Methodists Speak Out Against BNP-Linked “Christian Council”

|TOP|The Methodist Church has publicly challenged a new body running under dubious Christian auspices.

Concerns were raised by the Church over “The Christian Council of Britain” which also has with links to the British National Party (BNP).

“I am outraged that the BNP and its allies are using Christianity to further their agenda of segregation and division,” said Anthea Cox, Methodist Coordinating Secretary for Public Life and Social Justice. “I think most Christians will be deeply affronted by this and want to speak out against such misguided extremism.”

The comments from the Methodist Church follow criticisms against the BNP last month from leading theological thinktank Ekklesia which described claims by the party that it is “defending Britain’s Christian culture” as “absurd”.

|QUOTE|Ms Cox added: "We are deeply concerned that some people are now appropriating Christian language and symbols for policies that are the very opposite of Christian values.”

She continued: “The CCB has claimed that the Bible justifies its support for the BNP’s repatriation policy. But the Revd Ken Howcroft, Coordinating Secretary for Conference and Communication, said ‘this was a way of interpreting scripture that was used to justify apartheid in South Africa, the banning of mixed-race marriages and the setting up of homelands.

“The South African Council of Churches condemned this interpretation, and some of the churches that did support this interpretation later formally repented."

"In Acts Paul writes ‘In Christ there is no Jew or Gentile,’ and this makes it clear that there is no Christian basis for racial discrimination or separation.”

The Rev. Robert West, also a member of Lincolnshire Community Council, confirmed last week that the BNP was involved in ‘facilitating’ the establishment of the CCB, reported Ekklesia.