In my almost twelve years as a regular blogger, I have posted several times on each of these ‘hot potato’, contentious topics and it might seem that I have said all that was worth saying.

In my recent two blogs (see here and here), which happen to refer and relate to all four of these subjects, I did make mention of my desire not to rewind the old gramophone record by repeating stuff I had said before, yet if readers want to truly understand ‘where I am coming from’ they may do well to read what I have written in the past. My desire now is to attempt the nigh impossible – summarize my thoughts on each of these subjects that get people so worked up and provide helpful suggestions going forward on how to respond.

Tommy Robinson

The blogs I am referring to concern the “Put Christ back into Christmas” event over the past weekend. If it were not for the fact that Tommy Robinson was one of the event’s main organisers, I doubt it would have attracted widespread criticism it did, including among many church leaders. The general consensus is that TR is a wrong ‘un, evidenced by the number of times he has been sent to prison, and those who support him are looked upon with marked disdain. Whilst the unsurprising attacks on TR’s character by the Unholy Trinity (politicians, media and elites), and even by helpful AI as I went on a fact-finding expedition, may provide an excuse for this negative reaction, if truth is our mantra, then I for one won’t buy it. I wonder if TR’s detractors have listened to TR being interviewed (see here and here) and, if they haven’t, they ought to. There he gives his side of the story, with the message loudly coming through to me of righteous indignation at what is happening and is being allowed to happen by the controlling elites to Britain and has been hidden from us by the afore-mentioned Unholy Trinity. As a result, it really has lost its way, including ditching values that are inherent in its Christian roots. For many who see things in this way, including me, TR has become a champion for getting back our country on the right track and even an unlikely instrument of the Almighty (just like St. Paul, once a persecutor of the church) to embolden parts of the church that are willing and get unlikely people, many having given up on church, into true Christian faith.

Immigration

I would argue that my own track record when it comes to Immigration, including among Muslims, qualifies me for offering an opinion that includes there is too much immigration into the UK. Ever since I was a university student, I engaged with newly arrived immigrants and befriended many. This continued around the turn of the millennium when I became a community activist, working with those from many different ethnicities, including advocating on behalf of asylum seekers and helping to empower new ethnic communities. I married a black foreign national and belong to a church when nearly half of the active members are those born outside the UK. But I fear that Enoch Powell’s “River of Blood” prophecy may be about to be fulfilled. As I see it: many have come and settled in the UK for plausible reasons and have contributed well to the life of this nation. Of course, we should be kind to these new foreigners to our country, just as Leviticus reminds us, but not without reservation and with it an expectation that they obey the laws of the land and respect its customs. Firstly, we don’t have the infrastructure to handle the numbers. Secondly, successive governments have let we the people down on this matter by letting the wrong foreigners in and keeping the right foreigners out through its asylum policies. Thirdly, a significant minority are neither true asylum seekers nor do not contribute economically to any sizable extent and may even undermine British identity by imposing their own culture and beliefs to the dismay of some who see values they once took for granted being shed replaced by something worse, along with an erosion of free speech, in part to appease the new arrivals who might take offence. Some have been allowed to enter the country illegally and with no redress. A high portion have been fighting age men and some have been part of rape gangs operating in many cities in the land. From the time that the Blair government came to power in the early 2000’s immigration numbers have increased drastically, including a rise in illegal immigration that could have been prevented. The reason for this growth in numbers, I have little doubt, was a hidden policy to undermine the cultural Christian identity of the nation and thus implement a globalist and Fabian agenda. People are seeing through this and responding accordingly, including some waving the Union and St. George’s flags as a reminder of that rich heritage that is being undermined.

Islam

A good number of the new immigrants I connected with over the years have been Muslims. The big majority I have not had any problems with and many were delightful people who I would be happy to have as my neighbours. During my time as a community activist, I found myself often engaging with two of our town’s (now city) local mosques and enjoyed a good relationship with the imams and officers of those mosques. I applauded their efforts to serve the surrounding community and was able to assist in small ways. Both mosques ran events inviting neighbours, which I found enjoyable and informative. I doubt this ties in with the negative portrayal of Islam depicted by Tommy Robinson and the like and herein lies a tension and as so often happens there are two sides. On one hand, there are members of my two mosques, concerning which: one is dominated by Pakistani doctors and one by Bangladeshi merchants, both seeking the good of the host community and acting as responsible citizens. On the other hand, there are those who have been responsible for a string of atrocities over the years, including that of rape gangs in our cities. Then there is the sense of two-tier justice where wrong behaviour is overlooked and those who speak out of turn are penalised, often along with a fear of upsetting the Muslims, and now with the likely introduction of measures to outlaw ‘Islamophobia’ whereby one is not allowed to criticise Islam and those who follow it or else. As I study history and observe what goes on in the world when it comes to Islam, I see it as being a threat and even the proverbial elephant in the room. Along with its growing population, the Muslim influence continues to increase, along with that of its unlikely ally, Marxism, I see this not boding well for the future of the country and a contributory factor to the unease and division that is becoming increasingly more evident.    

C(c)hurch

I should distinguish from the outset between ‘Church’ and ‘church’. Church (with a capital ‘C’) comprises real followers of Christ, i.e. born again Christians, irrespective of which sect or denomination they belong to. Church (which a small ‘c) refers to a building or institution and includes attendees who are not real Christians. I am more interested in Church but recognise for the sake of this blog I need to address where some/much of the church is presently at, as there are many leaders in the churches, who may or may not be real Christian, whose views on Tommy Robinson, immigration and Islam differ widely from my own, who despite their plea for inclusion and diversity fail to get the threats facing our country and be the prophetic voice our country needs. Yet they cannot be ignored because of the influence they hold over the true Church, sadly too often leading the sheep astray rather them in the right way and putting off some outside of church. For the Church is God’s instrument for reaching out to the world with the Gospel, and holds the key to Britain returning to its Christian roots and addressing the more problematic aspects of Immigration and Islam, despite from a human standpoint, no easy solutions to these conundrums.

Where next?

As I watch on my wall, I see a nation that has lost its way, as much because it has ditched its Christian roots, adopting an inferior culture to what once was widely accepted. Many besides myself, Christian and non, agree and are angry and frustrated. There are positives of course – not least acts of kindness, human endeavour that benefits many, and countless examples of “love thy neighbour” in practice, by all sorts of people, of all faiths and none, and we are still beneficiaries of God’s mercy from the past. The Bible teaches “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” Proverbs 14:34, and as a nation we have drifted far from the paths of righteousness and can only expect divine displeasure and worse to come. While we are led by bad people and it is difficult to see help coming from amongst our politicians and our own version of a nefarious Deep State, we can put our hope in Almighty God, calling upon Him, who ever works in mysterious ways and uses unlikely instruments, such as Tommy Robinson and events like “Uniting the Kingdom” to bring unlikely people into His Kingdom. Not only is the UK seeing a “Quiet Revival” but along with political uprising across the world there is true Holy Spirit revival, including in countries where Christian’s are persecuted. As for protesting, my plea is for it to be peaceful, for there is nothing better for the cult/cabal that wants to take over the world than it be violent so they can further their dastardly plans. While my Bible understanding is for the world to get worse, e.g. with the emergence of the Antichrist, before Christ returns to planet earth, I see no alternative than to put our trust in and live for Him, along with peaceful protesting against acts of unrighteousness. As an ending, I point to the Psalm that I will next write about in my “Christ in the Psalms” series and declare “Kiss the Son” and “Blessed are all they that put their trust in him”!