Priest tells members to shoplift to survive.
By Graham Smith
Last updated at 4:57 PM on 21st December 2009
'Highly irresponsible': Father Tim Jones has been criticised after advising his congregation to shoplift following his Nativity sermon
A clergyman has been criticised as 'highly irresponsible' after advising his congregation to shoplift following his Nativity sermon.
Father Tim Jones, 41, broke off from his traditional annual sermon yesterday to tell his flock that stealing from large chains is sometimes the best option for vulnerable people.
It is far better for people desperate during the recession to shoplift than turn to 'prostitution, mugging or burglary', he said.
The married father-of-two insisted his unusual advice did not break the Bible commandment 'Thou shalt not steal' - because God's love for the poor outweighs his love for the rich.
But the minister's controversial sermon at St Lawrence Church in York has been slammed by police, the British Retail Consortium and a local MP, who all say that no matter what the circumstances, shoplifting is an offence.
Delivering his festive lesson, Father 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.
Father Jones cited the example of an ex-prisoner who had been forced to live on less than £100, including a crisis loan, over 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.'
But 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.'
Local Tory MP Anne McIntosh, who has campaigned in Parliament for stronger sentences for shoplifters, admitted that there had been an 'over-commercialisation' of the festive period which encourages 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.'
Richard Dodd, spokesman for the British Retail Consortium, said he was surprised that a priest was encouraging his congregation to steal.
'He's failing to appreciate that it's the job of our welfare system to deal with vulnerable people,' he said. 'That's how to deal with the vulnerable, not calling for them to steal from shops.'
Mr Dodd added: 'Stealing is wrong and it isn't less wrong to steal from a big retailer than it is to steal from a small retailer.
'I thought this was a central part of every religion.'
This isn't the first time Father Jones has courted controversy.
He hit the headlines in May 2008 when he protested against a shop stocking Playboy stationery aimed at youngsters. He tossed the items onto the floor complaining they were 'cynical and wicked'. The shop bowed to his one-man protest and agreed to stop stocking Playboy-branded merchandise.
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: revolution depression economy repression government
I like this idea. Who gives a shit about big retail giants? I don't. When children are starving and their parents can't buy them food because they were laid off from their jobs, then yeah, steal it. It cost's a store pennies on the dollar for the food and merchandise they buy and then they make huge profits on it. If a woman is being raped are you going to persecute her for attacking her assailant because battery is an offense? It's the same principle for a starving family. It's called survival and it shouldn't be a crime.
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So lets get this straight. Point # 1 Most people in the world ACTUALLY consider, intellectually debate and argue about the use of military force (that involves hundreds of thousands innocently killed along the way, rape of women, and destruction of entire governments) when there is a MAYBE, somewhat chance of a threat to life or natural resources of a country or of major corporations like Halliburton. Point # 2 if a police officer was on duty and somehow someone jumped infront of him waving a gun (who knows WHY), he would be able to KILL that person to protect his own life, and most people in society would think that is fine and considered self defense. Point # 3 BUT when it comes to a man, who has struggled to find a job, left with no choice but to do something illegal to feed his family, the Priest in this church is HIGHLY criticized for advising them to use their BRAINS and not become savage criminals and to just CHOOSE the lesser evil in this situation and rob/shoplift from large corporations who can actually afford to take the hit.
What sounds the most justified to you? Lets bomb the crap out of a country and rip their children to pieces while their children are sleeping at night in their homes for the sake of an "ideology" called "democracy" that actually has not real, set definition. OR father of three, who goes to church so obviously has some type of inclination towards a lifestyle of morals, who has no job and has no other choice but to actually steal food for his children - ACTUALLY using his brain and using his MORALS STILL while he is stealing and CHOOSING from who he should steal from, so that he could cause the LEAST damage to society, b/c he is only stealing a certain amount that would be enough to sustain his children.
Point # 4 - who gives a crap what the POLICE department in Englad thinks - for that matter what the police in any society think - they are laborers/soldiers hired by the government to do what they are told, they are NOT the thinktanks and idealogues of a society - most of them are not even educated and the majority of police around the world are CORRUPT.
In terms of morality - from an Islamic perpsective, in dire circumstances, in cases of emergency and survival of one's life, a human can go against the rules that are established in the moral code. Example, man is in the woods, starving, he can therefore eat meat that would be, in normal circumstances forbidden to him by the rules of Islam, like Pork for example - but only eat enough to keep him surviving in the situation. Example # 2, if a man is stuck at an airport in a foreign country, and is being forced by airport personnel to give a bribe, otherwise he won't get his luggage, he is allowed to "BRIBE" them since he will not get his luggage, which is a total waste/lost of his property - but he can only bribe them if situation is being forced - etc...Any REAL Revelation, orthodox moral code will allow for the laxity of rules when it comes to survival
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Good for him. I make it a point to shoplift from Walmart every chance I get, not that I can't afford it, but I consider it 'subversive shoplifting.'
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There are a lot of self important people like this mike revero character, that although has an informative website, still takes the time to narcisitically display his "action figure" while telling poor people not to steal because it offends his culturally conditioned sensibilities. He implies the poor are "everyone else." What an elitist simpleton loser.
All Americans are poor now, which makes his statement ironically true, but still low on the "moral pyramid."
Simple rule for now: Steal anything that is not bolted down from the obviously wealthy, corporations and government. Believe me, in the end you are not "stealing" you are just taking back the money they stole from you through taxes, that went to bankers and killing brown babies 10,00 miles away for empire America. Think for your self folks.
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It's not a new idea. Confucius said "When you live in a country that is run by thieves there is no dishonor in being a thief out of necessity."
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I don't censor here, but I've always enjoyed Mike's site. It takes a lot of work to do something to that caliber, I could only wish I could do the same.
I certainly enjoy his persona more than Alex Jones.... although both do a great job.
I love that people steal from wal-mart! LOL! That just cracks me up.
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When did God become a moral relativist? This guy should be defrocked. If for no other reason than he believes he can speak for God.
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Saint-Thomas of Aquinos said the same as Father Tim Jones centuries ago: to steal when one is in need or hungry isn't a sin. Back to the future...
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hi! Knucklz,
you have a good posting sense, just keep it up.
thanks and regards to all.
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