Wednesday 6 January 2010

Bullying Clergy

I note from many sources (including Clayboy and Mad Priest) the thread of discussion regarding bullying of/by the clergy.  And I wonder whether any of this comes down to the recruitment / discernment policies of the Church of England.

Clearly there are bullies in every walk of life.  But the main recruitment thread of the C of E, at least of late, seems to have been for people who are sensitive, feeling, empathetic.  All good attributes.  But liable to leave you open to emotional blackmail, at the very least.  If you feel people's pain, want them to feel good and to feel good about you - you are so open to people who get shirty, cause trouble, say you don't work hard enough, and tell you it's all your fault they're unhappy with church before threatening to go to another, more feeling/scriptural/lively/amenable church.

Not that I would encourage the Church of England to go recruiting loads of macho, muscular-Christianity, pushy evangelical types.  Or lots of left-brained, thinky intellectuals who don't understand human emotions and don't care what people think. But maybe a few would help?

Personally, I have a strict anti-bullying policy at the Beaker Folk.  If anyone seems to be trying to bully me or one of the members of the Druidic Council, I have Hnaef break their ankles with his walking boots (under the pretence of a friendly game of "football").  And if we see anyone from Unite heading across the fields, we introduce them to the local rednecks.  They don't normally come back.

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