The Modern Church - Hate the sinner, hate the sin

There is this curate see, no doubt a thoroughly nice chap, but as a fisher of men rather occluded. You see he thinks that anybody who dares question the faith of the Climate Change Lobby is beyond the pale. And in a country which voted rather significantly against the left he has no interest in millions of souls, or at best contempt for them. It is also apparent that according to him one has to hate the sin and the sinner. I would guess that this is a novel doctrine, but there you have it.

The reason why I am aware of this curate is that he tweeted this,

Blog: Paranoid and moronic email from @Nigel_Farage. /cc @christian_aid #ukip #climate

and being the sort of anal chap I am I had had a look for recent #UKIP tweets. Thus I bothered to read his post. Delightful it was

Now, the evidence for climate change is – as anyone who’s not a lunatic right-winger knows – overwhelming. Sadly, Mr Farage falls into the exception category. (No surprise given that UKIP is the blurry area that merges the Tories and the BNP on the right of British politics).

Below is a copy of the paranoid and moronic response I received from Mr Farage so all the world can see the lunacy that UKIP espouse.

You can go and read the response if you want on the above link. Not the words I would have used but there you have it.

I replied to his tweet,

@riggwelter good to see your form of faith allows you to dismiss as lunatics those who disagree with you. Nice tolerant sort I see

 and must have struck some sort of a nerve as he responded rather excitedly. In moments he had replied. Not  once,

@GawainTowler The veracity of #climate science is hardly a matter of faith but of cold hard facts sir +++

Not twice,

@GawainTowler +++ and I said that Mr Farage's email was moronic and paranoid, I specifically did not call him names. Unlike you.

But

@GawainTowler If you parse the post correctly, you'll note that UKIP-style right-wing politics are described as lunatic, not any person.

@GawainTowler It's also clear that UKIP don't like light being shined on their true nature else attack dogs aren't unleashed on constituents

Seems #UKIP dislike light being shined on their true nature so much, they've unleashed the attack dogs on lil ol' me.

Yup five times. I particularly delight in that trite, "lil ol' me" and the sanctimonious use of the cross. But of course that is balderdash. Oh yes and the absolute certainty without the space for doubt about science and its veracity. Again interesting for a man of faith.

Of course, it was Friday night and I was moved to respond to this near confessional,

@riggwelter wow, seem to have touched a nerve. Never saw myself as an attack dog, more a spaniel, Clumber by choice

When called on his rather unchristian attitude his defence was as far as I can see denial. Denial that he had called the boss lunatic, or that his actions were paranoid or moronic. Dunno what you think but he thought this,

@GawainTowler Just strikes me that personal attacks and insults on constituents are an interesting way to do politics is all.

Not sure I had launched a personal attack, or an insult, merely suggested that his tone was somewhat intolerant.

@riggwelter just strikes me that adjectives such as paranoid, lunatic and moronic are fairly ripe for a man of the cloth

Not sure why I bothered with this post, but I felt that the way in which this man was so certain of his own truths that he was willing to degrade and insult those who do not share his views was symptomatic of a malaise that faces both the country at large and the Church in particular. His transparent contempt for a majority of the country rather sits ill with his vocation. Or so it seems to me, but I am only a layman.

He tells us that he is interested in,

 in using both inherited and new forms of church creatively to help the church to live as missional communities and is passionate about helping release people into ministering in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Lord alone knows what that means by this, but I think it is meant to suggests that he respects those of different traditions. But actions speak stronger don't you think?