Far-right figures are hijacking Christmas to peddle a toxic brand of nationalism that celebrates hate and exclusion. This is the perversion of the traditional Christian message of compassion and welcome.
At its core, the story of Christmas is one of displacement and persecution. The holy family's flight from Bethlehem reflects the universal human experience of seeking safety and belonging in times of turmoil. Jesus' words, "I was hungry and you gave me food to eat," speak to a fundamental principle of Christian teaching: treating others with kindness and respect.
In stark contrast, far-right figures like Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, aka Tommy Robinson, have co-opted Christianity to promote divisive ideologies that divide people along ethnic and cultural lines. His latest stunt, a "carol service" in central London, is nothing more than a cynical attempt to mobilize his followers under the guise of Christmas cheer.
The problem goes beyond Yaxley-Lennon's individual antics; it's part of a broader trend of Christian nationalism that has been gaining traction in Britain and elsewhere. Populists like Nigel Farage and JD Vance are using cultural Christianity to justify their own brand of xenophobia and exclusivism, often with disastrous consequences for minority communities.
The irony is that the values of love, acceptance, and compassion that underpin the Christian faith are precisely what these far-right figures seek to undermine. The late Pope Francis was right to condemn this phenomenon as a perversion of the faith, one that seeks to use Christianity as a tool for social control rather than promoting unity and understanding.
The real Christmas spirit is not about national identity or cultural supremacy but about recognizing our shared humanity and treating others with dignity and respect. It's time to reclaim the true meaning of Christmas from those who seek to subvert it for their own ends.
At its core, the story of Christmas is one of displacement and persecution. The holy family's flight from Bethlehem reflects the universal human experience of seeking safety and belonging in times of turmoil. Jesus' words, "I was hungry and you gave me food to eat," speak to a fundamental principle of Christian teaching: treating others with kindness and respect.
In stark contrast, far-right figures like Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, aka Tommy Robinson, have co-opted Christianity to promote divisive ideologies that divide people along ethnic and cultural lines. His latest stunt, a "carol service" in central London, is nothing more than a cynical attempt to mobilize his followers under the guise of Christmas cheer.
The problem goes beyond Yaxley-Lennon's individual antics; it's part of a broader trend of Christian nationalism that has been gaining traction in Britain and elsewhere. Populists like Nigel Farage and JD Vance are using cultural Christianity to justify their own brand of xenophobia and exclusivism, often with disastrous consequences for minority communities.
The irony is that the values of love, acceptance, and compassion that underpin the Christian faith are precisely what these far-right figures seek to undermine. The late Pope Francis was right to condemn this phenomenon as a perversion of the faith, one that seeks to use Christianity as a tool for social control rather than promoting unity and understanding.
The real Christmas spirit is not about national identity or cultural supremacy but about recognizing our shared humanity and treating others with dignity and respect. It's time to reclaim the true meaning of Christmas from those who seek to subvert it for their own ends.
I mean, come on, can't these far-right folks just leave Christmas alone? It's like they think they're the ones celebrating or something 
. Newsflash: Jesus wasn't about nationalism, he was about love and acceptance... oh wait, that's what the real Christians are doing too! 
Anyway, I'm sick of these populist types trying to hijack Christmas to peddle their brand of hate. Like, Nigel Farage can just chill with his Brexit this-and-that. Who cares? 
Can we please just focus on spreading some actual joy and kindness during the holiday season instead of all this drama? 
I mean, it's like they're trying to rewrite the story of Christmas to fit their own twisted agenda 
. It's sad to see how some folks are using a beautiful message of love and kindness to peddle their own toxic ideology 
.
they're like total haters rn! can't believe they'd try to ruin the spirit of christmas by spreading hate and exclusionism 
what's wrong with them?! shouldn't we all be celebrating love kindness and acceptance? 
i mean come on pope francis said it best - let's not let these ppl use christians like a tool for their own racist agendas 
we need to stand up for what's right and keep christmas about unity and respect! 
. They're basically turning a beautiful, inclusive holiday into an excuse to spread hate and division 
. I mean, come on, Jesus was all about love and acceptance, not about fuelling nationalist agendas 
. And it's not just Yaxley-Lennon being a total tool, it's the whole cultural Christianity thing that's getting out of control 
. We need to stand up for what the real meaning of Christmas is – kindness, compassion, and respect for everyone 
. Not about creating divisions or promoting xenophobia 
. It's time to reclaim Christmas from these people who just want to use it to further their own agendas 
.
populists like Farage and Vance are scum theyre using christianity as a tool to control ppl its disgusting 
I'm really worried about what's going on with this far-right stuff during Christmas. Like, can't they just leave the faith alone? 
It's all about love and kindness, right? But instead of spreading that, they're using it to divide people and make them hate others because of their differences. That's not what I think Christmas is about at all... 
It's like, we're all human beings and we should be treated with respect and dignity, regardless of our background or culture. We should be welcoming each other and being kind to one another. Not using fear and hate to get people on their side. 
we shd be celebratin love n acceptance not divisiveness n exclusion! papu francis was totes right when he spoke out against this kinda thing 
lets keep xmas about humanity & inclusivity n all that 
It gives me the heebie-jeebies, you know? Can't we just focus on being good neighbors and treating each other with respect? 
ugh, christmas is supposed 2 b about love & acceptance... not hate & exclusion! 
diagram:
- treating others w/ kindness & respect 
. Let's focus on treating others with dignity and respect, not using Christianity as a excuse to be xenophobic or exclusive 
.
. Can't we just focus on spreading love & acceptance instead? 
and replace it with a dark candle 
that casts a shadow on our shared humanity 
and making everyone feel like they don't belong 
pope francis was right on the money 
... it's like they're trying to twist the values of compassion & welcome into something toxic 
... we need to stand up against xenophobia & exclusivism, which can have devastating consequences for minority communities 
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