tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529016898634168069.post1412566163823777389..comments2024-01-09T18:12:48.883+00:00Comments on Phil's Treehouse: Whose church is it anyway?Philip Ritchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05912352719196616923noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529016898634168069.post-34308358766275187632013-04-19T21:50:55.805+01:002013-04-19T21:50:55.805+01:00Ooh, hustings! Now that would be fun. I think it w...Ooh, hustings! Now that would be fun. I think it would be good to contact the lady herself and ask her why she wanted to use the photo of the church. <br /><br />The church is a local landmark to many, I expect she was just demonstrating her local-ness. With perhaps a bit of reclaiming the old "Tory party at prayer" idea.<br /><br />I can see what people are getting at with the letter of disassociation, but I disagree. I doubt most people gave the leaflet much attention. If the next thing they see is a letter to the Chronicle saying "She's nothing to do with us, guv", we're hardly doing ourselves any favours. <br /><br />My initial response to the leaflet was along the lines of "Oi! Tory! Gitorf my church!" but on reflection I don't think that's a very charitable or mature approach. Better to strive for honest, open, mature debate. So bring on the hustings! I'll even make some bunting...Gillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529016898634168069.post-4853826620072559372013-04-14T04:26:54.688+01:002013-04-14T04:26:54.688+01:00Why not invite her along to a service? Say someth...Why not invite her along to a service? Say something like thank you for using our church in your campaign literature we would love to see you one Sunday. Her are the service times .......Heather Francenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529016898634168069.post-16105932879530798022013-04-13T20:29:12.368+01:002013-04-13T20:29:12.368+01:00It is a beautiful church. My wife and I had the pr...It is a beautiful church. My wife and I had the privilege of being married there, and also photographed outside it. Also it is the most recognizable symbol of Great Baddow. So I'm not surprised they used the picture.<br /><br />My suggested response? Send something like this blog post to the local newspapers. They would probably publish as a letter, and might even run it as a story.Peter Kirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13395635409427347613noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529016898634168069.post-56868265006226273682013-04-13T16:10:14.704+01:002013-04-13T16:10:14.704+01:00I suppose that an invitation to them to come to ad...I suppose that an invitation to them to come to address the congregation alongside other candidates in a sort of hustings (presumably most are potential voters and constituents) when perhaps the congregation can demonstrate their feelings personally to the candidate(s)?<br /><br />A public meeting rather than a service. It would be interesting to see if they had the courage to do it?UKViewerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18114944341930758335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529016898634168069.post-68331302250259909232013-04-13T15:17:51.756+01:002013-04-13T15:17:51.756+01:00One of the cathedrals (possibly Durham) had someth...One of the cathedrals (possibly Durham) had something similar with the BNP (I think). May be worth googling what they did. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529016898634168069.post-11157354380819301102013-04-13T10:45:51.595+01:002013-04-13T10:45:51.595+01:00I would agree with Charlie's sentiments and ad...I would agree with Charlie's sentiments and advice. The church building has a wide variety of semiotic values and they do not belong exclusively to the community of the worshipping and stewarding faithful. Nonetheless, a letter to the local press making statements of fact about the candidate not being part of said family - and about your own political disassociation - would be in order...Fr Paul Trathen, Vicarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15267472254278133625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529016898634168069.post-29833171907624273442013-04-13T10:26:41.199+01:002013-04-13T10:26:41.199+01:00After the fall of the Bolsheviks in Russia, public...After the fall of the Bolsheviks in Russia, public opinion surveys showed that people trusted the church more than any other public institution, more than the army, the universities, and politicians came near the bottom of the list. A recent survey shows that still, 20 years later, 65% or Russians trust the church more than other institutions. <br /><br />So suddenly there was a mad rush of politicians looking for photo-ops that would associate them with the church in people's minds. <br /><br />The leader of the Communist Party did not impress church people with his gauche attempts to light a church candle with his cigarette lighter, but must of the secularised masses wouldn't know any better either. As long as the politicians could gather some of the pixie dust that they saw falling from the church.<br /><br />I wouldn't have expected the same phenomenon in Britian, where the secularism trend is going the other way, but it seems that there is still something about it that makes some politicians, at least, want some of it. <br /><br />Steve Hayeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11283123400540587033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529016898634168069.post-45580815385710821662013-04-13T09:36:23.934+01:002013-04-13T09:36:23.934+01:00It's a public building. As a part of the local...It's a public building. As a part of the local landscape, it doesn't "belong" to you or anybody else inasfar as anyone who wants to can take a picture with it in the background. <br />Probably the best thing you could do is say something in church and/or write to the local paper saying, while you have no particular for or against this particular candidate, people ought to know that she has no personal association with the church and she does not have your support over and against any other candidate. Charliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08102799923678550905noreply@blogger.com