Hope Not Hate in Norwich

It is time for Network Norwich, and all Churches in our county, to speak out against the BNP, and its candidate, who wants to represent Norwich North – the “Reverend” Robert West.

His standing, as a “Christian”, and a “priest”, a representative of our Lord Jesus Christ puts all Christians and all Churches who remain silent to shame.

If he were to do well in Norwich North, let alone succeed God forgive us, the stain on our city would remain with us for years, and the shame of it would reverberate around the UK and across Europe. Norwich would become a byword for the ugliest and most hateful political philosophy of all time – fascism.

In Germany in the 1930s, a tiny, seemingly irrelevant sect of hate and loathing called the Nazis (National Socialist German Workers Party) grew from nothing to power and then world war and genocide … on the silence of the majority.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Pastor Niemoller were two siren voices (among a minority), two prophets in the wilderness, Christians who stood up and were counted. They spoke out, as our Lord spoke out, in the name of love and hope, not hate. Unless we have the courage to do the same, the BNP will continue to sow hatred and division among us and between us – taking our silence as consent.

And when the BNP have finished finally solving the Muslim question, and the asylum seekers, refugees, black and ethnic minorities and Jewish questions, they will come for the trade unionists, communists and socialists, until finally, they will come for us – and there will be no one left to speak out for us.

If you need more information to make up your minds while searching your hearts, visit the non-party political, independent Hope Not Hate website, and the blog of the Norwich Hope Not Hate team.

Their courage in standing up and telling the truth about the BNP, peacefully leafleting thousands of people in Norwich and Norfolk in the run up to the Euro elections held back the BNP and prevented them taking advantage of the low turn out.

You can find the blog at this link http://hnhnorfolk.blogspot.com/2009/06/vote-23-july-to-keep-bnp-out-of-norwich.html

May God bless you and give you the courage and faith to stand up for love and hope, not hate.

Andrew
Network Norwich and Norfolk