My church (Chingford Parish Church - Ss Peter & Pauls, for all you paedophiles out there) was asked, about four months ago, whether they'd consider having a mobile phone mast on the spire. As it's the tallest building around, it seemed like a perfectly logical idea.
The incentive was that the church gets £3000 a year for it.
Upon discussion, our church decided that this was perfectly reasonable, and accepted the offer. As most of you know, this is the point where you get mad idiots protesting about something they know nothing about. Let me explain...
People were worried about radiation frying the poor little urchins brains at the RC school. So, they protested outside our church on a Sunday morning. How mature.
Firstly, in their haste to point the finger of blame, they overlooked the fact that there is already a phone mast less than 20 metres from the school (which is alot more powerful than the proposed on for our church). Secondly, they overlooked the fact that both the police station and the fire station have radio masts that are 10 times more powerful than the 30 watt one proposed for the church.
On aforementioned sunday morning, said protesters were protesting (as protesters do). One of these protesters got a bit lost. She couldn't find the rest of her group. So, she takes out her mobile phone, and calls her friend. (Using a mobile phone is actually more dangerous than the phone mast itself, becuase you're holding it for a prolonged period against the weakest part of your skull - radiation can get through more easliy). Anyway, ironic, no?
After all of the above facts had been pointed out to the protesters, they took a different approach.
Hate mail.
I'm sorry, but how the fuck can you justify yourself as a christian (which these people are), when you send hate male to the rector of a neighbouring church (that church being ours)??
Father Tom is a great man. He had to put up with these idiots sending hate mail and various other complimentary ... gifts, all over a phone mast. He actually got really emotionally upset over it. I'd like to know how anybody could justifiy doing something like that?
It wasn't just Tom that got the mail though, it was every member of the Parish Council. Some of these people, married with children, No child should ever be able to read something so ... vile. Especially aimed at their own parents.
Immature much?
Upon realising (due to lack of scientific back up) that their argument would never hold up, our disgustingly clueless protesters decided to use the rather obvious arguement that "phone masts transmit pornography - this is an immoral thing for a church to do".
What can you actually say to people like that?

Ps. The 3K a year that will hopefully be raised by having a mast, will be used for charitable purposes.,


12/10/07 @ 19:52