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Racism and religious hatred
Topic Started: Monday, 6. April 2009, 14:21 (1,675 Views)
Rose of York
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John Sweeney
Sunday, 12. April 2009, 01:36
As far as I know the BNP has no great Catholic links or support and if anything I would say that over the years it has tended to be anti-Catholic and that feeling has been reciprocated.
Have their leaders spoken about Catholicism? What's their problem with us? Is the Catholic Church too multicultural for their liking?
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No I don't think there has been anything specific but I think all these right wing British crazies have tended to lump Catholicism with the IRA and so there is a generally anti-Catholic feeling to their views. Brilliant that this is so--it would be shaming if they liked us!

John
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Rose of York
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http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/Faith-leaders-unite--in.5266198.jp

Sheffield Evening Star
 
Faith leaders unite in stand against BNP
Published Date: 14 May 2009
VOTERS in South Yorkshire are being urged by religious leaders to use their votes in June's Euro elections to boot out the BNP.
More than 100 religious leaders from a range of faiths have signed a joint statement speaking out against the BNP's "divisive policies".

In the joint statement, representatives of the Christian, Jewish, Muslim and other faiths say: "As leaders of faith communities in South Yorkshire, we affirm the values of unity, tolerance and mutual respect, which have always helped people from different backgrounds to live together.

"We are deeply concerned at the activity of racist and fascist groups such as the British National Party, which use people's fears to stir up race hate. We reject their demonisation of Muslims, and their claim to speak for Christians, as an affront to all our religions and beliefs and a danger to the unity of the whole community.urged people to
embrace the values of unity, tolerance and mutual respect."

Bishop of Hallam the Rt Rev John Rawsthorne said: "The BNP's claim to speak for Christians in Britain couldn't be further from the truth.
"Our message is simple - love thy neighbour as thyself."


Abdul Gooljar, from the Sheffield branch of the Islamic Society of Britain, said: "Only by mutual respect between all faiths and traditions can we build a peaceful and prosperous city.


How odd that this did not get more publicity. There was lots of media coverage when the Anglican Archbishops of Canterbury and York spoke out.
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Just thought it worth reminding people of the Hope not Hate campaign raised at the start of the thread.

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/content/home/suit
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Rose of York
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Leaders of Christian and Easter faiths in Manchester have spoken out urging people not to vote for BNP. I cannot recall any other election when any English bishop has named a party, urging people to vote for or against its candidates. First the Bishop of Hallam, now Salford!

Independent Catholic News
 
Faith leaders in Manchester have issued an open statement, urging voters to shun the British National Party at the elections to the European parliament this Thursday. Their message comes days after the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams and The Archbishop of York, also warned against voting for the BNP.

The latest statement is signed by the Bishop of Manchester and the Catholic Bishop of Salford Terence Brain, as well more than a dozen senior representatives from the Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Hindu communities. It is also backed by other Christian groups including the Methodist Church, the Salvation Army, the Baptist church and the United Reformed Church.

The leaders say: "Our faiths all teach us to love our neighbours as ourselves - and to respect one another as fellow human beings, each made of equal worth and dignity.

"That view of what constitutes a just and healthy society is under threat in this year's European elections from the British National Party, who seek political success by preaching a message of division and hatred.

"They will use racism and other prejudices to challenge the very diversity which strengthens our local communities.

"They seek to exploit the difficult times which face our country to turn one community against the other.

"We urge you not to vote for political parties that promote racism."


Reproduced in full, with permission.

http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=14406

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Rose of York
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An editorial in the Huddersfield Examiner explains why it is possible for a party with only 11% of the vote, to gain a seat in the European Parliament.

Huddersfield is the biggest town in the local authority called Kirklees, which consists of dozens of thickly populated former textile and coal minining towns. Kirklees has one England's highest percentages of ethnically Asians residents, mainly muslim. What happens there could be viewed as a benchmark for all similar areas.

Huddersfield Examiner
Quote:
 
Dewsbury MP Shahid Malik warned that the far-right BNP party would need as little as 11% of the vote in our region to collect a euro-seat in the 783-strong Parliament which sits in Brussels.

This is because European Parliament seats are awarded by proportional representation on a region-wide basis. The number of seats each party wins is calculated according to the share of the vote that party achieves in each region.

Quote:
 
Six Euro seats are up for grabs on June 4. In 2004, two went to Labour, two to Tories, one to the Lib Dems and one to UKIP, the UK Independence Party (Godfrey Bloom), which took 7.4% of the vote.

This year, the BNP is planning to capitalise on voters’ dissatisfaction with the main parties. They may get seats by default. A recent poll suggested only 34% of those registered to vote in Europe’s 27 countries – 375m – will do so.

Germans, Poles and Belgians take the elections most seriously, counterbalancing the UK’s 22% apathy.


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Derekap
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There is a grave danger of increasing apathy to vote, particularly in view of the Expenses Scandal. "They are all at it" could be the conclusion leaving candidates of parties not yet involved to win. I think we need to pray for the intervention of The Holy Spirit!!

Incidently most of the literature we have received so far seems to concentrate more on the state of our government and the opposition rather than Brussels, even though in our area we have no local elections.
Derekap
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PJD


"Incidently most of the literature we have received so far seems to concentrate more on the state of our government and the opposition rather than Brussels, even though in our area we have no local elections."

Yes I agree, same where I am. They certainly seemed very worried. Most I have spoken to do indeed refer to the expenses fiasco, but also underlying this I sense there is a building up of tension regarding the actual democratic process and the expenses may be just the spark for what might follow later.

PJD
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JRJ

Derekap
Monday, 1. June 2009, 20:18
There is a grave danger of increasing apathy to vote, particularly in view of the Expenses Scandal. "They are all at it" could be the conclusion leaving candidates of parties not yet involved to win. I think we need to pray for the intervention of The Holy Spirit!!

Incidently most of the literature we have received so far seems to concentrate more on the state of our government and the opposition rather than Brussels, even though in our area we have no local elections.
Dangerous ground, that apathy!! It did NOT work well here in the US. Now we have Government Motors and all sorts of private property seized by the government without cause or compensation in direct violation of the Constitution. Families that have spent a lifetime building car dealership businesses are having them closed whether they are profitable or not.

ELECTIONS MATTER. ELECTIONS MATTER. VOTE!!

As a side note, we in America are having an expense account scandal of our own. Wide screen televisions, expensive computers, pricey car leases... :hissyfit:
Jennifer
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OsullivanB

Rose of York
 
An editorial in the Huddersfield Examiner explains why it is possible for a party with only 11% of the vote, to gain a seat in the European Parliament.
Another interesting question is why a party (any party) with a distinct agenda (could be Catholics against abortion) which speaks for one in nine of those voting has no representation in our domestic parliament.
"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance - that principle is contempt prior to investigation." Herbert Spencer
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K.T.B.

Well, I must say, folks, that I'm seriously hacked off that the B.N.P. managed to get two European seats in the election. Did anyone catch Nick Griffin on the telly last night, having the cheek to say the B.N.P. are defending Christian values? :arggh:
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Clare
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Katie B
Monday, 8. June 2009, 09:43
Well, I must say, folks, that I'm seriously hacked off that the B.N.P. managed to get two European seats in the election. Did anyone catch Nick Griffin on the telly last night, having the cheek to say the B.N.P. are defending Christian values? :arggh:
Straining at gnats and swallowing camels.

Aren't you hacked off that Labour, the Conservatives, and the LibDems got more than two seats?

They are no better than the BNP, and just because the media say they are does not make them so.

How can any Catholic, who lives in a society which allows abortion, promotion of homosexuality to primary school children, the handing out of morning after pills at secondary school, etc... how can any Catholic possibly expend more energy in being hacked off that the BNP are getting the odd seat here and there?

Priorities, please! We already live under an evil regime as it is!
S.A.G.

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K.T.B.

Hi, Clare. Who says I'm not also hacked off about certain policies of the mainstream parties? Just ask my hubby who has to put up with getting an earful from me about my opinions of some government policies when we're sitting watching the news together, for example! :wh:
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Clare
Monday, 8. June 2009, 10:14
Aren't you hacked off that Labour, the Conservatives, and the LibDems got more than two seats?

They are no better than the BNP, and just because the media say they are does not make them so.

How can any Catholic, who lives in a society which allows abortion, promotion of homosexuality to primary school children, the handing out of morning after pills at secondary school, etc... how can any Catholic possibly expend more energy in being hacked off that the BNP are getting the odd seat here and there?

Priorities, please! We already live under an evil regime as it is!
I think that given the limited choice I would have to say that BNP is still a long way short of being comparable to any of the main parties. Unfortunately Clare the majority of people probably had feelings similar to yours and so decided to exercise their democratic rite by not voting. Less than 45% of the electorate turned out and that is the main reason, in my opinion, that BNP made ground. Even if you had voted for the Monster raving Loony party you would have done a better service to the Catholic Church than failing to vote and so allowing the BNP to claim a larger percentage of the few votes that were cast.

Voting should be compulsory but in order to be elected the person should gain a minimum % of the possible vote, not the actual no of votes cast. So as things stood last night the conservatives for example had 29% of the votes cast that means that they had less than 15% of the possible vote. If the requirement to take a seat were set at say 33% then they would not be elected and we would have to go back to the poles. A bit like electing the Pope. Unfortunately such a system would be cumbersome and expensive and it is not likely to be introduced. (Australia has compulsory voting but then it only has about 15% of the Electorate available in the UK.) So it is up to us to make sure we vote and that our vote is effective, in other words vote tactically if you want to keep BNP out of an area were they could win you may find that you have to vote Tory or libdem or even UKIP to ensure that there is a credible opposition.

The BNP is a Party committed to racist and evil practice. I see no merit in them and only for the sake of political freedom does it exist. Secular governments may permit practices, such as abortion, which we find religiously abhorrent but that milk was spilt in 1967 and no party is offering to reverse it. We have a choice today to prevent a party gaining ground whose policies we can deny and who we can do something about. The shame is to many people sat at home and cursed the system. Take a stand because the world is changing and unless we make a stand it will move on regardless.
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Clare
Monday, 8. June 2009, 10:14
Priorities, please! We already live under an evil regime as it is!
I have to ask what are you suggesting as an alternative?

Curse the dark or turn on a light? When you turn on the light you may find the room is not very attractive and you were better off with your imagination and the world you dreamt of in the dark. The problem is Jesus called us to walk in the light.
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