Rebecca is clearly not responsible for the headline above her piece – Church campaign to target racism angers conservatives. The strapline was good - Ecumenical project to combat 'Islamophobia' is accused of ignoring 'Christianophobia'.
The chairman of the Sheffield Methodist District, the Revd Vernon Marsh, was quoted. He declined to use the term 'Islamophobia', even though the job advert for the project manager explicitly mentioned it, as Rebecca pointed out. Revd Marsh said the project was about fighting racism.
Your curate’s original article on Cranmer was absolutely explicit that racism is contrary to the gospel of the Lord Jesus, which is to be proclaimed to all nations. Racism should therefore be challenged by frontline clergy.
Rebecca herself made that perfectly clear in her piece:
The project’s critics do not deny the need to try to challenge extremist political parties such as the BNP that try to claim the Christian voice. But they object to prioritising this over promoting the Christian gospel, asking; “What would John Wesley have made of it?”
Cranmer's Curate was then quoted:
The biblical doctrine of the Church of England, as expressed in Canon A5, is crystal-clear as to the responsibility of frontline clergy. We are called to proclaim faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and his death for sins as the only way men and women can be saved, whatever their religious, ethnic or social background. If we are misrepresented as extremist for doing what it says on the tin, then that is part of the cost of authentic Christian discipleship.
We must not allow ourselves to be bounced off the ball by political correctness.
