Wales goes to the polls on May 3rd to elect members to the National Assembly. A range of material has been arriving through my letter box from various candidates seeking my vote, but none has been more interesting than that from the British National Party. I won’t link them - Google will turn up their website if you’re keen. The BNP are the far right of British politics, very much on the lunatic fringe, peddling a strange mixture of hatred and fear. (The BNP have turned up on this site before if you’re interested. I especially recommend this piece by our late friend Mike Blakey.) This latest election leaflet made no attempt to break new ground: same old lies about immigrants “flooding” our country, taking our jobs (ie the ones no one wants to do!), breaking up our communities. You know the sort of thing. The only surprising thing in the leaflet is that it ascribed to Eastern European workers the ability to both undercut Welsh wages AND price youngsters out of rented accommodation.
Clever, that.
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Green Arrow 04.28.07 at 7:51 am
I am sorry Richard but your views are not the views of all Christians. Many of my friends and fellow B.N.P. supporters who practice their religion say that it is people like you are responsible for the drop in congregations.
It seems that some of the clergy join not for the love of God and their fellow man but to push forward their own political agenda and perhaps the opportunity to dress like the Dave Clark Five.
Fortunately they now have the Christian Council of Britain to turn to.
rad 04.28.07 at 4:23 pm
I know of Islamic fundamentalists, Hindu fundamentalists… never heard of Christian fundamentalists. Is there such a term/people?? These leaflets express little grasp of religion, faith, politics or economics. I wonder if there is any pro-activeness to mitigate these offensive view points in the British society and show greater acceptance?
Richard 04.28.07 at 5:18 pm
Rad: The word ‘fundamentalist’ was coined by Christians, for Christians!
‘Green Arrow’: I think if my readers follow the link to your blog they’ll find exactly the mix of hatred and fear that I referred to, and I’ll leave the link so that people can make their own mind up. I’m very aware that mot all Christians agree with me. I don’t claim to be right about everything. But I would be so bold as to suggest that membershp or support of the BNP is utterly incompatible with the Christian faith.
I can’t help but notice that you blog anonymously. Are you ashamed of your views?
rad 04.28.07 at 7:02 pm
rad 04.28.07 at 7:17 pm
I agree with Richard. Besides, you can’t practice religion with political motivations - disparaging others for what they believe in. Although you can conduct politics well, if you practise your religion well. But it is not to doubt an individual’s intention or faith. As part of a political party if you concede to what the leaflet says about a set of people who ALSO now form a part of your society and label them almost as ‘criminals’ who ’stole’ whats yours, you are not exactly practising what you believe.
Moreover, most of those people have citizenship of your country. They are your voters too. I wonder how you can afford to be hypocrytic on this issue.
Kim 04.29.07 at 9:54 am
After reading Green Arrow’s comment, linking the BNP with Christianity, I thought I had wandered into Connexion’s April 1st archives.
Wood 04.29.07 at 9:50 pm
I particularly liked the bit on their leaflet that says “don’t vote for UKIP - they’re only pretend bigots. Not like us- we’re the real deal, kids.” Or words to that effect.
Losers.
dh 04.30.07 at 6:03 pm
While I don’t agree with the BNP view and so therefore support Richard on that. However, taking the broader context of “fundamentalist”, Richard mentioned this: “The word ‘fundamentalist’ was coined by Christians, for Christians!” While I agree the term was coined by Christians, it is is being misapplied to a more broader audience than it was originally intended. Many people are labeled that who in the past would not be in that category and the people doing that are the ones “outside” of the group that are “fundamentalist”. These days being orthodox evangelical is “fundamentalist” and in the past (less than 10 years ago) that was not the definition. The definition refers to the attitudeand the way something is said as opposed to solely the beliefs alone.
So I take issue with the “post-modern” definition of the term “fundametalist” and/or “fundamentalism”, etc. One shouldn’t be labeled “fundamentalist” solely because they happen to believe in Biblical innerancy, etc. I think a redemption of the term “fundamentalist” is in order.
Wood 05.01.07 at 5:37 pm
You realise the BNP guys only comment on blogs so that people’s pages will link to them, right?
Richard 05.01.07 at 11:27 pm
I do - and now that people here have had the chance to see for themselves the kind of nonsense these cretins are peddling, the link is gone…
Anonymous 05.02.07 at 10:40 am
Leaving aside the whole debate about what does, or does not, consistute fundamentalism, I have just one comment to make. The Bible - on which the Christian faith is based, I believe (correct me if I’m wrong) - quotes Jesus as saying: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’ and ‘Do to others as you would have them do to you’.
I cannot see how promoting an agenda which is based upon alienating others (as the BNP do) can ever be compatible with such a view.