The Methodist church announced this week that it will ban its members from also being members of the British National Party (BNP). This move comes as the BNP has started flirting with 'Christian nation' rhetoric in it's speeches, which has led Christian groups to become more vociferous in their condemnation (some pretty blunt 'open letters' from church leaders went round in advance of the recent Euro elections too).There are 3 main reasons why I oppose the BNP. Firstly, they have an openly racist membership policy (black people are not allowed to join). Secondly, they favour a policy of 'voluntary deportation', which would mean that a fair number of my friends would get letters inviting them to leave Britain on day 1 of a BNP administration. And thirdly, Nick Griffin insists on wearing a cross on his lapel despite being diametrically opposed to almost everything that it stands for (grace, reconciliation, that sort of stuff). Jesus would be turning in his grave if he were still in it.
But I'm still not sure about the Methodist move. I'm confident that fair chunks of what the BNP stand for represent 'sin' in a Christian sense. But if we intend to ban sinners from church membership, we may face a membership crisis on a scale that even the Methodists are unused to. Hands up anyone who never covets anything in the face of saturation media advertising? Who never gives in to lu$t despite living in a hypersexualised culture? Who never loves themselves even a tiny bit more than their neighbour? Thought not.
The Church has always been much more eager than Jesus to define certain sins as unforgiveable. In the past, everyone from heretics to homosexuals have been treated in this way, and it has always proved a mistake. Now it seems to be the racists' turn. Living in an area where the BNP can poll up to 20%, I don't have the luxury being able to write people off as unworthy of fellowship because of their politics. Jesus said 'Come to me, all of you who are burdened'. The fears and prejudices that the BNP play on are burdens that we need to lift from people's shoulders, not reasons for rejecting them.
