Video goes viral after priest's sermon interrupted by 'right wing hate group'
An Australian priest's sermon is being widely shared on Facebook after it was interrupted by a group impersonating Muslims.
The community at Gosford Anglican Church in the coastal town of Gosford, Australia had its Sunday worship service disrupted by a nationalist group dressed in pseudo-Islamic attire, mock praying and criticising Islam.
In a statement on Facebook, the church's Father Rod Bowers said the "right wing hate group" had violated sacred space, while traumatising and terrorising the congregation.
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The group interrupts the service at the 12'33 mark in the video below, originally posted to the parish Facebook page.
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Appropriately for Sunday's events, the priest's sermon, which is filmed every week, addressed the way society oppresses marginalised people.
Before the group interrupted his sermon, Bowers stated "by taking one group of people and piling all our darkness and our anger and our dysfunction onto that entity, and scapegoating it. That's the way we keep order."
According to a statement on "The Party for Freedom" Facebook page, the group of protestors said they were confronting Bowers and his congregation for their support of Islam and multiculturalism.
Calling itself a "patriotic political party," the group posted videos and pictures of themselves invading the church and impersonating Muslim men and women. The group, whose Facebook page includes anti-Muslim rhetoric, advocates an immigration policy based on "cultural compatibility."
Bowers is well known for being outspoken on social issues, advocating for marriage equality and the rights of refugees, as well as denouncing the actions of radicalised Christians.
If "The Party for Freedom" thought Bowers would change his mind thanks to their intrusion, they will be sorely mistaken. In his statement, the priest said the group actually aided his preaching, despite their interruption.
"The group unwittingly provided a perfect sermon illustration for today's Gospel Luke 12:49-56. 'Jesus said I did not come to bring peace.' This is one of the difficult sayings of Jesus that needs deeper understanding -- sadly these hate filled people would have certainly claimed to be Christian on last Tuesdays census, but they know not Christ or his peace.
"If these people has been actual muslims it would be call terrorism. This is "radicalised Christianity" and right wing terrorism and should be named as such."
The Party for Freedom group also echoed the sentiments of U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, posting the slogan "Make Australia Great Again" on social media, while sharing photos of themselves celebrating their unsavoury stunt with beers.
Mashable Australia has reached out to police and the local parish for comment.
