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Priest advises congregation to shoplift rather than turn to 'mugging or prostitution'

NFS4

NFS4

No Lifer
LOLWUT?

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Father Tim Jones also suggested it would be better to steal from large chain stores rather than pick small family-run businesses as they would be worse affected.

Mr Jones, 42, broke off from his traditional annual sermon on Sunday to claim stealing from large national chains was sometimes the best option open to vulnerable people.

He insisted his unusual advice did not break the Bible commandment "You shall not steal" because God's love for the poor outweighed his love for the rich - but he has been slammed by police and a local MP as "highly irresponsible."

Delivering his festive lesson at St Lawrence C of E Church in York, Mr Jones told the congregation: "My advice, as a Christian priest, is to shoplift.

I do not offer such advice because I think that stealing is a good thing, or because I think it is harmless, for it is neither.

"I would ask that they do not steal from small family businesses, but from large national businesses, knowing that the costs are ultimately passed on to the rest of us in the form of higher prices.

"I would ask them not to take any more than they need, for any longer than they need. I offer the advice with a heavy heart and wish society would recognise that bureaucratic ineptitude and systematic delay has created an invitation and incentive to crime for people struggling to cope."

He added that he felt society had failed the needy, and said it was far better they shoplift than turn to more degrading or violent options such as prostitution, mugging or burglary.

He cited the example of an ex-prisoner who had been forced to live on less than £100, including a crisis loan, in six weeks after his release from jail.

He continued: "My advice does not contradict the Bible's eighth commandment because God's love for the poor and despised outweighs the property rights of the rich.

"Let my words not be misrepresented as a simplistic call for people to shoplift. The observation that shoplifting is the best option that some people are left with is a grim indictment of who we are.

"Rather, this is a call for our society no longer to treat its most vulnerable people with indifference and contempt. Providing inadequate or clumsy social support is monumental, catastrophic folly."

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said: "First and foremost, shoplifting is a criminal offence and to justify this course of action under any circumstances is highly irresponsible.

"Turning or returning to crime will only make matters worse, that is a guarantee. We recognise some people find themselves in difficult circumstances but support is readily available and must be sought."

Anne McIntosh, the local Conservative MP who has campaigned in Parliament for stronger sentences for shoplifters, admitted that there had been an "over-commercialisation" of the festive period which encourage people to spend.

But she said: "I cannot condone inciting anyone to commit a criminal offence, shoplifting is a crime against the whole local community and society."

Mr Jones, a married father-of-two, hit the headlines in May 2008 when he protested against a store stocking Playboy stationery aimed at youngsters.

He began tossing the items on to the floor complaining they were "cynical and wicked" - and the shop bowed to his one-man protest and agreed to stop stocking Playboy branded merchandise.

He is priest of the parishes of St Lawrence and St Hilda in York.
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...her-than-turn-to-mugging-or-prostitution.html
 
Well, shoplifting from chain stores IS a better option than mugging or prostitution.

However, it's hard for me to believe that many people in the first world shoplift because they're starving. If we have food stamps, food banks, homeless shelters, welfare, and unemployment in the US, which is less socialized than GB, I find it hard to believe that people have no better options over there.
 
He means buy stuff from walmart and then return it after you use it. 😉
 
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I'd think prostitution is better then stealing. You get what you want (money) and a customer gets what they want (your 'product'). I've never understood the problem with prostitution.
 
sourceninja said:
I'd think prostitution is better then stealing. You get what you want (money) and a customer gets what they want (your 'product'). I've never understood the problem with prostitution.
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I second this. It's okay when you give it away for free, but if you charge for it then it's all of a sudden a problem?
 
What will he do when his 15 seconds of fame are up? He should be fired from the splinter sect of the Anglican Church that he is a member of.
 
Previous sermons:
"And if you really need to kill someone you hate, just kill that one person, don't kill their whole family. Alternately, if a savage beating will get the point across, choose that instead of murder."

"Money laundering is best done through large chain banks, rather than small town banks. And be sure that there are no marks on the bills you deal in; it's illegal to mark up money anyway."

"Only commit insurance fraud with automobile insurers; health insurance is already too expensive, so leave those companies alone."
 
This reminds me of when my high school's health center gave out condoms for free when all the other HS in the area were still trying to teach abstinence. The logic being that we're gonna do it anyway, so you might as well try and stop the student from having kids the best you can.
 
gorcorps said:
This reminds me of when my high school's health center gave out condoms for free when all the other HS in the area were still trying to teach abstinence. The logic being that we're gonna do it anyway, so you might as well try and stop the student from having kids the best you can.
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The logic is the same as if kids are going to shoot each other anyway, so let's teach them marksmanship in school so the don't hit innocent bystanders.
 
If you're hungry and you have to eat his message is take from those who can afford it.

Hard to judge unless you've been in that kind of poverty where choice is steal and eat or die IMO.

PS I think most religions allow for gray areas with regard to theft like he mentions even Islam allows for hardly any punishment if you need to eat vs. hand chopping if you steal and don't need it.
 
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techs said:
The logic is the same as if kids are going to shoot each other anyway, so let's teach them marksmanship in school so the don't hit innocent bystanders.
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Abstinence-only education has been quite effective too, which is why teen pregnancy rates have plummeted to almost 0%.


...yeah.
 
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