Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
Supporters of Tommy Robinson are increasingly turning towards Christianity, presenting the Church of England with a significant challenge. Gareth Talbot, a 36-year-old from Bradford, is one example. Although not a firm believer in God, he recently returned to the church he attended as a child after participating in one of Robinson’s rallies last September. Talbot expresses concern over what he perceives as a threat to Christianity in England, particularly from extreme elements within Islam. He references changes such as Christmas markets being renamed “festive markets” and fears about areas becoming predominantly Muslim, which have motivated him to re-engage with the Christian faith. “It’s not that I’ve found God,” he explains, “I’ve never felt you need to go to church to be a Christian, but it’s always been the Christian religion that’s kept our values and freedoms, and that’s why I need to support it now.”
During the Unite the Kingdom rally, which attracted between 110,000 and 150,000 people in London, many participants prominently displayed Christian symbols including crosses and biblical verses, with some even dressing as crusaders. This rally was organised by Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, better known as Tommy Robinson, a far-right figure who says he found Christian faith while in prison. His rise has left the Church of England in a complex position, struggling to respond appropriately to his supporters while continuing its mission of interfaith dialogue and support for asylum seekers. The Reverend Derek Jones, vicar of the church in Little Horton where Talbot now worships, acknowledges the difficulty: “There are times when I question whether some of these movements fully understand the gospel that they are seeming to walk behind, and my gut feeling is it’s more about identity than faith.”
The controversy surrounding Robinson’s rally has unsettled many within the Church. Several Church of England bishops, alongside leaders from other denominations, publicly criticised the “co-opting of the cross” at the rally, condemning it as a source of division and exclusion. Their open letter emphasised that the cross symbolizes “sacrifice for the other” and that Jesus calls on people to love their neighbors. The former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, stressed that migrants should be regarded as vulnerable individuals like themselves. In contrast, Bishop Ceirion Dewar from the more traditionalist Confessing Anglican Church defended his participation in Robinson’s rally, stating he felt it was his “Christian duty” to lead a prayer there. Dewar insists that many rally attendees sincerely believe Britain’s Christian heritage is under threat from “Muslims, woke ideology, cancel culture and Labour MPs,” and argues that clergy must listen to people’s concerns on the streets rather than judge them.
Meanwhile, the Church’s commitment to compassion remains evident in other contexts. In West Yorkshire, local church members have actively supported asylum seekers housed in a hotel, even as those migrants face hostility and protests. One migrant, known as Amir, fled persecution in Iran and recently arrived in the UK by crossing the Channel in a small boat. Since his baptism in Britain, Amir has begun attending church services but was recently assaulted near the migrant accommodation. “I hope it never happens to anyone else,” he says, reflecting the insecurity he now
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.