Thursday 17 November 2011

Burning Issues In Bodmin

Jesse Foot is being investigated by his employers Cornwall Council for bringing the local authority into disrepute and faces a charge of gross misconduct.
Oh? So, what did he do?


He burnt a Bible?!?

Well, no. The headline’s misleading in the extreme – he suggested a Bible should be on a list of books to burn:
Mr Foot came under fire last week for asking library users in Bodmin to list books they would like to burn.

The librarian said his intention was to get more people to borrow books, and not using the service was tantamount to burning the building down.

He said he included the Bible in his book-burning display to spark a response from the public (Ed: OK, that's more than enough fire-related language..).
It’s interesting that he chose a Bible, as under normal circumstances no-one would turn a hair. Suggest that you burn a Koran, mind you, and he’d be in all sorts of trouble.

Sadly, it seems that some people have learned from the example of our excitable Muslim friends:
His actions have been criticised by some, including Bodmin rector the Reverend Canon Graham Minors, who accused Mr Foot of being insensitive to Christians.
What happened to ‘turn the other cheek’, gents?

9 comments:

MTG said...

Great pasties, the '£137,000 for a one-day promotion of the Olympic torch relay Council' is now luking for recognition as a bible saver?

Captain Haddock said...

"What happened to ‘turn the other cheek’, gents? "

I think that's only applicable where altar or choir boys are concerned, Julia .. ;)

Woman on a Raft said...

You can get the Bible in Cornish now.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-15141836

So he upset the Cornish nationalists as well as the Christians.

Budvar said...

"Turn the other cheek"? Ah the old "Jesus taught us to be punchbags" fallacy.

In previous verses, he (Jesus) was discussing the law with other Jews. One bright spark chimed up with "What about an eye for an eye?".

Now as Jesus wasn't a straight talking Yorkshireman and spoke in a somewhat cryptic way compared to modern day English standards, when asked what he'd do if someone was to strike his cheek, he said "Why, offer him the other".

Now in Jewish tradition, striking someone round the face was an act, much like in the days of chivalry, if someone caused you offence, you'd slap them round the face with your gauntlet demanding satisfaction with "Pistols at dawn on the village green" etc.

The lesson Jesus was trying to get across is don't be so quick to take offence, it could be just a misunderstanding and just to make sure offer him your other cheek.

If the offended person slaps you again, it's fairly clear it's not a misunderstanding and you can then fall back on the old "Eye for an eye" routine and proceed to boot their balls up to the roof of their mouth with a clear conscience.

Woman on a Raft said...

Found this in an old Hamlyn lecture (which has come up in connection to the use of injunctions). It was originally about The Satanic Verses but it nails it:

Tariq Modood dismissed the book as "no more a contribution to literary discourse than pissing upon the Bible is a theological argument"

Of course the silly old fool should not be facing disciplinary action, but he should be put on shelving duty only until he gets it through his head that suggesting people burn books as a form of criticism, even as an imaginative exercise, was a profound negation of all that a librarianship stands for.

Lord T said...

Turning the other cheek.

They are not stupid they are finding that being 'christian', sensible and fair is not working so they see what works and try it out.

Expect much more.

microdave said...

"Suggest that you burn a Koran, mind you, and he’d be in all sorts of trouble."

Not necessarily...

JuliaM said...

"I think that's only applicable where altar or choir boys are concerned, Julia .. ;)"

Cheeky! ;)

"You can get the Bible in Cornish now."

LOL!

"Ah the old "Jesus taught us to be punchbags" fallacy."

Well well! I did not know that! Rather like 'decimation', the colloquial knowledge is very much different to the original meaning, then?

"...but he should be put on shelving duty only until he gets it through his head that suggesting people burn books as a form of criticism, even as an imaginative exercise, was a profound negation of all that a librarianship stands for."

Indeed!

JuliaM said...

"Expect much more."

If so, it'll come from the lower ranks, never from the high officials, all wimps to a man...

"Not necessarily..."

LOL!