"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."
He must really be in the Christmas spirit since he wants to make sure that poor people get their presents for the holidays. I don't know how the religious practices in Great Britain work, but I'm pretty sure part of his sermon should not be encouraging homeless people to steal from other people. In the United States, I don't believe a priest would say this to homeless people because everyone is in a bind for money right now. I know a few families, including my own, who were scraping together pennies to buy a family member just something small just so that they didn't feel left out.
Also, because of this article I think I found a new blog to read called The Good Atheist. He had an interesting take on this story as well:
"My worry is that this douchebag is forgetting that shoplifting isn't without consequence, and his bad advice could lead his flock astray. To you and me, Father Jones is really only an expert in nonsense, but to his parishioners he is a man with a direct line to God, and this weighty position comes with a few responsibilities What happens when this advice lands one of his parishioners in jail?"
Oh, and if he didn't get it right! Apparently, that priest wants his followers to end up in jail on Christmas Eve for stealing a Zhu Zhu Pet out of Wal-Mart! Or maybe it's all a plan just to get people to want to follow him more. I am sure there are tons of homeless people who have given up hope on religion because they are poor. But since this guy says it's okay to go get all "clepto" in the name of "God", maybe some people decided to go back to the church for such reasons. Church is free, and so is the advice. And manipulation can do wonders!
I hope I get to the read the police report stating ever robbery and shoplifting incident that occurred because of this guy's advice. I hope it's a long list too. Just because you have some kind of "connection to God", doesn't mean you are "God". All I know is that he better be able to pay bail for all those who did take his silly advice.
Yes, shoplifting is wrong, but would all that be necessary if the companies would make a sort of "give away for free or almost" unsold/due to expire items instead of throwing them? I speak of what I saw in UK: the majority of corporations throw the products away because the price was so cheap to start with, but some shops keep the boxes open at the entry, so people can grab what they need whether they're poor, rich or homeless. Then there are conditions where the production of goods is about the double or more the value of products in UK like: Norway, Spain or Italy. Norway sorts the problem with high salaries variuos types of benefits, or tax refounds; Spain compensates with minor benefits, but also lower or free prices in other services (like events and venues); and Italy... well is pretty unclear: they had this "debit card" (only for the year 08/09) for low income people with no home, but the burocracy involved in getting the card allows only few people (but each catholic nun and priest) to use it. In Italy is common that lower budget families shoplift, or starve, expecially if they're not burocratically considered poor or if they want to show a higher social status then the one they really have.
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