St Paul’s: Bad Timing and Bad Values

The Independent had a front page spread revealing that a report into the attitudes of city workers had been suppressed. It should have come out last Thursday but the clergy in charge of the current debacle thought it would look like they were on the side of the protestors. Now why would that be such a bad thing? 

A clue lay in the depths of the article where the Rev Studdert-Kennedy, who had been asked to write a piece accompanying the launch of the report, revealed that he had been ‘astonished’ by the attitudes some city workers displayed. “I did speak to many people about morality. I was amazed by how many banking crises there had been and how sanguine people were about them. A number of people said ‘ this is just what happens - it’s the nature of banking, it’s the nature of capitalism.’ I was astonished that people didn’t try to learn a bit more.” Independent on Sunday 30/10/11

Why should they ‘try to learn a bit more’ when their mistakes are paid for by the rest of us? Why should they change their ways when those with the power are in hock to them and their money? Why should anything change in the current cosy world of high finance and why should they give a toss about the rest when they can pay each other massive rises? 

Those who condemn the protestors as having no idea what to do should stand back and look at just how feeble (or corrupt) our system. 

Listening to the Bishop of London patronising the protestors today further reinforced what an out of touch, arrogant and ineffective bunch the hierarchy at St Paul’s are. It is no wonder they suppressed the report. It would embarrass them in their dealings with their financial pals who support St Paul’s. That they are in bed with many in the city comes as no surprise but it shows just how far their values have travelled from those set out by Jesus.

It has been a PR disaster for the church but that is as nothing should the Met be unchained and let loose. There are many christians who are willing to form a ‘wall of prayer’ to defend the camp. Now that will cause some hand-wringing in the upper echelons.