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June 2004, Page 1.
Index of articles:
by subject,
by date.
In this issue:
(June 2004)
Vote!
The Passion (2),
Song: Come to me,
Islamic racists?
Kosovo Kids
Please vote - for inclusivity
Bishops and leaders of all the major Christian churches in West Yorkshire have signed a joint statement deploring the racist policies of the British National Party and calling on Christian people to use their vote responsibly. You probably saw it in the paper or on "Look North".
"If people of goodwill do not vote, there is a real danger that candidates with extremist views can be elected by a minority," said Stephanie Rybak (of the West Yorkshire Ecumenical Council). "If we do not want to be represented on the local council or in the European Parliament by a BNP candidate then we must vote. That is the message being put across by this statement, which has the support of all the churches of West Yorkshire."
Church leaders in Bradford have also agreed a statement asking people to vote, and to vote for the mainstream parties which all agree on serving all sections of the community. And the Ripon and Leeds Diocesan Synod passed a strong statement along similar lines.
And I, as your vicar, want to say the same. By the time you read this you may have already voted. If you haven't:
- Please vote,
- Please vote for a party with inclusive politics.
John Hartley
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The joint statement by Christian leaders The Church Leaders of West Yorkshire are deeply concerned that the British National Party is currently active in the area and proposing to field candidates for seats in the local and European elections. As Christians, we deplore all attempts to divide our society on race and asylum issues. We seek to follow the example of Christ who calls us to love our neighbour as ourselves. We resist and challenge the messages from the British National Party against members of some faith communities and assert that all human beings are created equally in the image of God. We welcome and celebrate the contribution and example given by all people of faith to this multicultural area. We urge all Christian people to exercise their right to vote and to vote only for candidates whose policies reflect a spirit of inclusive welcome. |