Priest Says It’s Ok To Shoplift From Big Stores

Despite what the Bible says about stealing, a Church of England priest suggested Saturday it was no sin to shoplift - as long as the victim is a big supermarket.

“Jesus said ‘Love your neighbor,’ he didn’t say ‘Love Marks and Spencers,”’ the Rev. John Papworth said, referring to the big British retailer.

Papworth drew a distinction between stealing from individuals or small merchants - which he says is wrong - and stealing from giant retailing corporations. Those, he says, have run little stores out of business and harmed local communities.

“With these institutions, all you are confronted with are these boardroom barons sitting round the boardroom plotting how to take the maximum amount of money out of people’s pockets for the minimum in return,” Papworth said on BBC Radio.

British newspapers were filled Saturday with similar comments from Papworth, who works part-time at St. Mark’s Church in the St. John’s Wood area of northwest London. The priest initially made his remarks to an audience of police officers earlier in the week.

The Church of England distanced itself from Papworth, and others piled on the criticism.

“Disgraceful,” said Home Secretary Michael Howard. “How can we inculcate in our children the difference between right and wrong, how can we hope to teach them moral principles when those in positions of authority in the church make remarks of this kind?”