Vicar resigns over kiss

"it's about keeping a sense of perspective"

Which we haven't had in this case but a knee jerk reaction to a paedophile obsessed public.  Fortunately, not all societies are so bogged down.  A couple of weeks ago President Putin of Russia kissed a young boy on the belly.  When asked why he had done it, he replied, 'He was sweet like a flower, I wanted to hug him but I expressed it like this'.  If this had been Tony Blair, they would have been burning effigies.  I wouldn't necessarily advocate kissing boys on their bellies, but well done to Putin for acknowledging that tenderness and humanity with a child are not necessarily indications of paedophilia.  It might help if the judiciary didn't dish out sentences of eight years for raping a baby!!!

[phyllisbermann]

something is amiss somewhere.  Not sure where though.  The mother?  The vicar?  The school?

[kevvosa]

something is amiss somewhere.  Not sure
where though.  The mother?  The vicar?  The school?

Who do you think is amiss, do you think the vicar did wrong?

[phyllisbermann]

He shouldn't have kissed the child but they should not have reacted so either.

[kevvosa]

Why shouldnt he have? That is what I do not understand. From what I have read, he didnt do it in a pervy or sexual way.  

[phyllisbermann]

But he should have realised that this might happen.

[kevvosa]

True, which is a sad sign of what our society has become. 

[wjp666]

political correctness gone mad. this is our future, people!

[EasterBunny]

I am no expert on Christianity but doesn't a kiss on the forehead symbolise from  vicar or priest symbolise a blessing, just as a polite greeting from an English person might involve a handshake or two kisses on the cheek from a French person.  Its all about understanding other cultures or Faiths, and you would have thought in this day and age we could do that!

In my opinion the difference is that this kiss was not done in private or in secret, which most cases of nastiness are done, and children, and parents it seems, should be taught the difference between touching and kissing that is appropriate and that which isn't.  I would be interested to know if the child was bothered.

I think we are becoming a messed up society about our kids, I have recently heard parents slating others for letting their little kids go naked on a beach while dressing theirs in little frilly bikinis, and don't get me started on Bratz dolls!

I suspect, from what I have heard the furore has been caused by the little girl's mother, who through her own ignorance and inability to discriminate between an innocent act and an evil one has forced the vicar to resign.

This would serve as an important test case if the man was reinstated and everyone took a step back and said 'wait a minute, what actually happened here and why are we expecting this man to resign?'

I don't think as a nation we do enough kissing and hugging.  What we are doing is- Yes Kevvosa - letting the paedophiles win.  Only by putting innocent affection, or compassion in its proper context will we effectively marginalise paedophiles.  By not punishing paedophiles properly we effectively punish such men as this vicar vicariously to vent our frustrations on an inept and rotten judicial system.

bounty hunter38913.3477314815

[smurfboy]

I am probably going to make myself very unpopular by saying this, but I think he was wrong and his resignation should stand. You simply don't go about kissing other people's children, innocently or not. I can't believe someone in a position of respect (however misguided respecting a vicar may be) doesn't have the basic sense to know this.

I'm not suggesting this man is a paedophile, but he was incredibly thoughtless.

You're not on your own.  A number of people I have heard have thought the same.  I disagree but it's a valid point of view and no reason to make you unpopular.

[phyllisbermann]

I agree with Smurf.

That's Smurfboy.