World News and Trends: Thou shalt not steal (usually)
Church of England priest John Papworth raised a furor when he suggested that shoplifting is acceptable if the victim is a large supermarket or corporation.
"Jesus said 'Love your neighbor'; he didn't say 'Love Marks and Spencers,'" he said, referring to the British retailer.
Mr. Papworth distinguished between robbing small merchants and individuals—which he thinks is wrong—and stealing from large retail corporations, whose "boardroom barons" plot "how to take the maximum amount of money out of people's pockets for the minimum in return." Such companies, he says, drive smaller stores out of business and harm communities.
Although Mr. Papworth denied he was encouraging shoplifting, he did say that, "if people wander in and wander out without paying for the stuff, I think it is a perfectly comprehensible action."
Other Church of England officials distanced themselves from the priest's remarks. "The commandment 'Thou shalt not steal' is an absolute one," said Pete Broadbent, who serves the church as deacon of Northolt in London.
Home Secretary Michael Howard characterized priest Papworth's comments as "disgraceful." He asked, "How can we inculcate in our children the difference between right and wrong, how can we hope to teach them moral principles when those in positions of authority in the church make remarks of this kind?" (Source: The Associated Press.) GN
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John Ross Schroeder
John died on March 8, 2014, in Oxford, England, four days after suffering cardiac arrest while returning home from a press event in London. John was 77 and still going strong.
Some of John's work for The Good News appeared under his byline, but much didn't. He wrote more than a thousand articles over the years, but also wrote the Questions and Answers section of the magazine, compiled our Letters From Our Readers, and wrote many of the items in the Current Events and Trends section. He also contributed greatly to a number of our study guides and Bible Study Course lessons. His writing has touched the lives of literally millions of people over the years.
John traveled widely over the years as an accredited journalist, especially in Europe. His knowledge of European and Middle East history added a great deal to his articles on history and Bible prophecy.
In his later years he also pastored congregations in Northern Ireland and East Sussex, and that experience added another dimension to his writing. He and his wife Jan were an effective team in our British Isles office near their home.
John was a humble servant who dedicated his life to sharing the gospel—the good news—of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God to all the world, and his work was known to readers in nearly every country of the world.
Scott Ashley
Scott Ashley was managing editor of Beyond Today magazine, United Church of God booklets and its printed Bible Study Course until his retirement in 2023. He also pastored three congregations in Colorado for 10 years from 2011-2021. He and his wife, Connie, live near Denver, Colorado.
Mr. Ashley attended Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Texas, graduating in 1976 with a theology major and minors in journalism and speech. It was there that he first became interested in publishing, an industry in which he worked for 50 years.
During his career, he has worked for several publishing companies in various capacities. He was employed by the United Church of God from 1995-2023, overseeing the planning, writing, editing, reviewing and production of Beyond Today magazine, several dozen booklets/study guides and a Bible study course covering major biblical teachings. His special interests are the Bible, archaeology, biblical culture, history and the Middle East.
