became Archbishop of York on November 30. This report by the BBC’s Religious Affairs Correspondent, Robert Pigott, describes his enthronement. It touches on his political views:
“He denounced the war in Iraq and demonstrated against it. He criticised racism in the police after being stopped and searched eight times during six years as a bishop in London.
“He said of the Church itself that it was socially glued together by a monochrome – white – culture.”
A correspondent notes that this article is striking for its “selection for attention of its [the BBC’s] own favourite litany of left-wing issues … and the complete ignoring of his clear, on-the-record, outspoken and thoroughly newsworthy concern for British tradition and identity.”
The BBC had reported the new Archbishop’s concern for British and English identity, in this report from November 22:
Multiculturalism has left the English embarrassed about celebrating their true national identity, Britain’s first black archbishop has said. Dr John Sentamu, who will be enthroned as Archbishop of York next week, said a failure to rediscover English culture would fuel greater political extremism.
“England is the culture I have lived in, I have loved,” the Ugandan-born cleric told The Times newspaper.
He called for the English to properly mark St George’s Day on 23 April.
– but it was tucked away in BBC North Yorkshire.
OT (with apologies to Natalie Solent for hijacking one of her threads, yet again!)
Today’s R4 World At One spent the first 20 minutes or more of its programme acting as an unashamed apologist for Bliar’s proposal to give away a chunk of the UK’s EU “rebate”.
Almost all the interviews broadcast were with passionate Europhiles and the entire tone (perhaps not quite the word) was attempting to shore-up the PM’s inept, fawning capitulation.
It’s true there were two voices oppposed to Bliar’s open-purse surgery – a few seconds from Michael Howard and a few from Roger Knapman, both of which were taken from earlier interviews.
So to whom did the WAO turn for an opposing view? Step forward that passionate Europhobe, Menzies Campbell!
There’s only word for this latest example of rampant pro-Bliar, pro-Eu bias: shamless!
I posted this on another thread, but just in case it got lost there – regarding the new Archbishop who I’m sure is an excellent churchman and thoroughly deserving of his new position, I noticed that the BBC broadcast an extended programme of his inauguration service, well deserved, I’m sure. However had he been Bishop deVere Wynne from Barsetshire, with a public school and Oxbridge background would the BBC have given time for that service, or am I just being cynical?
Jim T,
I’m sure the BBC would bash a WASP bishop, but “bash-the-bishop” over a black bishop.
Apologies for the awful (friday) pun.
P.S. As long as he takes medja attention away from the UKs Chief-Druid Rowan Williams, he’ll be a blessing.
BBC Buffing the Bishop Again?
I didn’t hear Radio 4 today but I have noticed that dropping the EU rebate has been standard BBC policy for some years now. It goes all of a piece with Green propaganda and the Tranzi stuff.
The inauguration of an archbishop of York goes back a thousand years. It takes in all the history of the Anglican church from Henry viii. All incumbents have been white and saturated with the culture of england and it’s church. So this was a departure of enormous significance. Now we have an Archbishop of an alien people who has experienced the concern and confusion of it’s congregation, even it’s anti black feelings. Did the new Archbishop take this apalling culture shock into consideration, or did he enhance and exaggerate it? His dancing and flaunting of African dancers was not thoughtful, wise or considerate.
I noticed that the BBC broadcast an extended programme of his inauguration service
Jim T
Yes to the extent that PMQs were ditched. the Archbish should feel very honoured.
Sorry that BBC’s Religious Affairs Correspondent, Robert Pigott has failings. I have been impressed in the past at the straightforward, informative reporting of a man in that post. (Must say I didn’t note the name, so may be Pigott, may not).
Apropos the new Archbishop of York; I am probably as reactionary as any contributer to this blog and as near an atheist as makes no difference but as far as the Bishop’s racial or cultural origins I seem to remember from my Sunday School days that “In Christ there is neither Jew nor Gentile, Bond-man nor Free”
Gordon – A Jew or Free man wouldn’t have got extended coverage on the BBC. Well, a Jew (sorry ‘Zionist’, sorry ‘Israeli’) might if he could be convincingly framed for ‘oppressing’ someone. The BBC would blow £5m of license payers’ money for that. Orla Guerin could supply her tears for a competitive rate.
Ever notice the typical message from the left whenever there is a vacancy in a major religious post (Pope, Archbishop of Canterbury etc): they can’t wait for the post to be filled by an African.
Little do they realise that the real life African churchman are unlikely to be cuddly heroes of the left like Mandela or Jesse Jackson. The African churches tend to be pretty hard line with few exceptions. No gay priests, that’s for sure.
The same goes for a lot of African American Christians, Adrian: loads of rather conservative values (family, no abortion, going to church on a regular basis). I’d say the Anglican Church could do with more Black Bishops – especially considering the PC brigade they’ve got at the helm right now.
D-German, I agree. I live here in the north of England and am delighted for the new appointment – but not for the reasons the left might like.
Godwinson, I think the quicker the C of E gets rid of the shackles of being a state religion, all the better. It will happen I reckon, but not until Charles is king.
The Anglicans in Sydney (where I am from) have no state shackles and it is really growing, with an Archbishop (a very regular, plain speaking man, not a wet fish like Williams) really getting in the faces of the secular elites.
Seems to me that only the colour of his skin is different.
The newly inaugurated Archbishop of York has lost no time in getting stuck into his new role, launching a stinging attack on the Government’s asylum policies
Along with other church leaders, Dr John Sentamu he has put his name to a statement which calls the Government’s position on asylum ‘inhuman’ and ‘unacceptable’.
http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/news_syndication/article_05121sentamu.shtml
Inhuman eh? No hyperbole there then.
Yes, The Arch Bishop appears to reflect mainly African Christan culture which the BBC would find offensive as “extreme right wing”, it has much in common with the Christianity of “Bible Belt” America which is subject to much derison by BBC media types.
The irony is lost on them and fellow liberal imperialists who joss with black people not realising that many do not share their liberal attitude, indeed the reverse is true. A person who arrived from Sierra Leone once confided in me that on landing in the UK he was shocked to discover that it was a Pagan country. No one appeared to go to church and the country was morally decadent. None of this sits well with the BBC or BBC news. Reporting the Arch Bishop’s pop at multi-culturalism comes under the heading, “News we don’t get to see or hear”.
The begging bowl for Niger has been passed round on BBC News a couple of prime times, but what we don’t get is the news that aid to Niger has put hundreds of Niger farmers out of business because the population would rather receive free aid rather than pay for home grown products.
Interesting to think how British history would be different if a rich country had dumped free food on us every time we were hungary. I would sugest very different and very bad. Do not think the agrecultural revolution would have got far. In fact I think we would resemble a typical African country.
look at the hate the bbc are allowing to be published on one of there web forums.. http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbreligion/F2213236?thread=1615905 i have complained a nd nothing is done.
Yes werter & laughingly filed under “Religion”.
ALLAH AKBAR
James Last (1900) La Allah illa Allah!
The source of all that’s good,
The well-spring of a Moslem’s faith;
For which he sheds his blood.
La Allah illa Allah!
The One, the True, the Great,
To Mussulmans the guiding star,
The ruler of their fate.
La Allah illa Allah!
To Thee we humbly cry.
When Allah Akbar strikes Thy ear,
Oh! To our prayer reply.
La Allah illa Allah!
This call we daily raise,
“Salaam aliekoum, waramat Allah!”
To Thee we give the praise.
ANYBODY KNOW WHO JAMES LAST WAS?
Need we worry?
This from Atticus Sunday Times Dec 4 2005 :-
“The new Arch Bishop of York is considering elocution lessons following complaints from other Bishops about his rapid fire speaking style…………..
when a Bishop was asked what he thought of the service, he said,’I couldn’t make head nor tail of the sermon. We just can’t understand him.’……..”
Can this be true? It sounds like a take from the Little Britain ‘Fat Club’ scene. “Pardon Arch Bishop? What’s that you’re saying? Sorry I can’t hear you, do speak up, Oh never mind”.
werter,
This web site might be a sting operation.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbrelig…? thread=1615905
You’ve got to hope that the shocking website highlighted is indeed a sting operation: it’s truly murderous.
But does it reflect a perception that the BBC is a happy home for these hate-mongers?
After all, let’s not forget that listeners to Radio 4 “voted” for Karl Marx as the greatest philosopher. If they’d “voted” for Adolph Hitler, you can bet there’d have been some anguished introspection at the BBC along the lines of “is this the audience we’re appealing to? Where did we go wrong.”
Yet curiously, I haven’t noticed any great introspection following the Marx result.
So I suppose they must think it OK that Radio 4 breeds sympathisers for the “philosophy” that brought you Lenin, Stalin, Brezhnev, Mao, Pol Pot etc etc.
mrdgriff:
The only James Last I can think of is a German bandleader, but I don’t think that’s what your post referred to.
(see http://www.jameslast.com)