Friday 4 May 2012

BNP + Jesus


Raceless church I have recently been discussing the church reaction toward those who hold racist or near racist views (I count anti-Islamic sentiment in this second group). This topic is of epically interest to me as the Methodist bars BMP members from entering into the community of the church http://methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentogod.newsDetail&newsid=364 . Now whist I oppose this position, not being allowed to enter into membership is not the same as refusal of entry or communion. So the first question we have is what does the gospel teach us about race and immigration; Now I could list endless bible quote but I have restricted myself to Matthew 2:13, Mark 3:35. So let us firstly look at Matthew 2:13 in which Jesus is forced to flee him homeland to seek refuge in a foreign land. This is a sadly overlooked part of the Jesus story, not only was Jesus born into the world of the poor but also the world of the exile / the immigrant. It would be wonderful to explore the idea of an immigrant or exiled God but it is enough here to not that the Christian God was an exiled God and sought safety as an immigrant. The second important concept is the concept of the eternal family, found in Mark 3:35 and in many places thought the new testament. This remains me of Derrida’s unlimited hospitality but an even more challenging and difficult concept to live by. Firstly with reference to this piece I would like you to note that it says “whoever believes in god is your brother”. A definition which would include make Muslim’s are brothers a concept I have no issue with, it also make the thief and the murder our brother in faith, again a concept I take very little issue with. There are multiple inclusive parts of the story of Jesus and it does seem to me that hatred or the rejection of someone ever can be reconciled to a life following Jesus but it seems even clearer that to do so on the basis of race or their immigration status is to reject physically God and to reject spiritually his will. I still reject that anything can render us irreconcilable with God but how can we reconcile whilst we reject both God and his will.

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