The Church of Ireland Archbishop John McDowell has warned of the dangers posed by "the so-called Christian Right".
Speaking at the Church of Ireland General Synod which is taking place in Newcastle, Co Down, the Primate of All Ireland described the attitude to migration in Ireland, both north and south, as "one of the great touchstones and tests of our Christian authenticity".
In an address to 600 representatives, Archbishop McDowell said official figures last year covering racist violence and racially motivated incidents showed "worrying increases" in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
He said it was time to put a few myths to bed: that migration was not some form of "organised conspiracy aimed at the colonial dispossession of the Irish people", which he said had been claimed by the extreme right in Ireland.
"Nor is it an attempt at creating a Muslim majority or a Muslim state, as has been called by many on the British extreme right," he added.
"That increases in migration should be seized on by the extreme right who are bereft of any other ideas is not surprising, although it is less edifying when mainstream parties equivocate in the face of the horrendous violence which migrants suffer," he told those assembled.
Archbishop McDowell said that from the Churches' point of view, the more worrying development was the rise of the so-called Christian Right.
Parading the streets wrapped in national flag not the 'mind of God'
"These groups emphasise what they claim to be the undermining of 'Christian civilisation’ or ‘Judaeo-Christian’ values and the discrimination which they say Christians are subjected to," he said.
"And they use the Cross – the very epitome of powerlessness, and what a very advanced ‘civilisation’ inflicted on Jesus – as some kind of symbol of their dominance and superiority".
He questioned which aspect of discipleship in Jesus Christ was being exercised "by baying outside a hostel" while terrified children were inside.
"How is parading around the streets draped in a national flag representing the mind of the God of all the nations," he added.
"Migrants to this island want what we all want - to bring up children in security and decency; to provide them with a good education and the chance of a stable future. And to contribute to the communities in which they live.
"They bring with them enormous energy and fortitude, and very often scarce skills. For these, and other reasons, there is every rational reason to welcome them."
Archbishop McDowell also used his address to raise the issue of AI and questioned whether it was "another great leap forward in the liberation of mankind".
He told General Synod that Artificial Intelligence may relay information based on "incredible calculations of probability and suitability", but he pointed out that efficiency and convenience should not be used to become "the primary values against which we measure whether this information is worth the resources expended to generate it".
He said the costs were human and social as well as environmental.