Jewish columnist defending UK Christians

Jewish columnist defending UK Christians

With the Christian church's track record of persecution and anti-semitism through the centuries it is fairly remarkable to find a Jew writing so consistently and powerfully in defence of Christians and Christian values.

Yet, Melanie Philllips writing in The Mail suggests: "In our allegedly multicultural society, there is one religious group which is apparently not to be afforded equal respect, let alone treated for what it embodies - the foundational creed of this nation. That group is Britain’s Christians."

Phillips describes the suspension of a Christian nurse for offering to pray for an elderly patient as being “Orwellian” and “draconian”.

Though the writer is a Jew she writes: “When my mother was in the last stages of her terminal illness she was cared for by deeply devout Christian nurses who regularly prayed for her. Far from being offended by this, I was touched and comforted by this signal that they cared so much about her.”

With further reference to the reaction to the nurse's offer to pray, she sees not-so-much a concern for upholding professional standards as “foisting upon nursing, the sinister and politically correct ‘diversity’ agenda – which means in effect treating Christianity as inherently offensive.”

Her column in the Mail Online cites recent incidents of Christians being under attack for what they believe – including the Healthrow check-in worker who was banned from wearing a cross around her neck at work; the Relate counsellor who was sacked for refusing to give sex counselling to homosexuals; and the woman who was forced to stand down from an adoption panel because she disapproved of gay adoption.

And Philips contrasts these repressive and heavy-handed responses from organisations and employers to the recent scenes in London of police officers running away from chanting demonstrators who took part in a violent protest against Israel's military action in the Gaza Strip. She writes: “The video clearly shows the police retreating under fire, being chased through central London by protesters chanting ‘Allahu akhbar’ as they pelted officers with traffic cones and screaming ‘cowards’ and ‘they’re going to get it’.”

The columnist, author and TV panelist concludes: “It is hard not to reach the dismal conclusion that a society faced with violence in pursuit of the goal of overturning Christian values and conquering Britain for Islam turns tail and runs away - while at the same time coming down like a ton of bricks on any expression of those Christian values which underpin British society, in the interests of ‘equality and diversity’.”

“This is the way a society dies.”

In writing as she does, Melanie Phillips displays an almost 'prophetic' insight into the growing assault on Christians and Christian values in the UK. And she writes (and speaks) in such an incisive and committed manner as to put many a church leader and denomination to shame.

Pray for Melanie Phillips - she will not be popular with a liberal establishment and the Islamist world. But pray especially that she will ulimately be amongst that part of the Jewish people (Rom  11:24) who will come to see Jesus as the Jewish Yeshua Ha'Maschiach (Zech 12:10). It is difficult not to believe that the Holy Spirit is already at work in this lady's life.