Archbishop of Canterbury Easter message “ Rwanda is an affront to God”

Religion is political there is no way it can’t be.

Whitewavemark2

Religion is political there is no way it can’t be.

I agree, but I think there’s a difference between a religious leader using their right to free speech to express an opinion, and allowing the church to influence political decisions directly.

He's expressing his views as a compassionate Christian.

Funnily enough, a few of our local vicars are not British; they must be immigrants too.

Callistemon21

Yes, it is a trivial comment and not true either.

When I said "Yes it is" I was replying to this by varian:

why the adjective "staunch" is so often applied to Conservatives, and sometimes to Roman Catholics , but never to Liberals or Socialists or Jews or Muslims or Humanists?

Staunch
adjective
very loyal and committed in attitude.
"a staunch supporter of the anti-nuclear lobby"

Cambridge Dictionary:

staunch
adjective

^always loyal in supporting a person, organization, or set of beliefs or opinions^:
a staunch friend and ally
He gained a reputation as being a staunch defender/supporter of civil rights

Liberals or Socialists or Jews or Muslims or Humanists?
Some of whom may be just as staunch in their beliefs, surely?
Or are you saying they're half-hearted?

No Calli I am absolutely not saying that Liberals, Socialists, Jews, Muslims or Humanists are not staunch in their beliefs - of course they are.

I was merely commenting of the apparent apropriation of the word "staunch" by the right wing media who so often refer to "staunch Conservatives"

Oh!
I don't read it so I didn't know

I must stop using it about my Dad - I was only telling someone on Saturday about him

It's a cynical vote-catching ploy for the racists before the local government elections. Bet they never send white refugees to Rwanda. And a diversion from Johnson's partygate lies.

In the small print there is an agreement with Rwanda that UK will take a proportion of their refugees, an unspecified proportion so who knows how many? It states these refugees will be ones with significant physical and or mental health problems. So it doesn't deal with the migrant or refugee crisis at all and will put our overstretched health service in even more difficulty. But hey, the Tories think it will grub them more votes.

Wish he would also speak out as vociferously about the 300k homeless Brits many of whom are living on the streets.

topcat223

Wish he would also speak out as vociferously about the 300k homeless Brits many of whom are living on the streets.

Like this, maybe: www.independent.co.uk/homeless-fund/homeless-fund-christmas-charity-appeal-justin-welby-faith-church-england-a9225211.html.

Or this: www.connection-at-stmartins.org.uk/1166-2/

Or thish: www.ulc.org/ulc-blog/archbishop-of-canterbury-joins-other-faith-leaders-in-the-fight-against-homelessness

Or this: www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/archbishop-canterbury-praises-peterborough-homeless-project-one-best-country-986416

Galaxy

I loathe what is going on with Johnson and his band of incompetents but I have no interest in what the archbishop of canterbury thinks of it all.

Likewise-no doubt he’ll be in the House of Lords soon!

would the government still think this policy to be good if the individuals were white? I know the Ukrainians are fleeing war but so are the people living in the Sudan and Syria.I think it is a terrible idea and fully support Justin Welby

Welby completely lost me when he described the unjabbed as “immoral”. Not amoral you may note but immoral. It’s my choice to be unjabbed, for which I have good reasons. Firstly someone close to me developed heart problems after being jabbed. Secondly, while I was hesitating I caught Covid so presumably now have natural immunity. Anyway, as a result of Welby’s woke and judgmental pronouncements I no longer feel welcome in the Church of England and am therefore denominationally homeless. Not my Archbishop!

I thought it was great too, Johnson and Patel etc have zero compassion and the sooner we can be rid of them the better

'Staunch' is a word I have read but never heard anyone using and I never said it all my life. I probably won't try it out sometime as it connotes a righty buttering somebody up.

It sounds like 'haunch' so I think of a righty with great big thighs and buttocks.

I have no religion, far too much horror has been perpetrated in the name of religion throughout civilisation, but I do believe in the principles of what is good and kind and for the benefit of everybody. Reading the OP it seems to me that Justin Welby's comments are, although tangled up in religion, in the vein of what is good.

JenniferEccles

In your opinion. Not mine.

Nor mine

I wish that one of those elites would come up with another, better idea alongside all their criticism. To do nothing and let in 28,000+ immigrants as last year, many of whom are economic migrants who have travelled through many safe countries like France because they think that things are better (ie easier) for them in the UK, is simply unaffordable for this country. There is a housing crisis for starters and many families here are living in B&B accommodation. We have a cost of living crisis, pensioners who have to choose whether to ‘eat or heat’, food banks etc etc. plus a failing NHS, overcrowded schools, inadequate social care, need I go on ? I don’t see Welby and his chums lending much of a hand there. That is left to underfunded parishes, with poorly paid clergy and dwindling congregations who do their best to help in their community. If the moribund C of E want to help in the present crises, either the poorer citizens of this country or the immigrants to whom they believe we should open the gates, perhaps it should release some of the millions of pounds. worth of assets it guards so jealously. To announce that they, unelected by the citizenry as they are, are speaking for the majority in this country is untrue and flies against the very notion of democracy.

I'm starting to think there's a rota system with a checklist.

Well said Amalegra!!!

DaisyAnne

I heard him on R4 earlier. He is amazingly patronising (and a prat).

I hope you are referring to Jacob Rees-Mogg in which case I agree entirely. As a catholic who professes to have a faith, some of his views are indefensible!

Amalegra
If we stopped accepting all migrants and refugees tomorrow the situations you detail would not improve one iota.

We are being directed by a Government with no moral compass at all - in his public and private life. We have a prolific liar as a Prime Minister. He will, along with his chums, always govern to benefit the elite- as it benefits them. Johnson tried to prorogue Parliament illegally to force what he wanted through. He lied about Brexit and refused to put his policies to public scrutiny on TV. When he was forced to 'speak off cuff' to the captains of British industry, his true depth was revealed - Peppa Pig was all that came to his mind. He handed over government to the unelected Dominic Cummings, and supported him when he broke the law - now look how it came back to bite him on his bum.
Most recently he lied about attending parties during lockdown and tried to drag Starmer into the gutter by lying about him.

The Archbishop is right - we need to be guided by some moral principles. There is not a chance of anything improving in this country until this Prime Minister is gone - and better still, this government is gone.

I hope you are referring to Jacob Rees-Mogg in which case I agree entirely. As a catholic who professes to have a faith, some of his views are indefensible!

Rees Mogg is a disgrace to his professed beliefs. He makes my skin crawl - cannot get the image out of my head of him lying contemptuously across the benches in Parliament when the country was struggling through a major crisis.

We have suddenly found £21 million pounds to send to Rwanda, an undemocratic county. Ever think why that wasn't put into the pop to solve some long term domestic problems?