The Rev Tim Jones said in his Sunday sermon that stealing from successful shops was preferable to burglary, robbery or prostitution.
He told parishioners it would not break the eighth commandment 'thou shalt not steal' because it 'is permissible for those who are in desperate situations to take food that they might not starve'.
But his advice was roundly condemned by police and the local Tory MP. Father Jones, 42, was discussing Mary and the birth of Jesus when he went on to the subject of how poor and vulnerable people cope in the run-up to Christmas.
'My advice, as a Christian priest, is to shoplift,' he told his stunned congregation at St Lawrence and St Hilda in York.
'I do not offer such advice because I think that stealing is a good thing, or because I think it is harmless, for it is neither.
'I would ask that they do not steal from small family businesses, but from large national businesses, knowing that the costs are ultimately passed on to the rest of us in the form of higher prices.
'I would ask them not to take any more than they need. I offer the advice with a heavy heart. Let my words not be misrepresented as a simplistic call for people to shoplift.
JMC Ministries Response
written by: Miranda Caverley
First and foremost I would like to ask this priest why his church would rather tell their congregation to break the 8th commandment along with the law and commit a crime than open up a soup kitchen, have a clothing drive or raise money to help those in need? When did the church stop caring about their community and tell them to turn to a life of crime?
How any person that says they are a servant of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ can condone this obviously is NOT following the teachings of the bible. Jesus himself was a man without a home and was literally homeless, but he never stole or broke any commandment. He was provided for and also was his disciples. They never resorted to a life of crime or even told people to break even 1 commandment!
Even if the church won't try and help those in need there are charities like The Salvation Army that was founded right in London to reach out to those who were hungry, homeless, and in need. William Boothe was one of the most influential followers of Jesus. He never told those in need to resort to a life of crime and steal. He went to them and provided for their needs without breaking even 1 of God's commandments. To me William Boothe and many others like him have fulfilled what Jesus told us we should do to help those in need.
In recent weeks there have been alot of churches in the news who are really going against the teaching of the bible and making a mockery of not only Jesus but also the church. Here are the links to those stories
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