We always welcome a Letter to the Editor to share with our readers – unsurprisingly they don’t always reflect the views of this publication. If you have something you’d like to share, get in touch and of course, your considered comments are welcome below. This from Nigel Walsh of Ryde. Ed
Whilst OFSTED, Michael Gove and a media posse have been chasing Trojan Horses in Birmingham, my attention has been drawn to another four-legged facade a little closer to home: A sly, old Fox.
If like me, you regularly need to endure the joy that is the Coppins Bridge roundabout, it’s quite likely you’ve spotted this particular urban fox yourselves; indeed it’s hard to miss, as it never strays from its vantage point above the entrance to ‘The Church On The Roundabout’. There sits the cartoon fox with its welcoming grin, and declaring in its speech-bubble “God Loves You ——“(insert child’s name)
‘Full fat’ Christianity
The church is a part of the Elim Pentecostal movement, which practices and teaches a form of Christianity which is…. well, let’s just say that whilst Anglicanism in 21st century England offers a sort of Christianity ‘Light’ with (in my view) most of the nasty, unhealthy bits filtered out, this church prefers their Christianity ‘full fat’, raw, unadulterated and swallowed whole by their flock.
Wiped the smile off my face
In the past, despite feeling a mixture of disgust and sadness whenever I saw this blatant marketing aimed at children – which is exactly what it is – I did nothing apart from the occasional rant on Facebook; that is until of all things The Football Word Cup and a recent article in The Isle of Wight County Press.
The headline was “World Cup Aims To Put A Smile On People’s Faces”. It didn’t put a smile on mine. The loveable Fox had been replaced with another cartoon replicating the famous photo of the 1966 England winning team, holding aloft the great Bobby Moore, who in turn holds up the Jules Rimet trophy.
I have no idea of course what Sir Bobby might have said whilst perched on the shoulders of his team-mates, but I doubt it was “God Loves You ——“ as depicted here. (Obviously I am omitting the name of the young person receiving this declaration of divine love)
A harmless bit of fun?
But I’m being unfair aren’t I? Surely this is a harmless bit of fun, or in the words of the church’s pastor Tony Murphy:
“…we hope seeing the sign will bring a smile to people’s faces during the World Cup.”
I am not writing this to attack one small church on a roundabout in Newport. Compared to the alleged abuses in some Birmingham faith schools, a grinning cartoon fox (or iconic footballer) is indeed ‘harmless fun’.
‘Indoctrinating’ the young
What for me is not so funny, is the countless other churches, mosques, temples and of course faith schools, deploying their own version of the fox tactic to attract and indoctrinate the young, pliable minds so essential to their continuing survival; a fact in itself, indicative surely of their own lack of confidence in the very ‘truths’ they espouse.
After all, if they are convinced of the validity of their religion, what do they have to fear if children, including their own, are allowed to explore, question, learn and decide for themselves?
Image: Contributed
