The Wedding Wrecker

Vicar David Cameron is in hot (Holy) water after ordering the child of a bride and groom to leave his church during their marriage. Chatty toddler Cameron Thorpe was repeating his daddy's name at a crucial moment of the ceremony and the vicar objected. Now Cameron's parents, Ashley & Vicky Thorpe, are claiming that the vicar pooped on their wedding party.  I can see two sides to the argument here: On one hand, a marriage should not be taken lightly and the bride and groom need to concentrate during their vows. On the other, you want your nearest and dearest to share your special day, not least your own kids. I do wonder if David Cameron has had his fill of weddings where the "Big Day" rules and the local church is viewed simply as a quaint backdrop for the fairytale. That said, the Church needs to start attracting young members, not ejecting those already inside its walls. It's something I've had first-hand experience of -- after my ungodly nuptials, I wanted a blessing in my grandma's church. I sent an email to the vicar, not identifying myself as the grand-daughter of a long-serving (50 years) member of his church. My email was never acknowledged, my grandma died and the plan was forgotten. At her funeral, the vicar was outed when my mum asked him why he didn't reply to my email. He didn't know who I was, he claimed. The bottom line is it shouldn't matter. How many people must the Church turn away before it gets with the programme? In the noughties, vicars must be seen (to welcome each member of their congregation) and not heard (to complain about them).