English Bishop Attacks Pro-Trump Christians

The Bishop of Liverpool has attacked Christians who support President Donald J. Trump and “a system which builds walls instead of bridges”.

Paul Bayes, a senior figure in the Church of England, also appeared to argue that backing “rightwing populism” could be incompatible with biblical teaching.

His intervention comes just days after the Archbishop of Canterbury, who leads the church, used his Christmas address to target so-called “tyrannical and populist” world leaders – widely perceived as a dig at Mr. Trump.

Adding to the politicised onslaught, Mr. Bayes told the British left-wing Guardian newspaper: “Some of the things that have been said by religious leaders seem to collude with a system that marginalises the poor, a system which builds walls instead of bridges, a system which says people on the margins of society should be excluded, a system which says we’re not welcoming people any more into our country.”

He said he regretted that “people who call themselves evangelical in the US seem to be uncritically accepting” positions taken by Trump and his allies.

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“Some quite significant so-called evangelical leaders are uncritically supporting people in ways that imply they are colluding or playing down the seriousness of things which in other parts of their lives [they] would see as really important,” Bayes added.

Mr. Bayes, who has been bishop of Liverpool since 2014, added: “If people want to support rightwing populism anywhere in the world, they are free to do so. The question is, how are they going to relate that to their Christian faith?

“And if what I believe are the clear teachings of the gospel about love for all, the desire for justice and for making sure marginalised and defenceless people are protected, if it looks as though those teachings are being contradicted, then I think there is a need to say so.”