Thoughts on Calvin Robinson?

[meatbasedbreakfast]

Long time lurker, stepping out the darkness to ask this.

Was asked today by a friend who knows I'm GC what my thoughts are on Calvin Robinson. Apparently he's becoming a face of GC views?!

I was shocked. He is anti abortion (in all cases), doesn't think same sex marriage should be legal, and isn't a feminist in any sense of the word.

I'm genuinely concerned that our movement is being picked up by people like him, who couldn't care less about women. When he says biological sex is real, he couldn't give a damn about how that leads to discrimination/violence. It made my blood boil and I want to know what other people think.

I don’t know that I’ve ever heard CR talking about Christ though 🤷‍♀️ The only thing he seems to be evangelising for is his face on the TV.

Ffs, So far in this thread we’ve heard that CR is

A fake priest.
That he lied about why the CofE wouldn’t ordain him.
That he was running around in a Cassock when not ordained.

And now nobody seems to be able to offer any evidence for any of this we are supposed to condemn him on the basis that he wears a Cassock at all because it’s archaic!

I just don’t understand the need to make people out to be worse than they are. It’s fine to not like someone or disagree with their opinions but why make stuff up to make them seem worse.

I'm not smearing anyone! I'm pointing out that you (general you) don't seem able to articulate arguments against CR's ideas, only to insult him and call him names.

I'm sure I would be able to muster some strong arguments against many of his views and I'm equally sure he'd be happy to have that discussion. I just find it remarkable that people can express actual contempt for someone and yet not be able to explain why other than name calling. I didn't call anyone a racist but I do wonder if this is partly driven by racism, having heard from many black conservatives who speak of this. But I think it's mainly driven by a lack of ideas and by intellectual laziness. So used to being told what's right and wrong, you've lost the ability to form arguments and use logic and evidence to discuss ideas.

I was always taught to "play the ball, not the player" and I do think that way has more integrity and is way more effective.

I think it's odd for posters to accuse FWR of not being able to deal with black conservatives when there are (rightly) regular admiring comments and threads about Kemi Badenoch and Nimco Ali among others.

I'm not accusing FWR of anything! I'm a regular on FWR - we're not a hive mind and we often disagree.

I'm one of the people who shouts up for Kemi Badenoch and other black conservatives too.

This gets more and more absurd.

What basis have you got for saying he doesn't talk about Christ? Have you watched hours of his you tube? Have you been to his church?

He talks about Christ frequently.

He only started wearing a cassock less than a year ago after he was ordained.
And unless you're a Christian and a member of his church why the hell do you care so much about who can wear a cassock??

It's really weird and ridiculous.

I'm with you OP. Horrified that Calvin Robinson and his ilk (Turning Point UK, Laurence Fox and co) are hitching a ride on what is essentially a women's rights issue. I don't know why people are being so prickly with you on this thread.

It's all very well saying that most people don't believe you can change sex but it kind of depends on where you live and the circles you move in! I'm sick of being called a bigot as a GQ women and being grouped in with foul groups like Turning Point UK.

It's genuinely disturbing and worrying.

What do you suggest feminists do about it?

Here's Calvin mentioning Christ quite a lot.

I'm sure you disagree with the position he's taking, but to suggest he's not religious and doesn't talk about Christ is just ridiculous and a weird accusation.

Wouldn't it make more sense to say you just disagree with many of CR's ideas rather than try to make out he's some kind of grifter? There's no evidence that he's anything other than what he says he is. I've listened to him talk about God and his faith and there's no obvious reason to think he's insincere. Someone can disagree with you without being actually bad or evil. Conservatives and religious ministers can be good and lovely people! Genuinely don't know why that's so hard for some adults to understand!

I am a Catholic. That in particular is why I find a young man now wearing a cassock distinctly odd and if he were a member of catholic clergy I would think the same. I’m not black but on social issues I actually am quite conservative so I do object to the idea that criticism of CR is rooted in disdain for black conservatives. From what I have seen of the man I am not convinced of his sincere belief in anything but himself. That’s just my impression, I may be wrong, but it’s completely incorrect to think in any way my thoughts are related to his racial background.

I'm with you OP. Horrified that Calvin Robinson and his ilk (Turning Point UK, Laurence Fox and co) are hitching a ride on what is essentially a women's rights issue.

So conservative Christians are ‘hitching a ride’ when they are sacked for urging caution over LBGTQ trainers, when they object to their five year olds taking part in Pride parades, when they are arrested for ‘misgendering’ as the preach their religion? Perhaps you should tell their schools and the police to leave them alone as it is a woman’s rights issue?

So you just dislike him for no reason, eyeroll? That's fine but why try to make out he's a liar/grifter/bad person? There's people I dislike for whatever random 'reason' but I don't confuse my feelings with reality. I might despise someone, but it still doesn't make them a bad person! (It might make me a bad person for being prejudiced/judgmental!)

I am a Catholic. That in particular is why I find a young man now wearing a cassock distinctly odd and if he were a member of catholic clergy I would think the same.

Why?

I didn’t say I dislike him for no reason. I said he does not seem sincere to me, he seems more interested in self promotion than anything else. That’s based on my observations of him and how he interacts with other people. It’s not ‘random’

Ah the Catholic Church. Are they ordaining women or conducting same sex weddings yet? Have they become pro-choice while I wasn't looking?

He's an ordained deacon in another church which is not yours. Why on earth shouldn't he wear a cassock? Why is it anyone's business except for his church?

Here's a lovely picture of some (presumably newly ordained) C of E deacons, 'running about in cassocks'. Looks quite fun!

www.churchofengland.org/life-events/vocations/preparing-ordained-ministry/your-pathway

”I didn’t say he has lied. But, for example, he was been running about in a cassock for several years now, so if he was only ordained as a deacon last year what’s that about?”

Do you still think he’s been running about in a Cassock for several years? Have you managed to find any old footage of him doing so? Perhaps this is why you consider him to be insincere? Maybe you’re mistaken.

Okay but your "observations" don't appear to be based on anything. Certainly not on the actual truth!

Because even in my youth to see clergy wearing cassocks was rare. For a young man to choose to adopt that style of dress now is a deliberate choice. He is not obliged or expected to wear it. He is choosing to wear it, I think, in an attempt to present an image which draws upon the ‘authority’ of the Church to make his own position appear weightier. It also makes him much more identifiable as it is not a common form of dress for clergy now. It appears to me to be a cynical branding move.

That appears to be as part of a ceremony. I doubt any of those men would be wearing a cassock day to day.

Do you object to the dog collar for the same reason?

Does CR wear a cassock day to day?

I’ve seen him wearing a dog collar when on GB news. Not sure about the rest of his outfit.

Yes, I don't think a dog collar is unusual.

Not sure if a cassock is unusual really? I had breakfast the other day with two men in cassocks. They seemed fairly casual about it.