ChatterBank0 min ago
Now The Police Finally Find People Who Won't Be Nasty To Them...
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They close down a church service in South London (Covid). Knew we Catholics would get their ridiculous attention sooner or later. Hardly a marauding mob. Good to know, however, that they felt sufficiently safe to leave the station.
Answers
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//thee is no bar on catholics being lawbreakers//
There certainly isn't.
The difficulty as I see it is that the officers who bravely waded into the church made an announcement that the gathering must end because (as I heard it) the numbers gathered were not allowed under the legislation. The legislation makes no provision for a limit on numbers gathered for formal worship. It says that the organiser must take "the required precautions." These include making a risk assessment. The BBC report says that the police alleged that not all the worshipers were wearing masks or socially distanced. The raiding party made no mention of that - they only said the numbers were not permitted under the law.
I don't know whether or not the risk assessment had been undertaken but it would have been hard for the officers to determine that without asking to see it. I also don't know whether or not all the "required measures" had been taken. But I do know that it must have been easier to tackle a couple of dozen Catholic worshipers in a church in Balham than it would be to handle the regular Jewish wedding receptions (not allowed at all under the current rules) where 200 plus guests gather in various venues in the Stamford Hill area most weekends. I also know where the police would be more likely to find that the "required measures" had not been taken and where the risk of Covid transmission was greater. But you can't be too careful.
There certainly isn't.
The difficulty as I see it is that the officers who bravely waded into the church made an announcement that the gathering must end because (as I heard it) the numbers gathered were not allowed under the legislation. The legislation makes no provision for a limit on numbers gathered for formal worship. It says that the organiser must take "the required precautions." These include making a risk assessment. The BBC report says that the police alleged that not all the worshipers were wearing masks or socially distanced. The raiding party made no mention of that - they only said the numbers were not permitted under the law.
I don't know whether or not the risk assessment had been undertaken but it would have been hard for the officers to determine that without asking to see it. I also don't know whether or not all the "required measures" had been taken. But I do know that it must have been easier to tackle a couple of dozen Catholic worshipers in a church in Balham than it would be to handle the regular Jewish wedding receptions (not allowed at all under the current rules) where 200 plus guests gather in various venues in the Stamford Hill area most weekends. I also know where the police would be more likely to find that the "required measures" had not been taken and where the risk of Covid transmission was greater. But you can't be too careful.
Paigntonian - // Plagues were caused by churchgoers? Even if it was correct, which it is not, it doesn't address yesterday's events. //
You are right, plagues were indeed not caused by church goers, that is not correct.
But that is not what Atheist said.
What he said, was, and feel free to re-read his post to confirm it -
// ... but many plagues were spread by misguided believers gathering in churches thinking that god would protect them. //
And that statement is correct.
If you are going to have a pop at someone for something they said, be careful to make sure that it actually is what they said, and not what you think they said, and then criticise them for that.
It makes you look rather foolish, and lines you up to apologise for your unwarrented crticisim.
You are right, plagues were indeed not caused by church goers, that is not correct.
But that is not what Atheist said.
What he said, was, and feel free to re-read his post to confirm it -
// ... but many plagues were spread by misguided believers gathering in churches thinking that god would protect them. //
And that statement is correct.
If you are going to have a pop at someone for something they said, be careful to make sure that it actually is what they said, and not what you think they said, and then criticise them for that.
It makes you look rather foolish, and lines you up to apologise for your unwarrented crticisim.
Paigntonian - // Knew we Catholics would get their ridiculous attention sooner or later. //
You flatter yourself, if you think that the constabulary has deliberately singled out worshippers simply on the basis of their branch of Christianity. The police are obliged to enforce the law - they don't pick and choose which sects they will target.
As for their 'ridiculous attention' - it's the law, and a valid one designed to minimise the spread of a pandemic, and not to be ignored by a few people arrogant enough to think that because they are Christians, they are above the law that governs the rest of us.
You flatter yourself, if you think that the constabulary has deliberately singled out worshippers simply on the basis of their branch of Christianity. The police are obliged to enforce the law - they don't pick and choose which sects they will target.
As for their 'ridiculous attention' - it's the law, and a valid one designed to minimise the spread of a pandemic, and not to be ignored by a few people arrogant enough to think that because they are Christians, they are above the law that governs the rest of us.
roy - // The police are obliged to enforce the law - they don't pick and choose which sects they will target.
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Aye, just coincidental the difference between the handling of this and that of Batley. //
I made the point that the police do not get to pick and choose which sects they will target.
Your observation concerns that actions of the police at a specific event, not the issue of whether or not they chose to be there.
Not for the first time, your post is competely unconnected to mine.
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Aye, just coincidental the difference between the handling of this and that of Batley. //
I made the point that the police do not get to pick and choose which sects they will target.
Your observation concerns that actions of the police at a specific event, not the issue of whether or not they chose to be there.
Not for the first time, your post is competely unconnected to mine.
I happen to know that church having been there for a few times for weddings and funerals. It is aPolish church, the clergy and congregation are either Polish or of Polish descent, and it gets pretty full at Sunday and holy day services.
If the photo in the BBC link was taken at the time, and it would seem so as there appears to be a couple of constables on in the area of the altar, they were just doing what they were supposed to do.
The clergy around the altar certainly were not social distancing, nor were the three people in front of the altar rail, nor were the people in the front pew. And knowing what the Poles can be like where a Good Friday service is concerned, and the likely number of people there, I'm pretty sure the rest of the congregation were not doing much in the way of social distancing either.
If the photo in the BBC link was taken at the time, and it would seem so as there appears to be a couple of constables on in the area of the altar, they were just doing what they were supposed to do.
The clergy around the altar certainly were not social distancing, nor were the three people in front of the altar rail, nor were the people in the front pew. And knowing what the Poles can be like where a Good Friday service is concerned, and the likely number of people there, I'm pretty sure the rest of the congregation were not doing much in the way of social distancing either.
Paigntonian - // Though people 'gathering in churches' could be described as 'church-goers. Clearly I must be mistaken. //
Indeed you are - check out any wedding, christening or funeral, and for the vast mumber of people there, it will the first time they have set foot in a church since the last wedding, christening or funeral
They are gathering in a church, but they are not church-goers.
Indeed you are - check out any wedding, christening or funeral, and for the vast mumber of people there, it will the first time they have set foot in a church since the last wedding, christening or funeral
They are gathering in a church, but they are not church-goers.
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