Priest's Comments In Church

[andrew1707]

My wife was at church today. Apparently the priest was talking about the upcoming church parade and how, last year, lots of the local shop-keepers came out and took photos (It's an inner city parish with a large muslim population).

The father said that he didn't know why they took photos and that they would probably put them on a jihadi website (My wife thinks this was meant as a joke).

There was quite an intake of breath by the congregation but no more was said on the subject.

I am utterly aghast at this comment and wondered what all the good people of AB-land think and also what you think I should do.

I have have various thoughts on this but keep coming back to the thought of how would I feel if this had happend in reverse, i.e. The comment was made by an Iman in a mosque.

Should we do :
- Tell the police about this. It sounds like Inciting Racial Hatred to me.
- Contact the bishop's office and let them deal with it (..can they be trusted?)
- Do nothing as it was probably just an ill considered stab at humour.

Thanks

[wolf63]

Can I be devil's advocate here

- The catholics planned a parade in a mainly muslim part of your town and the muslims took pictures.

- What if a large crowd of muslims paraded through a catholic part of town? What would happen then?

As per the 'joke' I would ignore it, take two ibuprofen and monitor the situation.

As I am being ten times my going rate at work today I must rush to get there.



☺

[wolf63]

Have you decided what to do about the minister guy?

I am a live and let live sort of girl, unless someone is horrible about or to my cats and then I turn nasty.

On a brighter note I managed to avoid the JW preachers this morning.



♥

[andrew1707]

Thanks to everyone for there views....I was amazed that it went for so long without a cat comment...Thanks Sue.

[wolf63]

Is that you being catty?

[Peter Pedant]

Oh dear a few points.

catholic comes from gk catholikos - and means world wide.
Anglicans claim they are catholic in this sense

dilettanti also boast of catholic tastes

RCs dont really parade - we have processions, and on these we... process ( and not procede nor parade ) I imagine therefore that the upcoming church parade is the procession on the occasion of the Ascension.

Churches in muslim lands I imagine do not process - ever
I am pretty sure the Copts in Egypt keep in their churches ( and often lock the doors ) - so there would be grounds for Muslims to photograph the processions.

They're cute actually - the boys lurking and perhaps singing
and the little girls dressed in white, with little baskets of flower petals which they scatter for the procession to walk on.


Honestly - a joke like jihadi website
is on a par with saying that on the procession or parade,
the priest has a portable confessional just in case a young boy feels the need to confess....

Didnt Jesus say at one point.... sticks and stones ?

[anneasquith]

Andrew, as you feel so strongly about the priests comment.......why don't you talk to him ?

[Mamyalynne]

I would have commented to the Priest as I left church that day and hope others did too - then maybe he will think more carefully in future.

[inksplotter]

Jihadi websites must be quite dull if you have to wade through tons of church parades. Would they have other church events there as well?

Humour's just a way of dealing with an uncomfortable situation, that's all it is. It has been pointed out that certain jokes in the past aren't all funny, but they may have preferable to out and out abuse.

[beso]

You are in a congregation. You should be accustomed to someone standing up the front saying rubbish.

[modeller]

If you go to church , what do you expect ? Not common sense that's for sure .