Leading Anglican bishop criticises Donald Trump's Christian supporters

A leading Anglican bishop has hit out at religious leaders in America who support Donald Trump.

Paul Bayes, the Bishop of Liverpool, told The Guardian that evangelical leaders were often ‘uncritically accepting’ of comments made by the divisive U.S. President.

‘Some of the things that have been said by religious leaders seem to collude with a system that marginalises the poor, a system which builds walls instead of bridges, a system which says people on the margins of society should be excluded, a system which says we’re not welcoming people any more into our country’, he said.

Mr Bayes, who became the Bishop of Liverpool in 2014, also questioned whether it was possible to support right-wing populism while justifying a belief in Christianity.

‘Whenever people say those kinds of things, they need to be able to justify that they’re saying those things as Christians, and I do not believe it’s justifiable’, he said.

His comments come towards the end of Mr Trump’s first year in office as US President; a tenure that has so far seen him continue with his intention to build a huge Mexican border wall in an attempt to halt illegal immigration.

He has also banned U.S. travel for people from Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Syria.

Earlier this week, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby also used his Christmas message to hit out at ‘populist leaders’ in what has been viewed as a thinly veiled dig at Mr Trump.

‘In 2017 we have seen around the world tyrannical leaders that enslave their peoples, populist leaders that deceive them, corrupt leaders that rob them, even simply democratic, well-intentioned leaders of many parties and countries who are normal, fallible human beings’, he said.

‘We have experienced across our country terrorism that kills the innocent, claiming that it is the path to freedom in God.

‘The nature of God who has all power, and from whom all power comes, is to lay it aside for love’s sake and thus without fear, force or manipulation to offer true freedom for every human being.’