LETTERS Community charge
Sir: Not surprisingly, knowing how unerringly the media so often strives to misinform, Nicholas Farrell (Thou shalt steal', 29 March) manages to miss com- pletely, as does Lord Soper, my real case against supermarkets. It is certainly not based on socialist redistributive economics.
Giant supermarkets are using and exploiting Christian morality in order to make money by means which are helping to destroy its basis in community life, the only basis on which any decent morality can effectively prevail. They prosper at the expense of small neighbourhood shops, some 75,000 of which, according to Richard Doultwaite's book, The Growth Illusion, have gone under, most of them family busi- nesses, since they emerged. I think it was Chesterton who said, 'You cannot have morality without community', and Jesus did not say, Love thy fellow citizen of the Roman Empire, He said, 'Love thy neigh- bour.' In what way can any of the giants be seen as my neighbours? They are part of a complex of forces Which are helping to destroy community structure altogether (giant government ministries overseeing such essential neigh- bourhood matters as education and welfare are another), and in doing so creating the fliass society, the most degraded, dispirit- ing, uncreative, destructive and unillumined Way of life to have surfaced in all history. It IS one which cannot possibly survive, if only because it is reaching out to destructive excess at so many points, environmental, Psychological, social and political not least. is doubtless this obvious but widely Ignored shadow over all human affairs Much has prompted the Duke of Edin- burgh to stick his neck out and warn (did ,anyone hear? was anyone listening?), Mankind is approaching a winter of death!' Hence, although I am urging people not I.0 steal from supermarkets because it is illegal (no media story in that, is there?), I afil asserting that if they do it has no more moral significance than picking up seashells O n a beach. The dear old somnolent, mud- dled, compromised and confused Church of E. ugland appears to have sacked me for say- ing as much, but I don't think it helps in any Way, do you? John Papworth ,f,'?urth World Review,
44, Abercom Place
1-ondon NW8
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