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CHURCHES HIT OUT AT PARKING CHARGES

by Rebecca Short.

11:00 - 09 November 2006 

A city council is to impose new car parking charges for Sunday morning church services so they are not "discriminatory to other faiths and religious praying days".Plymouth City Council had allowed free parking in some car parks for Christian churchgoers, but now has brought in a £1 an hour charge so they do not offend other faiths.

The move has angered churches in the city, and a protest letter has been sent to the authority.

A council parking representative replied, explaining that free parking would be discriminatory.

The letter read: "The basis of your representation was rejected on the grounds that the current free parking on a Sunday morning is discriminatory to other faiths and religious praying days.

"Dispensation is not given to other religions."

Regular churchgoer Mary Hooker, 66, wrote a letter of protest to be told worshippers couldn't have an exemption because it might "discriminate" against Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist residents.

She said: "It is rather unforgiving. I have been going to church for 50 years and I have never had to pay.

"I have been worshipping here for 50 years - and neither I nor my parents have ever paid to park.

"I think it is disgusting.

"Loose change which people used to put in the collection plate is now being fed into pay and display machines.

"It seems the so-called politically correct reasons for this new charge are just a cover for the council to make even more money.

"They have effectively introduced a tax on going to church, and at a time when we are desperately trying to increase dwindling congregations I fear this is only going to put people off."

The 2001 census survey revealed that the combined total of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs in Plymouth amounted to 1.1 per cent of the population.

The city has one Mosque which serves all of the Muslim population, estimated to be about 800. Plymouth also has one Buddhist centre, serving about 470 people, and one Synagogue for nearly 200 practising Jews in the community.

There are 150 Christian churches in the city.

Sunday parking charges were first introduced to Plymouth in 1998, but an exemption was granted to churches as a way of acknowledging the contribution it plays in city life.

Worshippers who regularly attend the city centre Anglican St Andrew's Church and Plymouth Methodist Central Hall have always relied on the Guildhall and Mayflower House Court car park's free service.

However, the service was also used by Sunday shoppers and other people - a loophole which is thought to have annoyed the council.

Reverend Nick McKinnel (CRT), rector of St Andrew's Church, said: "For them now to use other faiths as a way of withdrawing this concession seems pretty shabby.

"We were always granted free parking until noon, after the morning service finished.

"The reasoning behind this new charge betrays a total lack of understanding of the multi-faith agenda and serves only to divide communities.

"It does seem extraordinary to invoke other faiths as a reason to charge those who go to church.

"Everyone wants this to be a good city for those of all faiths and none.

"But the sort of spurious reasoning given on behalf of the city council betrays a total lack of understanding of the multi-faith agenda.

"Religious discrimination laws only apply in an employment context, and not to the provision of a service like a car park.

"If the council is imposing new charges because it wants more money then why not admit that?"

Sunday charges have also been brought into line with the rest of the week as well as being introduced in the mornings for the first time - a move set to net the council an extra £365,000 a year.

The city council already has a reputation for overzealous parking fines and last year the Barbican area was listed as one of the country's top ten ticket hotspots - generating more than £43,000. This was on top of the average £3 million a year that the council collects from parking tickets every year.

A spokesman for Plymouth city council said: "The decision not to give preferential treatment to any organisation in the city centre, whether it is a church or not, is an entirely reasonable one.

"However, the wording of the letter sent out to those who made representations should have explained this better, rather than focusing on the faiths issue."

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The city has one Mosque which serves all of the Muslim population, estimated to be about 800. Plymouth also has one Buddhist centre, serving about 470 people, and one Synagogue for nearly 200 practising Jews in the community.

There are 150 Christian churches in the city.

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Regular churchgoer Mary Hooker, 66..............................................said "Loose change which people used to put in the collection plate is now being fed into pay and display machines."

mattg

Nov 10 2006, 11:14 PM

I wonder how many councillors are christian? matt

nelly k

Nov 11 2006, 07:36 PM

This is a sore point with me , I have 3 times had Parking Tickets issued while at Mass in the Cathedral in Edinburgh, each time its been the Sunday evening Mass, what are Taffic Wardens doing out on a Sunday at 7pm, Iwas not causing an obstruction, the town was relativly quiet.... :angry:
I dont think I should have posted this here but it just struck a cord.nelly

The Daily Mail

 

Two-thirds of firms tear down the tinsel
by COLIN FERNANDEZ, Daily Mail Last updated at 12:13pm on 5th December 2005


More than two-thirds of companies have banned Christmas decorations from the office because of fears that they will offend people from minority faiths, according to a report.

A survey by employment law firm Peninsula found that most firms are killing the festive spirit to conform to political correctness.

About 70 per cent of employers said they had banned Christmas trees and decorations.

Peter Done, managing director of Peninsula, said: "The workplace is now the latest in an increasing number of places affected by the wave of political correctness being imposed on festive traditions.

"To ease fears of offending other faiths and excluding minorities, firms are increasingly banning Christmas decorations and traditions from the workplace."

The survey, which questioned more than 2,000 employers, is the latest example of killjoys undermining traditional ways of celebrating Christmas.

Just over a week ago, the Mail reported how staff at the Jobcentre in Peterborough were told not to exchange presents publicly and that there would be no Christmas party.

Following a barrage of criticism, Jobcentre bosses carried out an embarrassing U-turn.

Other 'Christmas killjoys' named and shamed in recent weeks include Waveney District Council, based in Lowestoft, Suffolk, which said festive lighting displays did not "fit with the council's core values of equality and diversity" because Christmas focused only on the Christian faith.

Britons are expected to spend £600million on decorations this year. This includes 32million metres of fairy lights to decorate the outside of their homes. The average electricity bill will go up by £2.50.

The Daily Mail

 

Tax office exposed as Christmas killjoys
by STEVE DOUGHTY, Daily Mail
Staff at the Inland Revenue have been banned from donating to a charity which sends toys to needy children - because of its Christian links.

Do you know of any other Christmas killjoys? Name and shame them in our reader comments below

A leaked memo tells staff the department cannot continue to be associated with the charity Samaritan's Purse because its operations do not conform to diversity policies and could bring the Revenue into 'disrepute'.

It tells them they can donate to the charity in their own time, but not at work.

The ban, imposed by HM Revenue & Customs chairman David Varney after complaints from trade union activists, was called 'strange' by the Church of England last night.

The Revenue's 100,000 employees have supported Operation Christmas Child since the late 1990s.

The appeal sends more than a million shoe boxes from Britain to children in countries including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Romania, Serbia, Sudan and Mozambique.

Donors are asked to pack boxes with a cuddly toy, a toothbrush and toothpaste, soap and flannel, notepads, colouring books, picture books, pencils and crayons, tennis balls, caps and gloves, puzzles and sweets. Although no Christian literature is included in the boxes, the charity does separately distribute Christmas stories from the Bible and encourages Bible study in areas where it gives toys out.

The leaked memo, from Michael Scott, assistant director of the National Insurance Contributions Office in Newcastle upon Tyne, tells staff: 'We are not dictating who you can or cannot support, but you will appreciate that as a department we cannot be seen to promote activities that do not broadly fit with our philosophy or which could bring us into disrepute by association.'

A spokesman for the Inland Revenue added: 'We have very clear workplace policies regarding the importance of valuing difference.

'When an organisation demonstrates evidence of being at odds with those core values we cannot make special provision for that organisation to be supported on our premises. To do so would be hypocritical and at odds with our diversity commitments.'

The Church of England condemned the ban. Spokesman Lou Henderson said: 'It seems unfortunate for any organisation to make it difficult for their employees to make a Christian expression of generosity.

'It does seem a strange way of promoting diversity.

'If this charity was aiming to do a heavy conversion job on vulnerable children, that could be criticised. But the shoe box operation is another thing entirely.'

Steve Whaley, of Samaritan's Purse, said donors to the shoe box scheme were warned that boxes must not include 'anything of a political, racial or religious nature'.

He added: 'If found, such items are removed. However, because it is Christmas - and in distribution areas where it is culturally appropriate - we do offer, separately, a small booklet of Bible stories in the native language.

'The booklet is available in approximately half the locations we deliver shoe boxes to.'

He said the charity - which was introduced to Britain by evangelist Billy Graham and is run internationally by his son Franklin - has met with no disapproval from other organisations which allow collections, which include local authorities and private companies.

The shoe box ban follows this week's decision by Lambeth Council in South London to rename its Christmas street decorations 'Winter Lights' to avoid offending non-Christians.

Several years ago, Birmingham City Council notoriously rebranded the Christmas holidays 'Winterval'.

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Controversial “politically correct” version of the Bible published in Germany

Berlin, Nov. 09, 2006 (CNA) - A group of 52 biblical “specialists” have released a new version of the Bible in which inclusive language and “political correctness” have replaced some “divisive” teachings of Christianity in order to present a “more just language” for groups such as feminists and homosexuals.

According to the AFP news agency, the new version of the Sacred Scriptures was presented at a book fair in Frankfurt.  Entitled, “The Bible in a More Just Language,” the translation has Jesus no longer referring to God as “Father,” but as “our Mother and Father who are in heaven.”

Likewise, Jesus is no longer referred to as the “Son” but rather as the “child” of God.  The title “Lord” is replaced with “God” or “the Eternal One.”  The devil, however, is still referred to with masculine pronouns.

“One of the great ideas of the Bible is justice.  We have made a translation that does justice to women, Jews, and those who are disregarded,” said Pastor Hanne Koehler, who led the team of translators.

Last December, Matin Dreyer, pastor and founder of the sect “Jesus Freaks,” published the “Volksbibel” (The People’s Bible), in a supposed attempt to make the message of Christianity more “accessible.”  Jesus “returns” instead of resurrects, and multiplies “hamburgers” instead of the fish and loaves.  In the parable of the prodigal son, the younger son squanders his inheritance at dance clubs and ends up “cleaning bathrooms at McDonald’s.”