THE country needs “a revival of faith” and a recovery of “Christian politics”, the Conservative MP Danny Kruger said in the House of Commons on Thursday afternoon.
The Christian influence on the political system was to instil the notion that “power should arrange itself for the benefit of all the people under it,” and to “make space for other religions under the Christian shield”.
But Mr Kruger expressed concern about “two religions moving into the space from which Christianity has been ejected”, saying that he could not “be indifferent to the extent of the growth of Islam in recent decades”.
He did not elaborate on this, save to say that he often found himself in agreement with Muslim MPs on social issues.
“It is the other religion that worries me even more,” he said: “a hybrid of old and new ideas, and it does not have a proper name. I do not think that ‘woke’ does justice to its seriousness.
“It is a combination of ancient paganism, Christian heresies, and the cult of modernism, all mashed up into a deeply mistaken and deeply dangerous ideology of power that is hostile to the essential objects of our affections and our loyalties: families, communities, and nations,” he said.
This religion “must simply be destroyed, at least as a public doctrine”, he said. “It must be banished from public life — from schools and universities, and from businesses and public services.”
Mr Kruger’s speech began with reference to the Church’s past, and its part in British political history. “Our democracy is founded on Christian faith,” he said.
The C of E’s parish system meant that “we are all members — we all belong. Even if you never set foot in your church from one year to the next, and even if you do not believe in its teachings, it is your church and you are its member.”
Mr Kruger made the speech as part of an adjournment debate on “the future of the Church of England”. It took place on a Thursday afternoon when most MPs have left London. There were only a handful of members present for his speech.
“It is no surprise that both the Church and the country itself are in a bad way, divided, internally confused, and badly led. The Church is riven by deep disputes over doctrine and governance, and is literally leaderless, with even the process of choosing the next Archbishop of Canterbury unclear, confused, and contended.
“The country itself reflects that — unclear in its doctrines and its governance, profoundly precarious, chronically exposed to threats from without and within. It is at risk economically, culturally, socially, and, I would say, morally.”
Mr Kruger was a high-profile opponent of proposed changes to the law on abortion and assisted dying, and referred to both issues in his speech.
“Last month, in the space of three days in one infamous week, this House authorised the killing of unborn children — of nine-month-old babies — and it passed a Bill to allow the killing of the elderly and disabled. I describe those laws in those stark terms not to provoke further controversy, but because those are the facts,” he said.
Venturing into the field of historical debate, suggesed that “uniquely among the nations of the world, this nation — England, from which the United Kingdom grew — was founded and created consciously on the basis of the Bible and the story of the Hebrew people. In that sense, England is the oldest Christian country and the prototype of nations across the West.”
Responding on behalf of the Government, the Minister for local government, Jim McMahon MP, said that the Government recognised the importance of Christianity in the life and history of the UK.
“Anyone involved in local life knows just how essential are Christian places of worship and the people who support them. They run schools and toddler groups, support food banks and reach out to those facing homelessness,” he said.
“They offer comfort and companionship to those who are isolated, grieving or just struggling to cope. The truth is simple: without them, much of our local life simply would not function. Their contribution is not just appreciated, but indispensable.”
Mr McMahon, who is a Roman Catholic, set out aspects of the relationship between the Church, Parliament, and the Government. He paid tribute to the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha de Cordova MP, who answers MPs’ questions about the Church of England in the House of Commons.
He also referred to the recent decision to extend the provision under which new female diocesan bishops go to the front of the queue to join the 26 Lords Spiritual. This provision recently enabled the Bishop of Coventry, the Rt Revd Sophie Jelley (News, 4 November 2024), to take a place in the House of Lords.
In response to a question from the Conservative MP for Romford, Andrew Rosindell, Mr McMahon said that he believed “very strongly” in the importance of the parish system.
