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Brighton church leader says Labour are 'contrary to Christianity'

2:10pm Tuesday 2nd March 2010


A church leader has claimed Labour has become contrary to the spirit of Christianity.

Father Ray Blake, of St Mary Magdalen in Brighton, said faith communities in Brighton and Hove were being overlooked in favour of the city’s “hedonistic gay lobby”.

The Roman Catholic priest, whose church is in Brighton Pavilion constituency, stated he did not believe any of the parties standing for election locally represented his religious views.

Writing in a blog to his parishioners he said: “I always used to vote Labour but I think that is impossible now, so contrary they have become to the very spirit of the Christian faith.”

He added: “It is very tempting in Brighton for political candidates to pander to the more vociferous elements of the hedonistic "gay lobby" and ignore the "faith" communities and their concerns.

“If that happens in the next election that would be more than foolish. Those who can get themselves out to church on a Sunday can normally get themselves along to vote.

“It is really quite outrageous how ignorant most politicians are about our faith despite, its contribution to western artistic culture and thinking.”

Father Blake added he would like to get a group of Catholics together to work out which party he could vote for.

But parliamentary hopefuls have claimed that elected representatives act on behalf of whole communities.


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Whitedot, says...
2:47pm Tue 2 Mar 10

Contribution to thinking? Did he really say that?

Crimes against thinking and rationality is possibly more accurate.

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PeteBrighton, Brighton says...
3:09pm Tue 2 Mar 10

No wonder Church congregations are falling like crazy with idiots like him in the pulpit.

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Brandie, Hove says...
3:10pm Tue 2 Mar 10

What about us civilly partnered, stay at home on the weekends, cross-stitching boring old gays? Are we part of the hedonistic gay lobby he refers to?

Hey Father, want people to understand you? Maybe you should try to understand them first. I resent being classified as "hedonistic" simply because I'm gay. What a bunch of nonsense.

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Bennn, Kemptown, Brighton says...
3:16pm Tue 2 Mar 10

HA HA HA Some people really do live on another planet don't they! This just makes me even prouder to live in Brighton.

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Whitedot, says...
3:19pm Tue 2 Mar 10

Anyway Jesus turned water into wine at his mate's wedding allegedly, he was a right party animal by the sounds of it!

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censored, Brighton says...
3:19pm Tue 2 Mar 10

I was never going to vote Labour again. But if they're contrary to Christianity, maybe I'll have to think again...

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scthetruth, Brighton says...
3:21pm Tue 2 Mar 10

It's not just Britain's main religion, Christianity, being overlooked but the majority of Brits by minority interests. This is government policy just like the one on mass immigration. A policy that seems to put the needs of a few over the many. One good reason in itself to rid Britain of Brown and his Labour filth.

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kkj, Brighton says...
4:04pm Tue 2 Mar 10

If Labour is contrary to Christianity, then so are the Conservatives and Lib Dems, as they are all pretty much the same in matters spiritual. I do have some sympathy though, as the socialist, straight, atheists don't get much of a look in either.

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PeteBrighton, Brighton says...
4:05pm Tue 2 Mar 10

I see Father Blake doesn't mention the hedonistic child abusers his Church has been proved to be full of. Shame on this ridiculous man.

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yorkie44, Woodingdean says...
5:19pm Tue 2 Mar 10

Is this banter the real sign of "Broken Britain"? The older I get the more I long for a return to the 1950's when true respect for others was the order of the day.

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rolandwebster, says...
6:00pm Tue 2 Mar 10

To re-phrase: "It is really quite outrageous how ignorant most priests are about sexuality, despite its contribution to world artistic culture and thinking.”

And it's a sad fact that so many are stuck in the closet themselves by the dicta of their bigoted employer.

All the more reason to be an atheist.

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Barry Duke, Brighton says...
6:01pm Tue 2 Mar 10

I chose to settle in Brighton because it is the most godless, gayest city in the UK – and I hope it stays that way. If 'Father' Blake is unhappy with the situation, let him relocate to some joyless theocracy where he can peddle his superstitious clap-trap, and his inhumane dogma, until the cows come home.

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Gaz the great, Brighton says...
6:01pm Tue 2 Mar 10

Goodbye new Labour, hello christianity. Father Blake does have a right to air his views, even if you disagree with them, that is, until they abolish free speech. Remember Gordon is everywhere, oops sorry, God!

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gemoftheocean, San Diego, Ca says...
6:24pm Tue 2 Mar 10

John60 and others, you should be ashamed of yourselves. If you had done a little research about Fr. Blake before lipping off with cheap remarks, you'd find that Fr. Blake is one of the most caring, giving people in the city of Brighton.

Do you realize his parish runs a soup kitchen 360 days a week to feed the homeless? His parish does not consist of wealthy rich people on guilt giving trips. So what they give, comes from the heart and is often a sacrifice that people give to others for the sake of the kingdom of God.

This brave man has to go through a lot to keep the soup kitchen running too, both from outside authorities and the powers that be in his own hierarchy -- you can read about his battle to keep the feeding program going <a href="http://marymag
dalen.blogspot.com/2
008/08/crb-checks-or
-feeding-hungry.html
">here</a>

He also assists the truly hunted and haunted with his outreach to those fear reprisals from their own government and can barely eek out keeping body and soul together. See <a href="http://marymag
dalen.blogspot.com/2
009/12/snow-on-snow-
and-snow-on-snow.htm
l>his post here on Brighton voices in Exile</a>.

And to those of you who are gay, you should especially not trash Fr. Blake, because while he preaches against Practising homosexuality, he also believes that beaten up gay men are just as much a part of the kingdom of God as anyone. Back in Dec. of 2006 he PERSONALLY escorted a beaten up young gay man back to the man's lodgings, he'd been beaten up by his "boyfriend." I'd give you the link to that post too, but after it was commented on by a number of others, Fr. Blake deleted it. But any number of his regular readers can well remember the post.

Unfortunately, Fr. Blake, for reasons of his own has since deleted it.

And Argus, Fr. Blake not only has many readers from Brighton, but there are quite a number of us around the WORLD who recognize the goodness and decency of this kind man. Brighton is lucky to have him - realize this man doesn't ask a person if he's gay or straight, rich or poor, is legal or illegal -- Fr. Blake IS "alter Christus" personified. And that means "another Christ" to those of you unfamiliar with Latin.

Karen Horn, San Diego, California
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Camel54, Portslade says...
6:34pm Tue 2 Mar 10

Remember:
1 We're not all Christians.
2 We do not all believe that marriage is the only way to bring up children - most abuse of children is perpetrated by a family member.
3 We need to respect each other including each others' differences and opinions. Legislation on the basis of faith is the way to end freedom of speech
4. Yorkie 44 - the 1950's were a long, grey, miserable hell. Stop buying the Daily Mail and get a life.

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Whitedot, says...
7:29pm Tue 2 Mar 10

gemoftheocean wrote:
John60 and others, you should be ashamed of yourselves. If you had done a little research about Fr. Blake before lipping off with cheap remarks, you'd find that Fr. Blake is one of the most caring, giving people in the city of Brighton.

Do you realize his parish runs a soup kitchen 360 days a week to feed the homeless? His parish does not consist of wealthy rich people on guilt giving trips. So what they give, comes from the heart and is often a sacrifice that people give to others for the sake of the kingdom of God.

This brave man has to go through a lot to keep the soup kitchen running too, both from outside authorities and the powers that be in his own hierarchy -- you can read about his battle to keep the feeding program going <a href="http://marymag

dalen.blogspot.com/2

008/08/crb-checks-or

-feeding-hungry.html
">here</a>

He also assists the truly hunted and haunted with his outreach to those fear reprisals from their own government and can barely eek out keeping body and soul together. See <a href="http://marymag

dalen.blogspot.com/2

009/12/snow-on-snow-

and-snow-on-snow.htm

l>his post here on Brighton voices in Exile&lt;/a>.

And to those of you who are gay, you should especially not trash Fr. Blake, because while he preaches against Practising homosexuality, he also believes that beaten up gay men are just as much a part of the kingdom of God as anyone. Back in Dec. of 2006 he PERSONALLY escorted a beaten up young gay man back to the man's lodgings, he'd been beaten up by his " boyfriend."="" i'd="" give="" you="" the="" link="" to="" that="" post="" too,="" but="" after="" it="" was="" commented="" on="" by="" a="" number="" of="" others,="" fr.="" blake="" deleted="" it.="" any="" his="" regular="" readers="" can="" well="" remember="" post.="" unfortunately,="" blake,="" for="" reasons="" own="" has="" since="" and="" argus,="" not="" only="" many="" from="" brighton,="" there="" are="" quite="" us="" around="" world="" who="" recognize="" goodness="" decency="" this="" kind="" man.="" brighton="" is="" lucky="" have="" him="" -="" realize="" man="" doesn't="" ask="" person="" if="" he's="" gay="" or="" straight,="" rich="" poor,="" legal="" illegal="" --="" alter="" christus"="" personified.="" means="" another="" christ"="" those="" unfamiliar="" with="" latin.="" karen="" horn,="" san="" diego,="" california=""></a>
It sounds like he does a lot of good in the community which is great. What he needs to do now is practise not alienating 90% of the public by making sweeping statements about a particular sector of the community, nor mixing politics and faith.

And he runs a soup kitchen 360 days a week? clever bloke

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Laurence England, Brighton says...
7:36pm Tue 2 Mar 10

I am a parishioner of St Mary Magdalen Church and have the utmost respect for Fr Ray Blake. He is not attacking gay men or women. He is condemning a political class who listen only to those who have a radical agenda for social change which ignores the teaching of the Church, which ignores the poor, which ignores the rights of the unborn, which ignores major religions or, in fact, anyone who feels even mildly uncomfortable with a politically aggressive gay lobby which seeks to change society according to their beliefs, but not the beliefs of anyone else.

I have written a blogpost myself, as I am a Catholic blogger. You can read it at http://thatthebonesy
ouhavecrushedmaythri
ll.blogspot.com

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Benny Trovato, says...
9:02pm Tue 2 Mar 10

Seems to me Fr Blake is attacking the hedonistic gay lobby, not gays in general. Hard to deny there is a hedonistic gay lobby (and one that is very hostile to Fr Blake's Church); also hard to deny that many gay people have nothing to do with it - some indeed are very uncomfortable with it and what it stands for, and the way it purports to speak for all LGBT people.

His other target is politicos, and again, it is hard to deny the justice of his case: they're practically all as bad as each other, scrabbling after the votes of each and every vociferous group...

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puddingandpi, Brighton says...
9:26pm Tue 2 Mar 10

censored wrote:
I was never going to vote Labour again. But if they're contrary to Christianity, maybe I'll have to think again...
My Other 3/4 said the same thing!

"Helps the truly hunted", what, foxes?
Pheasants?

Anyway, he's a Catholic priest, what does anyone expect?

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henry.bn, Brighton says...
9:30pm Tue 2 Mar 10

What lot of unpleasant comments. Fr Blake is one of the most caring people I have come across and definitely not anti-anyone.

He simply does the job he is so poorly paid to do, and puts forward the official view of the Catholic church, which is that

"straight or gay, married or single, we are all called to a life of chastity. And because that is too difficult for most of us, the confessional box is at the side of the church"

Fr Blake, unusually, makes himself available to hear confessions every single day.

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PJASEW, London says...
9:38pm Tue 2 Mar 10

I've read a great deal of vicious and unacceptably bigoted comment on here. We are told that the churches are the problem, but after reading some of the vile stuff spewed out by the anti-Catholics here, I beg to differ. For a start, read this priest's full post before commenting and secondly, act like adults!

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Skippah, Brighton says...
9:45pm Tue 2 Mar 10

I can't stand Labour, but if they are 'contrary to Christianity' then at least that's one thing I can like about them.
.
When Christians (and all other religions) stop believing in imaginary friends and basing their lives around books that were written thousands of years ago, then they may have valid points about modern day politics, but I refuse to take anything seriously from people so out of touch with modern day Britain, and more locally Brighton. Thank god that we are the most "godless town" in the country!

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John60, Brighton says...
9:48pm Tue 2 Mar 10

All organised relegion is pure evil and the root of the worlds problems. Who cares about his stipid soup kitchen and whatever other good things he does, lots of other people do good things too but not under the banner of Jesus and God. Look how evil the pope is with his vile and evil views on Aids, gays and anything else that makes the church feel that they are loosing their power. Nasty rotten rotting bag of bones.

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sandymorris, portsmouth says...
10:01pm Tue 2 Mar 10

This Priest ministers to the poor,the lonely,the homeless and to all those whom you might say, are on the edge of "society" .He is, I believe aiming a shot here at political parties who react and who try to placate the gay lobby,while ignoring and counting as nothing the needs and wants of his own community.That there are gay people in his own community I do not doubt.That they are valued and respected as any other person I have no doubt either.
He wants to know who,if any ,of the political partys are going to help the truly poor of Brighton,those who have no voice and no power.The silent poor need a voice ,if only one.
Please do not throw stones at a good man,who practises what he preaches.You might just need him some day.

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John60, Brighton says...
10:25pm Tue 2 Mar 10

sandymorris wrote:
This Priest ministers to the poor,the lonely,the homeless and to all those whom you might say, are on the edge of "society" .He is, I believe aiming a shot here at political parties who react and who try to placate the gay lobby,while ignoring and counting as nothing the needs and wants of his own community.That there are gay people in his own community I do not doubt.That they are valued and respected as any other person I have no doubt either.
He wants to know who,if any ,of the political partys are going to help the truly poor of Brighton,those who have no voice and no power.The silent poor need a voice ,if only one.
Please do not throw stones at a good man,who practises what he preaches.You might just need him some day.
Why doesn't the catholic church help the poor if they are that concerned about them. They sure are rich enough to do so.
As for needing him one day, I very much doubt it. I'm not that weak.

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Laurence England, Brighton says...
12:28am Wed 3 Mar 10

The Catholic Church does more for the poor than anyone else in Brighton. Two soup runs, on the sea front, Kemptown and the Peace Statue, 7pm every night, 52 weeks a year, no matter what weather, come rain or shine.

Here's a blog for the Soup Run of St Mary Magdalen Church.

http://brighton-soup
-run.blogspot.com

What is more, I can tell you that for the poor Brighton and Hove City Council do absolutely nothing! I've interviewed people on the soup run who have said that according to the Council, these homeless people 'don't even exist'. The Council treat the homeless and destitute like dirt!

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shrek's uglier brother, brighton says...
8:12am Wed 3 Mar 10

Well, if nothing else, this thread is living proof that there are an awful lot of bigots reading it. I couldn't support this priest unreservedly, but on the other hand many of the comments seem to be derived from the "send e-mail before engaging brain" brigade. Would so many have rushed to make a comment if the report had cited an imam instead of a priest? Would the Argus have reported the story in the same way or even allowed comments? Probably "no" all round, I suspect. Sums up Brighton, really.

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John60, Brighton says...
8:47am Wed 3 Mar 10

John60 wrote:
sandymorris wrote:
This Priest ministers to the poor,the lonely,the homeless and to all those whom you might say, are on the edge of "society" .He is, I believe aiming a shot here at political parties who react and who try to placate the gay lobby,while ignoring and counting as nothing the needs and wants of his own community.That there are gay people in his own community I do not doubt.That they are valued and respected as any other person I have no doubt either.
He wants to know who,if any ,of the political partys are going to help the truly poor of Brighton,those who have no voice and no power.The silent poor need a voice ,if only one.
Please do not throw stones at a good man,who practises what he preaches.You might just need him some day.
Why doesn't the catholic church help the poor if they are that concerned about them. They sure are rich enough to do so.
As for needing him one day, I very much doubt it. I'm not that weak.
Never mind if any of the political partys are going to help then poor, what about the Catholic Church? I don't mean patraonising hand outs either, I mean distributing some of their disgusting wealth to the poor which was robbed and still is being robbed from the ignorant, the weak and the poor. The catholic church has blood on its hands, it's a form of of organised crime run by the godfather himself....that ex nazi of a pope. I can't wait to pelt him with eggs on his uk visit, vile nasty bigit.

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MarcoPolo, Brighton says...
10:03am Wed 3 Mar 10

Read the Ryan Report, described as a report on Ireland's holocaust. The report is possibly the most depressing document in the history of religious attitudes towards sexuality. The endemic and systematic rape and violent abuse of young children by the church, in collusion with the state, was evil and terrifying. Even after the publication of the report, the Church and, appallingly, the Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, is still in denial, claiming that the reluctance of the priests to admit guilt was ‘instinctive and quite natural’. Sorry Vincent, it’s now clear that there’s nothing remotely natural about putting celibate priests and nuns in charge of young children.And this is not just an Irish problem, it’s a global phenomenon. The report shows that there is little or no remorse, only active damage limitation. The Christian Brothers, whose activities may probably be best described as an serious paedophillic crime organisation, were downright dishonest in their evidence, or as the report says, 'guarded, unconditional and unclear'.

On the basis of 'Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone' priests should be applauded for their efforts to help the poor but should not be interfering in politics prior to an election.

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LimpWristed, Brighton says...
1:51pm Thu 4 Mar 10

Brighton the most godless town in the country? Ha! I'm guessing whoever coined that has never been to Watford on a Friday night.

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anubis, hove says...
12:05pm Fri 5 Mar 10

I do hope that Father Blake is correct in his assumption -- that NONE of those standing for election in Brighton & Hove will represent his archaic mythological/religio
us beliefs!

Were he a regular reader of the 'Evening Argus', he'd be aware 96% of the local population believes it a complement to live in "the most Godless city in the UK".

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Archcritic, says...
2:08pm Fri 5 Mar 10

Tim Ridgeway must be a very gifted journalist. Assuming he has read the entire article on Fr. Blake's blog all he succeeds in is leaving us with entirely the opposite impression. What he gives is a hotch-potch of cut-and-paste provincial journalism, reflecting all those anti-Catholic prejudices which were tired, old, and worn-out at the time of the Gordon riots and still reflected by those posting; e.g., celibate priests and sex, the scandals and even one who said of Fr. Blake's soup kitchens '...so what?'
READ his blog, if you dare It's at http://marymagdalen.
blogspot.com/
I don't know about 'most godless' town but to judge from these posts it certainly seems like the most bigoted. By the way, john60, since you are so obviously a bigot yourself, you must at least learn how to spell it kreckly!

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LastKnight, says...
8:52pm Fri 5 Mar 10

Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven!

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