Many ordinary citizens in this country probably let out a sigh of relief when the news broke that the leader of Hungary, Victor Orban, had been defeated decisively in his country’s general election some days ago.  I cannot claim to be a close follower of the political story of Hungary, but the little I have gathered about the right-wing, even fascist, control of that society by Orban, meant that I was able to see that things could perhaps now change for the better in the whole of Europe.  All of us who passionately long for a just and peaceful outcome to the Ukrainian conflict, will pray that the European community will be able to increase their military and economic support for that beleaguered country.  This is perhaps easier now that Orban, a steadfast Putin ally, is no longer around to obstruct their efforts.

One of the features of contemporary politics is the way that right-wing, even fascist, regimes often seem to claim adherence to a faux set of Christian beliefs and values.  We find a colluding between members of our own home-grown ultra-right party, Reform, and Christian nationalist ideas.  Christian nationalism, with its strong attachment to flags and marches has become a significant political force in this country.  Most of us, who do not support a version of the Christian faith imbued with such crude nationalism, simplistic versions of history together with a fondness for ideologies of discrimination and hate, find this link deeply disturbing.   But such ultra-right ideas resonate with many people, Christian or not, because somehow, they satisfy a basic human instinct to feel powerful and important.  Those who join such right-wing groups see the opportunity to become part of something bigger than themselves.  Listening to slogans and simplistic notions of good and evil, the right-wing acolyte is attracted to a crowd energy which is new and exciting.  By becoming part of it, the follower is buoyed up to be a somebody; they are raised up above the humdrum sensation of being utterly insignificant and ordinary to become part of a new and successful elite.

The insights I may have about the attractiveness of right-wing fascist thinking were first formed by living in Greece for ten months in the Sixties, under the totalitarian rule of the Colonels’ regime.  Most people have now forgotten the horrors and cruelties of this group of middle-ranking soldiers who took over the running of their country for a full seven years.  The dimension that shocked and fascinated me at the same time, was the appeal to Christianity to boost the ultra-right ideology that these rulers imposed on their country.  They found a pliant group within Orthodoxy and persuaded them to support them.  Together, the government and this Christian group, known as Zoe, created a pseudo-religious Christian veneer to justify their political activity against the ‘communists’ who opposed them.  The word communist could then be stretched to describe anybody who did not follow the regime’s ideas.  The British government of the day, a Labour administration under Harold Wilson, was certainly to be characterised in this way, particularly as he was outspoken in the face of the physical torture being used on many political prisoners languishing in camps on islands. 

This blog is not intended to be an account of fascist right-wing regimes, but I want to remind my readers of the way that extreme politics, as seen in Hungary, Greece and large sections of the Republican party in the States, wants to use Christianity for their own political purposes.  There is a simple three-word slogan which describes both the ultra- right-wing politics and expression of the Christian faith found in these conservative settings.  The slogan declares quite simply that Might is Right.  This bald statement expresses an ideology, whether in a political or religious setting, that deals with certainties and an authoritative version of truth.  It is the task of the leaders, political or faith-based, to enforce that ‘truth’ with whatever means are available.  Backed up with the forces of might, the dominant proponents of truth seek to impose their ideology on an entire society, or the parts of it who have surrendered to the leadership of the group with the most power.  When only a single version of truth in any area of knowledge, religious, political or scientific, is tolerated, we find ourselves living in a society which is marked by sterility and a failure to thrive.  Conformity and passivity are rewarded, and independence of thought and questioning are severely punished.  I need not go back very far in history to be able to offer examples of sterility and cruelty contained in what we can describe as fascist thinking.  To assume that any individual, any party or ideology can be irrefutably correct all the time is the stuff of fantasy thinking.  Those of us who do not live in this ideological fantasy world know that truth is rarely attained in a pure form.  The best that can be achieved is a theory that works as long as it does until a better theory comes along and cause us to rethink our assumptions.  It is claimed that science works because those at the edge of research are constantly seeking to refine their theories by trying to prove them wrong.  Truth in every discipline is attained only by a constant questioning and putting current theories to the test.  This is somewhat different to an image of finding truth and then retreating behind castle walls to defend it from questioners and doubters.

There are two things that unite right-wing politics and conservative theologies.  One is the assumption that those in charge, and they alone, have the truth.  The second thing they share is the belief that their ownership of this truth gives them the right to forcefully act in opposition against those who take a different view.  The holders of ‘truth’ always have the duty to persecute the ‘heretic’, the one who does not agree or who thinks independently. Paradoxically, such a claim to own the truth in this way is found to be something attractive and appealing to many.  When the Christian leader/pastor makes such claims for his or her preaching the Word, in a way that nothing can be questioned or discussed, we enter an environment which is fascist in style.  We come to a question that asks whether we should ever expect our faith to have a resemblance to a totalitarian system that seeks to control and dominate in the pursuit of one version of truth.  This dominant truth is one beyond discussion or any kind of questioning.  All that I have written so far will indicate which side I take in such a debate.   I am a passionate believer in allowing truth to be discovered and explored in an attitude of tentative humility.  When someone appears who wants to articulate their truth in a somewhat different way, I would want to listen and understand what they are saying rather than assume that one of us is right and the other wrong.  Dialogue and discussion may open new dimensions of truth to both sides, if all are prepared to explore truth in this way.  The problem is that the fascist mentality does not allow this kind of approach.  It demands acquiescence in the diktat of the leader and so there is never room for exploring an approach to truth which wants to explore a quite different approach.

Authoritative answers, whether in religion or politics, are comforting in their claims.  At one sweep we are relieved of the pain of uncertainty and allowed to enjoy the reassurance of being ‘right’ because our side in the argument has the ‘might’.  There are churches who possess much in the way of institutional power and wealth and, because of this, they want to dominate and control other churches.  Such misuse of power among Christians may resonate with many people.  They believe it is somehow ‘biblical’ and it is preserving truth.  The reality, as we have tried to suggest in this blog is that the path to real truth is being shut down.   Truth is something towards which we travel while never fully possessing it in our human lifetime.  Our journeying and our hope that the destination we have glimpsed is the right one is what keeps us on the Christian path and in a state of permanent expectancy.  In the words of St Augustine, You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.