From pulpit to politics: the rising threat of Christian Nationalism

Polly Toynbee Humanists UK Vice President

Yet here we are, confronted with the unlovely spectacle of crusader-costumed marchers waving giant wooden crosses in the streets of London, shouting slogans that marry faith with xenophobia.

This is not religion in any meaningful sense. It is politics dressed up as piety. Christian nationalism – a phrase many thought could never take root here – has arrived, and it is already being used as camouflage for racism. The wooden cross, meant to symbolise sacrifice and compassion, is turned into a weapon of division. It is a distortion and a danger.

Humanists UK has long warned against this. When others dismissed the threat as an ‘American problem,’ they spoke out. Now we see the consequences. Tommy Robinson and his followers proclaim themselves defenders of ‘Christian culture.’ Nigel Farage, more careful, couches his appeals in the language of ‘Judeo-Christian values.’ But what unites them is the cynical exploitation of faith to smuggle bigotry into the public square. The churches themselves, when they finally found their voice, have been timid – reluctant to call this hatred what it is.

Lest anyone think this is a call to bash Christianity or any particular political party, let me be clear: every religion, without exception, has its extremists who seek to fuse faith with power. Islamist terrorists, Hindu nationalists, ultra-Orthodox authoritarians – each proves the same point.

Once religion entwines itself with politics, liberty withers. Theocracy is tyranny by another name. Whether draped in a cassock, a turban, or a saffron robe, fundamentalism is always a threat to democracy.

But right now, in Britain, the new danger comes from the far right masquerading as Christians. It would be dishonest and dangerous to pretend otherwise.

These extremists are not pious believers moved by love of neighbour; they are political agitators who have found in Christianity a convenient cloak of respectability. ‘Christ is King’ becomes a banner not of faith but of blood-and-soil nationalism. Their goal is not salvation but exclusion.

That is why Humanists UK’s work matters so urgently. We defend the principle that religion and politics must remain separate – not because we are hostile to religion, but because we know that a secular state is the best guarantee of freedom for everyone, religious and non-religious alike. We stand for equality, reason, compassion, and the simple conviction that belief should never be wielded as a weapon.

And let us not underestimate the threat. Brexit began with a few ‘radicals’, remember? The far right’s march from fringe to mainstream happens faster than polite society is willing to admit. Already, wealthy backers pour money into this movement, and media voices amplify its poisonous rhetoric. 

But there is hope, too. Most people in Britain live contentedly in mixed communities. Most reject extremism. Ours is, at heart, a secular and tolerant country. What is needed is the courage to speak out – to strip away the false sanctity of these movements, to name hatred for what it is, and to insist that politics must never be draped in the mantles of gods.

This winter, Humanists UK is appealing for your support. We need the resources to keep making this case: in the media, in schools, in Parliament, and in the courts. We need to defend secular democracy against those who would erode it. And we need to show that another way is possible – one where all are free to believe, or not believe, without fear or favour.

I have spent much of my working life warning against the creeping power of fundamentalism. Today, as Vice President of Humanists UK, I ask you to join me. 

Please give what you can to support our work. At stake is more than policy or politics: it is the kind of country we want to be. Will we allow our shared symbols to be hijacked by hate? Or will we stand for reason, for compassion, and for freedom?

I know where I stand. I hope you will stand with us.

Polly Toynbee
Vice President, Humanists UK