So with posters placed around the precinct I was pleasantly surprised to find out that an enquiry was made the next day. However, our new contact person was in a terrible flap because she had not realised that the exercise class was based on POLE DANCING! Now I understand this is not a re-run of 'Calender Girls' and the participants keep their clothes on but if you are an anxious person like me then you can imagine the local paper headlines on this one.
Is there a patron saint for church hall? There should be. Regulation, health & safety, licences and equality laws make hall use a potential mine field. Luckily the pole dancing instructor saw this was not going to work and could do the church a lot of harm. Yet what if she had argued her case and said that I was discriminating against her? Would I have a leg to stand on? My understanding of the law is that if you offer a public space then you cannot pick and choose who uses it. A similar case happened to us last year when a 'New Age' Reiki healer wanted to book a regular evening slot. I said that this went against our Christian ethos and again thankfully nothing further happened. If anyone has any thoughts on this do feel free to post them.
1 comment:
Church property is often and as should be, dedicated to God. Usage should therefore be to honour God and benefit humanity. Sometimes in the process of following Christ, there is bound to be conflict ( I though I heard Him say 'I came to put a knife...). The contemporary political correctness has invaded the church and plagued christian minds with fear of 'too many laws'. Well, I guess the 1st century church remains an example to us on many issues. One of them, IF WE MUST FOLLOW CHRIST, then "it is better to obey (please) God than man" [Emphasis mine]
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