British priest kicked out of church for criticising Starmer

[AlteredStater]

This has simply got to stop. Fr Phil Harris is a wonderful, decent, committed Christian and does not deserve the treatment he's received.

I wonder if you misread @LeaningOnTheEverlastingArms - PH is saying he is a FR priest by KS definition. That doesn't necessarily mean he describes himself as one.

Yes, you nailed it! Fr Phil doesn't think he is far right, but he is using Keir Starmer's definition.

@ChristmasStars here's Keir Starmer's speech from early August last year, after the riots which followed the death of 3 children after a mass stabbing at a dance party in Southport. If you remember there was a lot of misinformation at the time about the man who committed the atrocity, saying he was a Muslim and an illegal immigrant, when in fact he was not, but by then riots had broken out.

An interesting analysis from those riots by the Guardian also worth reading:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/sep/25/local-left-behind-prey-to-populist-politics-data-2024-uk-rioters

@mostlydrinkstea It is really rare to hear no immigrants which appears to be one of the themes of US Christian nationalism.

It's no illegal immigrants, not all immigrants, a very important distinction!

Exactly!

that’s my point.

There is some interesting material out there on the appeal of the far right. https://modernchurch.org.uk/the-church-the-far-right-and-the-claim-to-christianity

My experience as a priest in parish ministry is that it mostly comes down to fear of the other, especially if the other has brown skin.

Pejorative labels being thrown around is horrible and divisive.

It’s an awful facet of human nature that individuals are looked upon as ‘fitting into a certain box’ and then get stigmatised with the worst definition that ‘box’ has attached to it. Abhorrent.

The Lord God Almighty would be labelled a 'far right facist' by some. So what? Who cares about human labels and pointy fingers done under their own prejudice? Christ Jesus could be labelled a 'wishy washy wokey lefty' by some (and is 'preached/taught' in that way by many) - but they fail to understand that His message of 'love' is under GOD's strict commands that 'you should...', 'you should not...' The Messiah was hated by many during His time on earth because He shook up the establishment. I am glad we have at least some who are prepared to do the same, speaking Truth in Love. Keep preaching it, Rev Phil!

Here's the link for tomorrow's service for anyone interested. 😊

Me too ☺️

I watched it, but not 'live'. The choice of songs/hymns was great. The Old Rugged Cross always gets me. For anyone not able to attend church, it is very helpful resource.

That's great, glad you enjoyed! Yes it's a very moving hymn. :)

I watched it too, missed the beginning but saw a good bit of it live. Was very good. Thanks for the link @AlteredStater

There was a discussion about Fr Phil and right wing views in the church on Radio4. It will be on Sounds - the program was Beyond Belief.

Thanks for the headsup, I'll have a look for it!

I listened to Beyond Belief on Radio 4 Sounds. It was really not a lot more than what has appeared on the previous links further up thread. Rev Phil merely stated facts, the same as previously, but the majority of the panel and the host were from the get go approaching it through a skewed lens and from a prejudiced heart. Clearly there was an anti Rev Phil agenda. They were also using straw men and at one point objected to the Lord's Prayer being said at a 'Tommy Robinson rally' calling it 'far right appropriation'. I'm not surprised as rarely is the BBC impartial.

Fr Phil's new church is thriving!

The BBC is notoriously woke and left-leaning. Hardly impartial.

Yes, Fr Phil said they edited out a lot of what he said which would have changed how the whole discussion came across.

Sadly I’m not surprised in the least.