Comments on: Excellent!

By: Chalcedon

Chalcedon — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 11:45:40 +0000

It is a hymn. It is in the CofE hymnal. It is in the Catholic hymnal. Being a hymn it is a religious song. It mentions God. Ergo it ain’t a secular song. So banning it as not being religious is another stupid pronouncement by the Bishop of Southwark.

Nothing wrong with praining England. God is of course an Englishman. Surely everyone knows this?

By: Monty

Monty — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:59:58 +0000

Once again, the Church scores a magnificent own goal.
The “senior clergy” keep making the same mistake, and never learn from it. They look out over their elderly, hideously white, middle class traditionalist congregations and wish their churches were filled with vibrant, diverse young hoodies instead.

So they trash the liturgy that drew in the worshippers, lose their congregations, and no-one turns up on Sunday morning to replace them.

So another church closes its doors for the last time.

And a swarm of vibrant, diverse young hoodies arrive- and steal the lead of the church roof.

By: John A

John A — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 08:59:29 +0000

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England’s mountains green
And was the holy lamb of God
On England’s pleasant pastures seen

And did the countenance divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among those dark Satanic mills

Definitely not secular. Rooted in a bizarre Christian myth.

I’ll pass.

By: john b

john b — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 08:56:51 +0000

Pretty ignorant Telegraph piece… They really ought to know that “dark satanic mills” is a reference to universities not factories, for a start.