I was honoured and favoured, by Fr Calvin Robinson – to gain access to the ARC (Alliance for Responsible Citizenship) conference; the brain child of Dr Jordan Peterson; this week. I am now going to divulge my reflections upon the momentous occasion, covered by numerous media outlets; including the GB News, and the Guardian News Paper.
My impression of what the ARC conference is all about; is that it is trying to revitalise western culture and civilisation from the root; it is positioning itself as an alliance of conservative minded Liberals; and the broader right of spectrum thinkers movers and shakers. I understand this is the second such conference – the first being by invite only! This second conference was opened to the public, but, aimed at the elites; the tickets were in excess of a thousand pounds; and discounted tickets were still counted in hundred. The Conference was held at the ExCel centre London; and to be fair, I can see why the costs were so high; all delegates were fed and watered, security was high, the venue excellent; and helpful staff were abundant; in comfortable settings! There was around 4000 delegates from across the world. The were a list of great A list speakers, including Nigel Farage, Douglass Murray, Ayan Ali, Jordan Peterson, Bishop Barron amongst others.
It is interesting that the conference played on the image of the ARK (spelled ARC) for their motif; Jordan Peterson; in his final speech welcoming people ‘aboard the arc, now pick up a paddle and row’; in his final speech. The Ark as a biblical motif; being a place of GOD’s preservation from judgment and His presence amongst His people; used by Church Fathers, as references to both Christ as saviour; and to Mary as carrying the Lord’s presence amongst His people. The ARC group want to commission a movement to go about being activists that deliberately rebuild and restore; western civilisation along its ‘traditional’ lines – to save it from the death of over reaching governments governed by progressive beliefs and values. I believe the aim of Jordan Peterson and many is to return to an idealised individualised strong but limited nation state – this is nothing but pure Reaganism; a cult of the new right of the Thatcherite kind (I may be wrong and I am open to correction) but such a vision; if in fact that is so – is too flat; and contrived; and lacking in the depth of the soil of Western Civilisation for it to work. The west must revisit the Question of Christianity as the driving energy of all aspects of society, economy, and politics; and all questions of identity and values; that is how you will best build a culture of responsible citizen ship; when you realise – we are responsible primary to GOD – and not in the first instance to our neighbour; something Liberal have gotten the wrong way round for the best part of two hundred years!
What I found most striking was that Kemi Badendoch leader of the Conservative Party and his majesty’s loyal opposition; openly acknowledged the existential threat and possible collapse of western civilisation – something no mainstream media outlet seems to have focussed on; this is quite the statement. A mainstream party and leader – finally acknowledging the mood felt across the western world by its natural custodians. It is often said that the first step of recovery from a destructive addiction is to acknowledge their is a problem; and so to finally here this being said from the front and centre of society is somewhat a relief (so long of course she actually believes it herself); for if the western peoples of the world, do not acknowledge that there is a real and genuine threat; they will do nothing to resolve it.
I was struck though by something that was not said or addressed; the threat of Islam in the form of Islamisation; and active Islamists across our society. This spectre, I would have thought would be challenged; and this draws out well the weakness of any and all Liberal movements, classical or otherwise; in that it will not bring itself to tackle Islam on its own terms – that of a theocratic vision; set upon world domination and oppression of none Muslims! How in a conference about saving the west – was this not addressed directly? (not to my knowledge anyway). The ARC conference – must tackle this question head on; as we all must; for we can not save the west – unless we accept the reality of the existential threat posed to it by Islam. Liberalism, because of its contractual understanding of the state; and in state sovereignty, and its disproportionate use of natural theology, can not see Islam as a threat – but merely one more religion amongst others that the state is bound to uphold as part of its contract with the Muslim citizen. Liberalism is part of the problem here.
I found that there was a number of competing current at flow across the conference, like waves in water from different directions, they would sometimes clash and cancel one another out; a danger of course that can not be avoided in a gathering of people so large. One of those currents; was the modernist obsession with innovation; that somehow, you could save the west through innovation; through some new piece of technology or enterprise; and to be sure – rebuilding a post progressive society – is required for the salvation of the west; and that will take innovation; but their was a spiritually unhealthy belief in both the necessity and power of innovation; to which I would like to council a word of caution; the technological revolutions of AI, DNA Coding, and Body Augmentation; challenge the very narrative of our understanding of what it is to be human; and these technological innovations, must be pinned firmly to the service of the Christian story; if they not to create a ‘god of the machine’ culture in the future; something that would be just as maniacal as any ‘culture of the self’ which is currently the cancer killing western civilisation presently. Innovation – without a clear paradigm to guide it; is exactly what happened at the industrial revolution; technological innovation lead, before our reflections upon its impact caught up; and we have continuously been playing catch up ever since. I know Dr Jordan Peterson spoke of his desire – for a conscientious reset; in which we deliberately and proactively rethink the world along socially conservative and classically Liberal lines; however, if we are to do that well – we must accept that classical Liberalism let the ball roll away from them on this one! Technologies like the pill; have done more to kill the west – than anything else; nothing on reflection has proven more insidious than the television; combined with controlled media. What is needed is a clear metanarrative – that should define the limits and direction of a technological innovation; and not the pursuit of technological breakthroughs for their own sake. Liberalism is part of the problem here.
The Other consideration is quite simply this – values and a sense of a civilisation are going to be passed down and sustained by families that are born into it; and feel that it is theirs to own; which obviously requires education; but more importantly it requires families and a pro life culture pro family culture. Whilst this was certainly rippling across the conference the horrific crime and genocide of abortion – killing mostly western children; was not tackled head on. You simply can not have or sustain a western civilisation without the families and children that are its natural inheritors! I believe that once again; the fault here is Liberalism; and its emphasis on the freedom of choice; especially over ones body (an innovation of most recent years as Liberalism metastasised into Progressive thought, as classical liberalism did not have this hang up). Arc must come out clearly and unashamedly as pro life! Liberalism is part of the problem here!
This brings me to the obvious point; ARC can not serve two masters; it can not serve both man and GOD; Liberalism even classical Liberalism, represents a man centred Christianity a GOD centred religion. I’ve drawn out; on technology, Islam and abortion where Liberalism is actually part of the problem of the decay of the west. ARC must see the problems inherent within Liberalism – and rather than a return to a more classical Liberal state, it should instead row towards a Christian state; a new Christendom! I heard from Konstantin Kisin (who gave a genuinely hilarious speech) and Eric Weinstien (who missed an opportunity to highlight the scandal of the scientific community grifting off the public purse) the pagan undercurrents of the new Classical Liberals; a Nietzschean call to defy the meaningless of decay ‘by holding to the truth’ I think the irony escaped both; and a scientist extolling a faith based futurism in the power of science; these speeches when contrasted Ayan and his eminence Barons speeches showed a tension point between the dying new atheistic liberals – and the resurgent Christian contingent within the conference; and highlighted that as the Church continues to embolden; a conflict for the future with atheistic / deistic Liberalism is on the horizon; we Christians must keep one eye on the horizon; and when our alliance to Liberalism is no longer in the interests of the Church; we must be ready to break the alliance and seize the initiative for the Kingdom. The danger for Christians – is that our faith is hijacked as a brand; and distorted and diluted – to serve man; rather than being as the Lord intended as he founded the Church to serve Him and His kingdom in covenant. Christianity – is useless to everyone – if you only see it as useful – a point excellently made by far the best speaker in my opinion; Os Guinness. Christianity offers a broader, deeper, richer and more sustainable narrative than the new atheistically lead classical Liberal movement.
This leads me to reflect upon what I believe should be the stance of Christians within ARC who are already at the heart of the organisation; for instance Jonathan Pageau is on its organising committee. My kingdom theology instincts makes naturally gravitate to capturing the whole conference; but as Pageau himself observed – in conversation with Fr Josiah Trenham and myself observed; if we did that – we would be boxed off; as that Christian group; by the rest of the world; I am won over by this argument; against my natural instinct; and so I believe the best stance for Christians – is to use this – ARC conference; as a field of mission; in which we bring in the goats! This is an interface in which we should seek to bring in the lost of the Liberal elites to the Christian world view (whilst holding clearly to our own vision) until such a time emerges – when we are the overwhelming majority of the movement rather, than, a significant minority of the movement. When we reach this critical point – ARC will be a Christian movement of civilisational renewal; and seeking to revive a Christian Civilisation in the west. A point that many in the conference have some degree of sympathy towards in any case. To that end; there is a snare we should as Christians be using in our evangelism of this Liberal Coccus; it was almost a refrain amongst them to cheer the importance of Christian values; and rightly so – Christian values are the best values by which to govern life. However, it seems many have not thought critically; that Christian values in fact all values, are dependent on the doctrines you hold! We need to make this connection strongly within ARC; as a way of funnelling down the rabbit whole, the Liberal to Christ; as they pursue the root of this connection between values and doctrines, and learn Christian doctrines as a means to sustain those values – they may encounter Christ as Lord and Saviour. We must use those Liberal values, that are Christian; like: the imago dei and the importance of the family, as a way into introduce them to deeper values, that to them will seem more eccentrically Christian; like the importance of the covenant and the kingdom; and the confederacy of the Church. It is therefore of the greatest importance, that Christians active in the ARC network – have a clear sense of their Christian values, and where Liberal and Christian values – differentiate; church over state for instance as the loci of identity.
If Islam was the spectre in the room unspoken; then Christ was in the Angel of the Lord in the room unspoken! His name needed to be declared; but was not; his name needed to be praised – but what was not; their was a latent pregnant energy expectant of Him; but it was not clearly articulated. There was a prayer breakfast organised – as I understand – but I would urge at the next ARC conference; that somewhere there be displayed the Nicene Creed for all to read as the foundational document of western civilisation (I hope you are listening John Pageau); and that the first and last moments be to say the Lord’s prayer. We Christians must be better at communicating how Christ is the cornerstone not just of personal salvation but also the Cornerstone of a civilisational project that we can for want of better words; call a New Christendom!
I want to give a shout out to a few people here – whom I had the opportunity to meet; and whom I hope to work with in the near future. Firstly and most importantly, to Fr Calvin, without whose help I would not have been able to go: please support him and show him some love here (he is having a rough time of it): https://democracythree.org/the-most. Fr Brett Murphy, Glen Scrivener; both of whom I look forward to working with in the near future; and the now brave confessor of Ayan Ali; of Courage Media. It was great to see you all. I think Jonathan Pageau was a little weary of me; though I do look forward to reaching out to Fr Josiah in the future. One encounter, which for me was one of the best; was with a Christian businessmen, where we discussed over lunch the place of Christian entrepreneurs in the cultural struggle for the life of our civilisation and what role Christian run and managed businesses have in that; I hope that might bare fruit; as Christian run businesses are our principle means of unplugging culture and society from Liberal indoctrination.
