'Hallelujah, they're standing up for Jesus'

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December 2006

'Hallelujah, they're standing up for Jesus'

Thus trumpeted the UK daily The Sunday Times on 19 November. Journalist Minette Marrin investigates the stirring of Christians in the UK.*

Subjected to suspension and bans on their campus activities by the university student unions, Christian Unions were considering legal action. The Christian Unions have been penalised for reasons including that their Christian core beliefs are too exclusive (Exeter) and discriminate against non-Christians (Heriot-Watt). At another university, the CU has been banned from conducting a course on sex and relationships.

As if this was not bad enough, there is the very hypocrisy that allows other groups, including Muslim groups, to be able to assert their core beliefs and behaviours without bans or penalties.

This article fascinated me, because it describes exactly what Paul Cavanough and I heard, time and again, during our month-long study tour over September-October of this year in the UK.

Bishops and senior diocesan leaders were becoming increasingly concerned at the discrimination against Christians with the constant bias of government bodies and the BBC against Christians, and their favouring of Muslims.

Paul and I had the privilege of observing the strong leadership that has been shown by Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali (see his excellent new book Conviction and Conflict), Patrick Sookhdeo (see his stimulating 2006 Islam: the Challenge to the Church), Professor Peter Riddell, an Australian (see his Christians and Muslims) and the inspirational Ugandan-born Archbishop of York. (To see more, type 'Archbishop John Sentamu Islam' into your web search engine.)

While critical of the BBC and government for bias and a lack of public policy, Church leaders were very concerned that the Church was largely unprepared to face the challenge of liberal, secular authorities at all levels, who are subservient to a 'political correctness' that is debilitating British society, a society that is in practice spiritual, and with a strong Christian heritage.

As they see it, their challenge as leaders of the Church is to 'teach about Jesus.' This was the constant reply to my question, 'What do you see as your major role, as a bishop of the Church?'

Their responses can be paraphrased as:

'Teach about Jesus. The Church in England does not understand its faith. It is not well educated. It is not confident of Jesus and its faith.'

'The best way to stop the rot of England is to grow the Church, to grow its understanding and love of Jesus Christ and his Kingdom.'

'We must return to evangelism, to proclaiming by word and life the message of Jesus and calling/inviting people to respond, to come home to Jesus.'

'We have seemed to be embarrassed by the doing of evangelism and even the word "evangelism". We must re-discover evangelism for the well-being of Britain.'

It is not by chance that Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali's latest book is titled Conviction and Conflict. As a Pakistani from a Muslim family, he understands what 'conviction' is to a person from a community of conviction. It means strong belief and belonging; it means difference; it also means similarity. And it is in this similarity and difference that we must discover who we are as 'communities of conviction' now living together in a nation, be it the UK or Australia.

Christian conviction is summarised in Christian initiation, baptism, by reciting the Apostles' Creed. This involves the conviction for the truth of the coming of the Son of God. But, for a Muslim the Apostles' Creed is a blasphemy against Allah, against their Muslim convictions.

For Christians to live faithfully in this multi-faith, 'multi-conviction' world, we have the responsibility to evangelise, to make disciples of Jesus Christ and to be disciples of Jesus Christ.

'The scandal of the church is that the Christ event is no longer life-changing, it has become life-enhancing. We've lost the power and joy that makes real disciples, and we've become consumers of religion and not disciples of Jesus Christ.' John Santamu, Archbishop of York

Ironic, is it not, that the two key faces of the Church of England's new-found engagement with Jesus Christ are not fair-skinned, Anglo-Saxons, but a dark-skinned Asian and a black African? Listen to them, learn from them and may God give us the will to be real disciples of Jesus Christ.

Shalom,

*See Opinion article in the Sunday Times: Hallelujah, they're standing up for Jesus.

Some further references on Christianity and Islam and other matters

o Telegraph 14 November 2006

o Herald Sun Muslim 'victim mentality' attacked

o Sunday Profile Archbishop of Canterbury in The Independent

o Opinion Column in the Telegraph from the Dean of Salisbury: 'What we really need are Women Bishops'

o Times Online Pope plans recruitment drive among disaffected Anglicans

o Clergymen [from Cape Town] ask Church to be understanding

o Godless Dawkins challenges schools

o The Tablet 'When Rowan Goes to Rome'

John Harrower

	The Anglican Church in Tasmania Search
	a healthy church...transformingLIFE
	Home About Contact us News Issues Parishes Prayer Calendar Youth Resources

				December 2006

		'Hallelujah, they're standing up for Jesus' Thus trumpeted the UK daily The Sunday Times on 19 November. Journalist Minette Marrin investigates the stirring of Christians in the UK.* Subjected to suspension and bans on their campus activities by the university student unions, Christian Unions were considering legal action. The Christian Unions have been penalised for reasons including that their Christian core beliefs are too exclusive (Exeter) and discriminate against non-Christians (Heriot-Watt). At another university, the CU has been banned from conducting a course on sex and relationships. As if this was not bad enough, there is the very hypocrisy that allows other groups, including Muslim groups, to be able to assert their core beliefs and behaviours without bans or penalties. This article fascinated me, because it describes exactly what Paul Cavanough and I heard, time and again, during our month-long study tour over September-October of this year in the UK. Bishops and senior diocesan leaders were becoming increasingly concerned at the discrimination against Christians with the constant bias of government bodies and the BBC against Christians, and their favouring of Muslims. Paul and I had the privilege of observing the strong leadership that has been shown by Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali (see his excellent new book Conviction and Conflict), Patrick Sookhdeo (see his stimulating 2006 Islam: the Challenge to the Church), Professor Peter Riddell, an Australian (see his Christians and Muslims) and the inspirational Ugandan-born Archbishop of York. (To see more, type 'Archbishop John Sentamu Islam' into your web search engine.) While critical of the BBC and government for bias and a lack of public policy, Church leaders were very concerned that the Church was largely unprepared to face the challenge of liberal, secular authorities at all levels, who are subservient to a 'political correctness' that is debilitating British society, a society that is in practice spiritual, and with a strong Christian heritage. As they see it, their challenge as leaders of the Church is to 'teach about Jesus.' This was the constant reply to my question, 'What do you see as your major role, as a bishop of the Church?' Their responses can be paraphrased as: 'Teach about Jesus. The Church in England does not understand its faith. It is not well educated. It is not confident of Jesus and its faith.' 'The best way to stop the rot of England is to grow the Church, to grow its understanding and love of Jesus Christ and his Kingdom.' 'We must return to evangelism, to proclaiming by word and life the message of Jesus and calling/inviting people to respond, to come home to Jesus.' 'We have seemed to be embarrassed by the doing of evangelism and even the word "evangelism". We must re-discover evangelism for the well-being of Britain.' It is not by chance that Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali's latest book is titled Conviction and Conflict. As a Pakistani from a Muslim family, he understands what 'conviction' is to a person from a community of conviction. It means strong belief and belonging; it means difference; it also means similarity. And it is in this similarity and difference that we must discover who we are as 'communities of conviction' now living together in a nation, be it the UK or Australia. Christian conviction is summarised in Christian initiation, baptism, by reciting the Apostles' Creed. This involves the conviction for the truth of the coming of the Son of God. But, for a Muslim the Apostles' Creed is a blasphemy against Allah, against their Muslim convictions. For Christians to live faithfully in this multi-faith, 'multi-conviction' world, we have the responsibility to evangelise, to make disciples of Jesus Christ and to be disciples of Jesus Christ. 'The scandal of the church is that the Christ event is no longer life-changing, it has become life-enhancing. We've lost the power and joy that makes real disciples, and we've become consumers of religion and not disciples of Jesus Christ.' John Santamu, Archbishop of York Ironic, is it not, that the two key faces of the Church of England's new-found engagement with Jesus Christ are not fair-skinned, Anglo-Saxons, but a dark-skinned Asian and a black African? Listen to them, learn from them and may God give us the will to be real disciples of Jesus Christ. Shalom, *See Opinion article in the Sunday Times: Hallelujah, they're standing up for Jesus. Some further references on Christianity and Islam and other matters o Telegraph 14 November 2006 o Herald Sun Muslim 'victim mentality' attacked o Sunday Profile Archbishop of Canterbury in The Independent o Opinion Column in the Telegraph from the Dean of Salisbury: 'What we really need are Women Bishops' o Times Online Pope plans recruitment drive among disaffected Anglicans o Clergymen [from Cape Town] ask Church to be understanding o Godless Dawkins challenges schools o The Tablet 'When Rowan Goes to Rome'		John Harrower