Are people who attend church above the law?

[jezer]

I think this Thread would score high on the 'grumpy old gits' index. People parking badly outside churches. Good Grief, whatever next?

I admit to being a grumpy old git, but my original comment was posted after I looked out of my front door this morning. I have never noticed it as bad during the week, although it may be sometimes. I'm not having a go at church attendees, well perhaps I am as I'm an atheist. (Other religions are available)

[661-Pete]

In Judaism driving is considered to be work, and you may not work on the sabbath. Jews are supposed to walk to shul so do synagogues have this problem?

In a word - Yes.

Bear in mind that I'm many years 'lapsed', but when I was a kid, the ethos was not so much 'do not drive to Shul' as 'do not be seen driving to Shul'. Hence, on Sabbath, and even more so on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (which are the only days when the majority of Western Jews actually realise there's a synagogue in the neighbourhood ... ) - the done thing was to park round the corner. Hence, the road immediately in front of the Synagogue was miraculously clear of parked cars, whilst the roads round the corner were chock-a-block.

I hope that they can cycle to the Synagogue as cycling is pleasure.

I'm afraid not . I actually had this argument with the rabbi, after I was so presumptuous as to propose cycling to shul. He hummed and ha'd and thought about it a bit. "Cycling is, operating machinery, is it not? So it's work. Thou shalt not...."
You can't win against that logic...

[Cunobelin]

We have a cricket club that sets up its scoring tables , spectators on sum loungers and an impromptu kit store on a cycle path and then complains that cyclist going round them are " a pain"

[TonyR]

I think this Thread would score high on the 'grumpy old gits' index. People parking badly outside churches. Good Grief, whatever next?

How dare you insult me. I'm not a Grumpy Old Git. I'm a fully paid up member of the Boring Old Farts I'll have you know.

[DavidT]

In defence of people who attend church...

On a (very) rare visit to the area, the other day I arrived at Portchester Caste at around 1815 and was delighted to find the outer bailey still open to have a wander around. The English Heritage staff had left for the day, and the site was only open due to a service being held at the church in the grounds. Bless them.

Everyone seemed neatly parked in the adjacent parking areas....

[meic]

When I was touring I popped into a church that I regularly visited to use their tap.

The tap was disconnected but as I had stopped I took out my tent to dry and started eating my recently bought breakfast. I was then caught by the churchgoers but they said carry on and even made me a cup of tea.

The funny thing is that I was really surprised to find such a "Christian" attitude.

[Urticaria]

I've just looked outside and there are cars parked all up the street on double yellow lines and several blocking the pavement. I can hear the worshippers singing as I type. How can the offenders consider themselves Christians whilst at the same time not considering people trying to get past in wheelchairs or with children in prams?

Two people I know who live near to JW and Brethren churches tell me that these plainly-clothed people bend over backwards to not annoy neighbours or cause any disturbance; this make sense because they are told in their respective versions of the good book to live quiet and peaceable lives. I suspect you would find, were you to look for the source of you pram and wheelchair obstacle course, that a ceremony was taking place such as a christening, to which all sorts of friends and relatives go along even though they know it's a load of old tosh; often the parents suspect it is a crock of nonsense, too, but go through with it as a hedge. It would be astonishing if all the people attending this parish church of yours believed one jot, since 95% of the regulars go along because the free child care is good, or it means that the little ones might have a better chance of getting in a good school, or they just enjoy a sing-song and a cup of tea and a cucumber sandwich. Come to think about it, are you sure the cars didn't belong to worshippers attending a football match or something? I've watched "Rev", and his parish church never had more than about eight people in, and he was funny and likeable.

I enjoyed your delightfully ironic subject line.

[Audax67]

A few years ago I was almost hit by a rather large car exiting a driveway in reverse. I managed to swerve round his back bumper, which put me ahead. He then overtook, missing me by a couple of feet, and belted up off the road. About a km further I passed him again as he and his wife got out of the car and headed into church.

Dunno whether it was posh-car syndrome or zealotry. Dunno if there's much difference, they're both forms of arrogance.

[eileithyia]

Undoubtedly, having been nearly hit by car doors as driver swung it open when leaving church, hit by those pulling out from the kerb, etc..... but then so are our local Moslim community who seem to be able to park in a pay n display car park without paying while they attend Friday prayers and the regularly parked on yellow lines cars that I pass on my way to work every morning (well every morning I am on that shift).

When we had a Plymouth Brethren family living in the street of my birth, we used to have the street totally clogged up with cars every evening for a full week each year, as they dumped their cars any old how, while they had some sort of meeting at the property, no thoughts to the neighbours...

[Mr. Viking]

having had a think, churches have a lot of people arriving and leaving the same place at the same time, so you'll notice the crazy drivers, same as the school run but more concentrated as there isn't a church bus (or is there?)

[Audax67]

^^^ I think that's mainly it - herd syndrome. It reminds me of one Semaine Fédérale where there were 7000 people on the road for the first ride: drivers waiting to come out of side-roads onto the main drag didn't get a look-in.

Mind you, the bloke who nearly got me wasn't in a crowd, he was just so exalted at the prospect of communing with his deity that mere mortals didn't get a look-in.

[honesty]

Is this air your prejudice day?

Personally I would comment on the local Conservative club parking their Jaguars on the zebra crossing because they are too important to walk.
But I cant remember ever seeing a Conservative club in Wales (Monmouthshire doesnt count).

Theres one in Cardiff just off Wyeverne road. Which is fun as its student central there, and 2 groups that mix really well is grumpy old conservatives and large bodies of students...

[Richard Fairhurst]

We have a 'no cycling' sign on the tarmac path through our churchyard, which is a rotten shame as it's the direct link from the station to the town centre, and the only alternative is a long haul around a hilly one-way system. I always cycle through it anyway, on the basis that I'm the organist and Canon B7689c.iii of the Church of England statutes permits organists to cycle through churchyards (I may have made that one up). Curiously the only people who've ever told me off for doing so have been busybodies who don't go to our church anyway...

[LollyKat]

We have a 'no cycling' sign on the tarmac path through our churchyard, which is a rotten shame as it's the direct link from the station to the town centre, and the only alternative is a long haul around a hilly one-way system. I always cycle through it anyway, on the basis that I'm the organist and Canon B7689c.iii of the Church of England statutes permits organists to cycle through churchyards (I may have made that one up). Curiously the only people who've ever told me off for doing so have been busybodies who don't go to our church anyway...

Love it!

[661-Pete]

Surely the way of reasoning, amongst the believers, should be "if God really loves me, he/she'll find me a parking space". Or do they already believe that, ergo "anywhere I plonk my car is a space provided by God..." ?

Should settle all arguments surely...