Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably noticed the recent clamour for ‘reparations’ to former Commonwealth nations, says Rachael Tearney.
The same Commonwealth that our late Queen nurtured so devotedly throughout her reign now appears to be demanding an eye-watering sum of £17 trillion.
Such a payment would not only bankrupt the UK but is based on a rationale that, quite frankly, defies reason. How can financial compensation truly atone for slavery – a practice that ended centuries ago – and, more importantly, who has the authority to demand it?
This push for reparations is just the latest in a series of Social Justice campaigns, often presented with an air of moral superiority. But here’s the question: where does this moral high ground come from?
Social Justice is the mantra of the Left, they are constantly trying to enforce equality, which defeats the object in itself. Equality can only be achieved if everyone is equal to begin with, which we’re not but they refuse to see this. In Britain, everyone is equal before the law. This is a different concept entirely, one rooted in our spiritual past. True equality is a deeply Christian concept, not a Marxist one.
In Britain, everyone is equal before the law. This is a different concept entirely, one rooted in our spiritual heritage. True equality is a deeply Christian concept, not a Marxist one.
Recently, I’ve been reading a fascinating biography of Elizabeth Heyrick (by Jocelyn Robson, Pen & Sword Books), a little-known East Midlands-born abolitionist and social reform campaigner. Examining this historical point has clarified one thing: the desire to reform society and improve human conditions didn’t originate from politicians. It wasn’t a political movement, nor was it born out of ideological debates about economics, domestic policy, or foreign policy. It wasn’t found in the manifestos of the Liberals or the Whigs. Rather, it was one group of people, who could not reconcile the situation with their consciences, that led the charge – Christians, mostly Nonconformists.
In recent years, we have, as a nation, largely ignored our Christian past, and so most of us have little knowledge of where the concept of equality actually came from. It came from the teachings of Jesus Christ: that all men and women are equal under God. Nonconformists were Christians who refused to conform to the King’s reinstatement as head of the Church in England after the English Civil War. They had fought for nearly a decade, and when Charles II was crowned in the Restoration and people were asked to swear allegiance to him as head of the Church and to the Book of Common Prayer, many felt they could not—and so, they were punished. Nonconformists, who took on different names such as Quakers, Baptists, and Presbyterians, were barred from university and civic roles. They believed no one should stand between man and God. Their belief in equality before God, which is echoed in the British legal system as equality before the law, is the root of all social reform.
As Britain is pushed further and further away from Christianity by Marxism towards a Social Justice collective, it risks losing all belief in true equality. It was the personal, private Christian conscience of individuals that compelled them to make the world a better place. This didn’t just mean ending slavery—it also meant eradicating dreadful poverty in Britain. While slavery was part of life in the Commonwealth, so too were child labour, starvation, vagrancy, imprisonment, whipping, and hanging for the British poor.
The Christian Nonconformists led the charge, joined by politicians who were also Christians. But this movement was conducted in the spirit of Christian love; without it, arguably, nothing would have improved.
In 2024, we see Marxists masquerading as the inventors of equality and justice for all. But, far from being just, their regimes have starved, enslaved, and murdered millions throughout history. It is crucial that our politicians, clergy, teachers, lecturers, and everyone in public service understand the difference between Christian equality and Marxist Social Justice.
If you want true equality and human dignity, take a leaf out of the Christian Nonconformists’ book and understand that equality is possible only through the all-powerful light of Christian love.
Follow Rachel at @WritesRachael
