P.D.'s Church Gate Collection.

limerick | anti-capitalism | opinion/analysis

Wednesday September 15, 2004 18:58

by An Puca

flannbui at yahoo dot com

Take these things out of my fathers house and stop turning it into a market?

last Sunday I was driving through Caherdavin (a suburb of Limerick) when I noticed that the P.D.'s were holding a church gate collection outside the local R.C. Church. I have no objection to holding a collection or leafletting (after all it is a freedom we all cherish! and a basic right.) but this is the only time the P.D.'s will appear in the community appart from darkening our doorsteps at election time and it started me thinking. I feel it should be an appropraite occasion to show them what we think of the governments hypocritical policies and its cutbacks.

You could hold an anti racist demonstration to highlight the P.D.'s unchristian attitude toward inmmigrants. (Love thy neighbour.) Another possibility is to highlight their support for Bush's War (Thou shalt not kill.) After all the pope did urge people to pray for an alternative to the war.

Most people dont want to be waving placards and shouting slogans to their neighbours as they try to make their way to Sunday worship but if the P.D.'s are going to stand at the gates with their posters and collection boxes they should be challenged. Proably the best way to do this is to have a silent demonstration holding up placards or a banner reading: Jesus said "Take these things out of my fathers house and stop turning it into a Market." Perhaps it would make people think? At the least it would put the P.D.'s into an uncomfortable and arkward position.

I realise that the church authorities have no authority over who stands outside their gates and collects, but seeing as few priests are likely to take a libertarian theological approach and publicly condemn this something should be done. Would the P.D.'s make collections outside a Methodist, Muslim, Jewish or Church Of Ireland place or worship? If they did what would the response be. I wager the Unitarians and Presbyterians would run them.

So what about it people, please give me some feedback- Do we use their presence to stage a peacefull but directly confrontational demonstration against them or do we ignore their presence because it is easier?

Ive only ever seen the P.D.'s and F.F. take up church gate collections in my area, do F.G,. do it? Also and can anyone provide me with the dates that these party national church gate collections take place? If so I would be greatfull.

Is mise
An Puca