8236/21155
Every Sunday morning, the peace is broken by a cacophonous outburst of campanology from the church in the street behind ours. It's maybe 50 metres away as the crow flies so we get the full blast. It's clanging rather than charming and pretty discordant. Not sure it's actual bell ringers or just a tape recording, but it's very loud. It goes on for 10 minutes or so and as a Christian I believe that I must turn the other cheek (though sadly there's another ear on that side too) and allow people to live their lives as they wish. You have to be considerate to other people, right? That's the whole basis of the faith. Love your neighbour. Or deafen them. I can never remember which one Jesus said.
It prompted me to tweet (on bluesky)
"Do we still need church bells? Can't they just do a group text to the people concerned?"
Just a little joke, with a bit of truth behind it. Perhaps we needed church bells in the days when everyone went to the same church and nobody had clocks. But there are three churches within pissing distance of my house (only one of them believes that the piss will literally turn into the piss of Christ though), the other two remain silent and the church service starts at the same time every week and everyone has phones nowadays. So do we need the bells? And aren't they a little bit passive-aggressive. Why aren't you coming to this particular church today? Come on, our version of Christianity is the correct one (I don't even know which team this church is on by the way).
I was surprised that a few people defended the bells. "I like church bells ringing," said one commentator. But that wouldn't fly with anyone else playing music (even quietly) in public. I told him to listen with his headphones on.
He argued, "Tell it to yourself. There are headphones to blend out the real world sounds."
Perhaps this was a joke (don't think so) but would love to try telling that to people on a train if someone is listening to the music they like through their phone speakers. It's not their fault. You should all be wearing headphones to keep the noise out (and also prevent you from chatting to your friend), why are you insisting that one person who likes their music should do something.
Someone else said "Maybe dont move somewhere where its a factor? You're sounding like these idiots who buy a flat next to a music venue then try to get it shut down."
It would be quite difficult to move somewhere with no churches in the vicinity and unless you're prepared to camp outside your prospective new house all week to see if bell ringing will be a factor, it's hard to know if it will have this problem. Again it doesn't seem the easiest solution. If you don't like it then live somewhere that is outside of the ear shot of every church - not sure how many places that would leave you. It'd be easier, wouldn't it, to get rid of the old bell system and go with the text based idea, for example?
Campanologists gotta camp, I know. But do they have to do it on a Sunday morning? In a built up area? Maybe, as that's a minority interest, it's they who should find somewhere a bit more remote to do their hobby.
I do live quite near a music venue and also a pub, but they tend to have more consideration about the times they make a noise. You'd think drinkers and musicians would be less thoughtful than Christians.
Someone else asked me to consider "Why is is that Sundays are so peaceful." But the fact that we have a day of peace thanks to Christianity doesn't mean that Christians then get to make as much noise as they like as a reward. Not unless Christians are a bunch of twats. And they're not coming out of it very well so far.
To be fair the arguments were more annoying than the bells so I just concluded "Oh ring your stupid bells, you fucking cunts."
Apart from that it was a cracking Father's Day with lots of fun homemade cards and a jigsaw that Phoebe had made herself of me as Homer Simpson and a pair of socks that declared me the best dad ever (though the message was on the bottom of the socks, so as not to annoy all the other dads in history that I'd been declared the ultimate winner).
The kids brought me coffee in bed, though Ernie managed to spill it all over the duvet and Phoebe made me eggs on fried bread in an attempt to make sure I don't make it to another Father's Day.
Best of all they let me go back to bed for a couple of hours (after the church bells) which is the greatest gift I've ever been given.
The first Ask Me Anything podcast has gone up today foe EVERYONE for free!
Here it is! From now on it will be exclusive to badgers at golden level or above.
Become a badger here. But anyone can ask a question by emailing me at arichardherringa@gmail.com and if your question is used you will be sent that podcast episode and win a badge.
