? Instead of inclusively ‘embracing all’ which the church claims is its basis, certain groups within that body have banned people from their ranks simply because of their membership in the British National Party.
“Surely if God calls a man to his service, no church has the right to contradict HIS holy will! For many years, the churches in this country scrupulously avoided being politically biased. Nowadays however we see a small number of clerics and bishops openly preaching hatred towards the BNP.
“Church leaders actively shun the word of God on issues like sodomy, abortion and social justice.
There is so much wrong with this that I don't even know where to start, but one might note the confusion: on the one hand, Griffin appears to think that the church has to reflect God's all-inclusive love - but only as it applies to fascists, not gays or women. 'Call' includes 'call to repentence', and that goes for absolutely everyone, whoever they are, and no matter how 'decent', 'good' or 'nice' (which both liberals and conservatives are prone to forget, though the ideal of 'decency' is different in every case). I'm also not entirely sure how one can campaign on social justice issues without risking being politically biased (why worry? - the Old Testament in particular reminds us that God is decidedly biased towards the poor and the oppressed). Though I wish the Church of England was as welcoming of homosexuals as its alleged to be here.... Griffin goes on to note that Jesus was "seen as a revolutionary" and "hounded to death... by the corrupt hypocrites who ran the church. Has nothing changed in two thousand years?"
Excuse me while I'm sick, OK? Alas, it is true that the church has, over the years, had a good line in re-crucifying Christ, but those were rarely moments which Griffin would disapprove of. But there's something, yes, sickening, about the cynical aping of the language of Christianity and, indeed, of socialism, in order to try and woo disaffected white working class voters. And it must not be tolerated without contradiction. Christ healed foreigners and outcasts of all kinds; the Old Testament is insistently concerned with the need to show justice to foreigners, and yes, including foreign workers. And, above all, the God who gave himself so totally and defencelessly in Christ is about as far removed from the fascist glorification of the strong and the powerful as it is possible to get.
At the same time: it's easy to let totally justifiable outrage about this disgusting poster blind one to the fact that the BNP wouldn't have a chance if they weren't tapping into existing fear and anger in the white working class. It's not that racial minorities are over-privileged, but there needs to be some way of building communities that encourages solidarity and understanding across the board. This ought to be something the church is doing - and in some places it is, or trying to - but if it looks like middle-class educated people preaching at people they despise, it's doomed to fail. There has to be another way. But at the moment, I find it hard to get past my inner 'Son of thunder', which is having unhelpful thoughts about how much good a spot of fire from heaven would do if applied to BNP party head-quarters). It won't do just to hate (though I loathe that poster with every fibre of my being, and I think a spot of vandalism would be entirely justified, morally speaking). But it's too easy to congratulate oneself on being a good Christian, not one of them†, and that doesn't actually get us anywhere. Instead, we need to engage with the ideas - and talking to people, rather than at them, would be a good place to start.
† Though I bet Griffin doesn't actually believe any of it, any more than Hitler believed in Christianity - but he successfully persuaded a number of people that he really was defending it against the threat of
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-30 11:03 pm (UTC)