We are 'better together' say Christians for EU
First there was Christians for Britain, a new movement launched by leading church and laymen to campaign for Brexit. Now a former Dean of Durham has launched the opposite, Christians for EU, with the slogan: "Yes to the EU".
Unlike the Christian Brexit campaign, there is no website but the Christian "in" campaign is attempting to build support on Twitter.
#EUreferendum is about vision & hope. Christian values point to an open generous UK within a family of peoples committed to the common good.
— Christians for EU (@Xians4EU) February 21, 2016
The group has also assembled its own scriptural argument with verses that could be used to support the "in" campaign, just as Christian Brexiters can back an "out" vote with passages from the Bible.
Michael Sadgrove, Dean of Durham between 2003 and 2015 and now one of the Church of Engand's most prolific bloggers, told Christian Today: "It would be a rash person who tried to predict the outcome of the vote in the Referendum. There are plenty of Christians for Brexit as well as plenty who want to stay in.
"I would love to think that because of their belief in the Church as a sign of unity of the human race, the majority would be in favour of staying in. That may be true but I think at the moment it is a case of instinct rather than argument."
He said the historical, cultural and physical roots of Britain were in Europe.
"It is where we have come from and belonged, pretty much all of our history."
The EU is a strong association with the potential to do great good in the world, he said. "I can't see us tackling terrorism, climate change and security on our own. We are always better together."
If Twitter is any guide, so far the Brexits are winning. At the time of writing, @Xtians4Britain had 1,047 followers while @Xians4EU had just 338.