ARCHBISHOP of Wales Barry Morgan has become embroiled in a furious war of words with the BNP over the far-right party’s claim to represent “Christian values”.
Church leaders and the BNP having a verbal ‘punch up’ seems to be quite a common occurance of late. The major irony with the BNP and Christianity is that counter to the BNP claims that immigration is favouring Islam, it isn’t, it’s favouring Christianity:-
The ‘black’ church is among the fastest-growing groups in the UK currently.
WalesOnline by David Williamson
ARCHBISHOP of Wales Barry Morgan has become embroiled in a furious war of words with the BNP over the far-right party’s claim to represent “Christian values”.
Cardiff-based Dr Morgan denounced comments by Nick Griffin linking the party and Christianity and claiming it stood in the tradition of crusader knights who fought Muslim armies.
The Anglican leader, whose comments were echoed by other leaders of Christian faith groups in Wales, said: “I really do object to their claim to represent Christian cultural values. Unless you’re white and Anglo-Saxon you don’t seem to count for very much.
“That runs totally against any Christian understanding of humanity where we believe each person is made in the image of God.”
But his remarks have led to a furious response from party officials.
BNP deputy leader Simon Darby said: “If these church leaders are not prepared to defend Christianity themselves, they should not complain when someone else does just that.
“It’s all very well people like the Archbishop talking about defending Christian values but at the end of the day they are not prepared to do anything about it. He should probably be prosecuted under the Trade Descriptions Act.
“Whole swathes of London, for example, are no longer Christian, and people like the Archbishop have been quite happy to stand by and see churches turned into mosques.
“If someone doesn’t stand up for real Christian values it won’t be a Christian country for very much longer but an Islamic republic.”
Dr Morgan’s comments, which coincide with his traditional Christmas sermon in Llandaff Cathedral yesterday, were made in an interview in which he also spoke out in support of the families of troops serving in Afghanistan.
He described the fear experienced by families who have loved ones in a war-zone and acknowledged the cost in human life of recent conflicts.
Dr Morgan said: “Whatever one thinks of whether we ought to be in [Afghanistan], the fact is these decisions have been made whether they were right or wrong.That’s not the fault of soldiers.
“They go because that’s what they are required to do. The families left behind are at times worried sick.
“If you are in the middle of a conflict you get on with the job and you don’t always think about the dangers [whereas] families at home are just dreading the knock on the door or the ring of the telephone.”
Support for the families of members of the armed forces has become an important pastoral task in churches throughout Wales.
Tags: Church Life, Politics
December 28th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
I find it incredible that archbishop Barry Morgan is so hostile to the BNP standing up for Christian morals. An archbishop who has openly affirmed his support for practising homnosexuals and lesbians becoming possible prelates, is one who should be the very last to throw stones at the BNP!
It would appear as if Barry Morgan is nothing more than a whitened sepulchre and a blind leader of the blind. The teachings of Islam – though they teach much that is compatible with Christianity – are fundamentally at variance with the gospel message of Jesus. Jesus identified His character and mission with a good shepherd prepared to risk or forfeit his life in rescuing a wayward member of ‘an assumed!’ lesser speciezx: a wayward lone sheep. As for the Muslim faith – along with orthodox Judaism! – they are insistent, on the whole, in seeing sheep ritually slaughtered while fully conscious.
Of all the UKs political parties, the BNP is the sole one to oppose this abominable evil. Yes, and for this – aswell as other evils such as homosexuality which Barry Morgan openly supports! – I say ‘Thank God’ for those members of the BNP who are prepared to be – in the words of the Book Of Common Prayer – ‘the church militant here on earth’. Admittedly, the BNP has occasionaly said things which it later regretsl but what about the other parties that have lied through their teeth; promise of a referenduim being but one such blatant factor of dishonesty?
As an anti blood ‘sports ‘advocate – how could a follower of Christ be any other? – I say: the church must cease from running with both the hare as well as the hounds. For Barry Morgan to denounce the BNP is for the frying pan to call the kettle black.