Just in time for the election, we can watch the emergence of a fairly coherent rightwing bloc in British Christianity. It is nationalist, socially conservative, suspicious of markets, critical of Islam, authoritarian … but what distinguishes it from Ukip, or even the BNP, is that it has a large and powerful black membership.Oh, oh! It seems some of the privileged group have got ideas above their station, and think they can start throwing their weight around! That will never doo.
This has implications both for both church and secular politics. The style of African Christianity is energetic, aggressive, self-confident and supernaturalist. It hates Islam, which is seen as a global threat; and it despises effete western liberalism.Bad boy! Bad! Why did you bite the hand that fed you?
Someone must be responsible for this - it can't be that our pet went bad all by itself. Or worse, was never tame in the first place, can it?
Aha!
The programme of the new group is obviously influenced by the American culture wars.Well, obviously...
It is resolutely anti-abortion ("We pledge to work to protect the life of every human being from conception to its natural end") and homophobic ("We pledge to support marriage – the lifelong, covenantal union of one man and one woman as husband and wife. We believe it is divinely ordained, the only context for sexual intercourse").What's a progressive to do? It seems one's pet has been watching and learning new tricks:
Christians in Britain are to behave as a persecuted minority, avid for injustice, watching the papers eagerly for signs that some other group is getting special treatment.And learning them very, very well...
What we're seeing here is the growth of Christianity as a player in multicultural politics, competing as a tribal identity for group privileges. It's ironic that the most prominent signatories of the declaration would regard "multiculturalism" as a thoroughly bad thing. I suspect that in the next few years, they will be showing us its bad side in ways that no one has up till now suspected.Enjoy those chickens coming home to roost, Andrew...
Damn! I was worried you were going to try and corner the market in cow attack-type stories.
ReplyDeleteIn Victimhood Poker terms, these black Christians pretty much have the upper hand, I think. Maybe a gay or lesbian Muslim might stand a chance, but I don't fancy anybody else's chances.
How long before they are painted as "Uncle Toms"?
ReplyDeleteOh my, something will have to be done, all these anti-statist protest groups coming out of the woodwork, they might have to cancel the election to deal with the crisis....
ReplyDeleteDamn, did I just give them an idea?
"It hates Islam, which is seen as a global threat; and it despises effete western liberalism."
ReplyDeleteCor! Where do I sign up?
Weeee-ha!
ReplyDeleteCan anyone join?
I was under the impression that many Africans believe that homsexuality is a psychological disease imported from the West. It is, by its' nature, un-African.
ReplyDeleteAt the moment I'm not too sure how the West is to blame for this, no doubt if I read CiF enough I will come to understand how it (and by 'it' I mean just about everything) is all our fault.
Mark said: 'In Victimhood Poker terms...'
ReplyDeleteThe rules of this grotesque game quite elude me. When I were a lad, airhead lefties were forever bloviating about something called 'the hierarchy of oppression'. True believers held as an immutable truth that blacks were on the bottom rung of the ladder. Perversely, this position now seems to have become much sought-after real estate.
Can anyone advise? Is there a Doctor (of Grievance Studies) in the house?
"In Victimhood Poker terms, these black Christians pretty much have the upper hand, I think."
ReplyDeleteWell, for now. But I think the Left are looking to change the rules.
"I was under the impression that many Africans believe that homsexuality is a psychological disease imported from the West. It is, by its' nature, un-African."
I've seen that concept cropping up a lot in comments tto other CiF pieces...
"Perversely, this position now seems to have become much sought-after real estate. "
When we started shovelling money to 'disadvantaged' groups, perhaps?
Dave H, the West is to blame for homosexuality in Africa or West Indies because slave owners used to rape male slaves, I thought everybody knew that?
ReplyDeleteTrevor, the US version of the rules of Victimhood Poker is here. You'll have to customise it slightly for UK use - we have extra rules that says Celtic trumps English, and S irish trumps N Irish, and we are not so hot on transgender 'rights', but the same general principles apply.