BNP and Church of England Election BNP and Church of England Election Hustings
Ekklesia have released a response to two BBC ‘news’ articles this morning:
The BBC is really not doing well on its reporting of religion this election. Firstly it wrote a highly speculative article about the role of religion in influencing the election – completely ignoring the substantial evidence on the subject.
Now it is reporting the ‘news’: ‘BNP banned from Lichfield Diocese church hustings’.
The BBC headline is misleading for two reasons. As the BBC article itself makes it clear, the diocese has not in fact “banned” the BNP. Rather the diocese has just issued ‘guidance’ to its churches.
Secondly, the headline should really be ‘Diocese follows Church of England guidance’. The C of E issued this guidance through the Archbishops’ Council Mission and Public Affairs Division on 1st February. This advised all churches and dioceses not to invite extremist candidates to their hustings.
Gavin Drake, the diocesan communications officer quoted in the article, doesn’t seem to have realised this, or, if he has, remembered to tell this to the BBC.
This is neither a ‘ban’. Nor is it news.
We have about 100 articles covering the relationship between the BNP and churches/ Christianity, going back to 2004, which can be found here: http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/bnp
[Update: 14.36 The BBC has now published another article: 'Archbishop backs Lancaster BNP debate ban'. Should be titled: 'Archbishop stands by his own guidance']
Bishop Alan adopts a similar strategy towards the proposed English Defence League (EDL) demo due to take place in Aylesbury next week:
Should the Church of England advise all churches and dioceses not to invite extremist candidates such as the BNP to their hustings?
For the motion: Prevents extremist hijacking of Christianity for political gain.
Against the motion: Prevents an opportunity to publicly counter extremist views.
What say ye?
Tags: Church Life, Politics
April 25th, 2010 at 8:37 pm
The B.B.C. has an anti-christianity agenda why would it want to report accurately.
Could the “rainbow” christians who are advocating antisemitism, diversity, environmentalism, equality, multiculturalism, mass-immgration and pseudo-christianity not be labeled extremist?
The local “christian peace and justice” centre is more like an hamas H.Q.
April 26th, 2010 at 10:51 am
It is high time that the C. Of E. hierarchy stopped getting a dig at the BNP and focused their unholy venum on the three major parties who are selling us out – lock stock and barrel – to a secularist European ‘super!’ state largely controlled by unelected secularists.
If we value our historical and Christian heritage, as well as our own freedom of expression = plus that of the press! – then we need to oppose the three major parties and seriously consider the UKIP, the BNP and the English Democrats. These latter three parties are surely worthy of prayerful and practical consideration?