Church thefts - another example of falling standards

[vehelpfulguy]

So the church has had to make insurance claims for 3.5 million pounds after thefts from churches.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7001117.stm

While not religious myself I do think that many chuches are centres for local activities. Many are also fine buildings that have been in the area for centuries and have great history.

How sad that some scum see them as easy targets to steal lead and other metals. And of course the loss of the lead causes other problems such as roof leakage damaging property inside.

And of course you get other scum who break into a church and steal artifacts such as crosses and so on purely for the metal.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/coventry_wa rwickshire/6968791.stm

It is a sad example of how low our society has sunk when people dont think twice about stealing from a church just because it does not have CCTV, or that it may be unlocked to allow people the chance to sit quietly and maybe pray.

We really are sinking very quickly as a society.

[Lonnie]

I think for this, you can probably blame the drug culture, and if thats the case, you then have to blame the idiots who downgraded it.

[naomi24]

I agree. Our society is sinking very quickly and in my opinion it's caused in the main by those blinkered, sanctimonious people who fight, armed with a mountain of excuses, for the cause of the perpetrator of crime It seems nothing is anybody's fault any more - the criminal is not responsible because, according to his supporters and sympathisers, there's always an underlying reason to excuse all sorts of anti-social behaviour - and 'discipline' is an absolute 'no go area'. People are no longer held to account for their actions - but they should be. I have no religion, but whatever happened to - dare I mention that much abused word - 'respect'?

[Booldawg]

vigilantism is the way forward for the UK.

[jake-the-peg]

I disagree - not with the judgement on the people but with the notion that this is somehow new.

There are Anglo-saxon laws dealing with stealing from churches so it was clearly a problem then and I don't think there was ever a golden age.

Thefts of lead from church roofs:
1979: http://southwellchurches.nottingham.ac.uk/b07/ hhistory.htm1964
http://cityark.medway.gov.uk/query/results/?Mo de=Search&PathList=%2FEcclesiastical_Rochester _Archdeaconry_Area_Parishes%2FP270B_ROSHERVILL E_1852_1976%2F%0A&SearchWords=&DateList=&Boole an=AND&Results=50
1957
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?co mpid=53401

You get the idea


Although from what I recall in history stealing from churches is not so much of a problem if you happen to be a King !