…and this is a 
Lately, all the polls people have been sending me are already going in the right direction — have I become superfluous? Are atheists everywhere already gleefully clicking buttons in polls without my prompting?
Oh, well, here's another one. An ambitious priest gets assigned to Brighton, which he calls "the most Godless city in Britain". He has declared that it is now his intention to transform the place into a sanctuary for unctuous old farts with their brains scrambled by nonsense (uh, those are my words, not his, if you couldn't tell.) So the local newspaper ran a poll to see what people thought of that.
Is Reverend Archie Coates right to repeat the description of Brighton as "Godless"?
yes, and it's good he intends to help change this: 14%
no, it has its troubles but it is generally a good place: 14%
being described as Godless is a compliment: 72%
Those secularists in Britain are just having a good time giving Archie the raspberry, aren't they?
One more quote from Rev Archie:
Rev Coates last night said: "Since I moved to Brighton six weeks ago I have realised that it is a lot more godly than I imagined. If you look around you see the creativity, the vibrancy and the life of the city."
Twit. Those are symptoms of godlessness, not godliness.
Comments
Posted by: Zeno
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October 16, 2009 8:49 AM
The Rev. Archie needs to be careful. God gets pissed when his worshipers are twits and can't resist smiting them.
Posted by: Sigmund
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October 16, 2009 8:54 AM
For some reason I found the story next to the poll far more eye-catching
"An alcoholic who drummed to beat the booze has had her bongos confiscated."
Is that even medically possible?
Posted by: wolfpurplemoon
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October 16, 2009 9:04 AM
Oh hey, I'm just a few miles from Brighton!
That's exactly the answer I'd expect from most people from round here, Brighton is of course the city with the most people who declared themselves Jedi in the last census!
Posted by: Aratina Cage
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October 16, 2009 9:06 AM
Thanks. No, really!: 81%
Bad of him: 10%
Good of him: 9%
Posted by: Matt Penfold
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October 16, 2009 9:07 AM
I was born in Brighton.
I suspect the Reverend is just a bit pissed off that the city has one of the most vibrant gay communities in the UK.
Posted by: David Marjanović
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October 16, 2009 9:10 AM
Already up to 80 %, with the other two options at 10 % each.
Posted by: davidjw
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October 16, 2009 9:16 AM
I think you'd find similar results for every city in Britain, bloody heathens! :)
Posted by: lordshipmayhem
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October 16, 2009 9:16 AM
Getting better:
yes, and it's good he intends to help change this: 7%
no, it has its troubles but it is generally a good place: 7%
being described as Godless is a compliment: 14%
Posted by: Paul Lundgren
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October 16, 2009 9:23 AM
Godless? The city has the word "Bright" right there in the name...what did he expect?
Posted by: SEF
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October 16, 2009 9:28 AM
Brighton is very much a cultural centre for ballet and theatre and other such godless creative activities of which the church traditionally disapproved.
Posted by: Opisthokont
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October 16, 2009 9:33 AM
I am quite heartened by the inclusion of that third option. I would be quite surprised to see it in the US.
Posted by: mattincinci
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October 16, 2009 9:34 AM
well that poll is at 89% now lol
wonders what that Rev. thinks now :)
Posted by: Richard Eis
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October 16, 2009 9:35 AM
I would never see creativity nor vibrancy as marks of religiosity. It is the staid, oldy worldy, stuffy impression of religion that has probably reduced it to what it is in Britain today.
Posted by: Cuttlefish, OM, CR
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October 16, 2009 9:36 AM
There once was a preacher in Brighton
Whose clerical collar's a tight'un
When he asked, in a poll,
"Can I save your poor soul?"
They chose "Go bugger off!" as the right'un!
(the original--not mine--goes:
There once was a hooker from Brighton
Whose client complained "you're a tight'un!"
Quoth she: " 'Pon my soul,
Guv, you're in the wrong hole--
There's plenty of room in the right'un!"
Posted by: Prof. Henry Armitage
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October 16, 2009 9:39 AM
@Matt #5
Yup. I think when Rev Archie uses the word "godless", what he really means is "gay". It's political correctness gone mad!
I lived in Brighton for a few years. It's a great little city, with something for everyone. It has two universities (and thus lots of students), a vibrant arts scene, and is a popular destination for Londoners wanting to escape the metropolis. It also has more conservative parts where lots of wealthy, old people live. The only downside is that property is so damned expensive.
Posted by: Die Anyway
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October 16, 2009 9:40 AM
Already it's pushed to 6%, 6%, 88%.
Having a community that is plagued with homelessness, joblessness, and crime is definitely a negative. It's just too bad that the dear reverend thinks that religion is the corrective answer.
Eat well, stay fit, Die Anyway
Posted by: butterflyfishhm
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October 16, 2009 9:46 AM
I need to live in a place like this.
Posted by: Prof. Henry Armitage
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October 16, 2009 9:47 AM
@Richard #13
Yes, Christian art used to be spectacular, back when the Church was one of the main patrons of the arts (the other being the aristocracy). Ever since the arts were freed from those shackles, it has become more vibrant overall, and Christian art has become increasingly mediocre. Religious dogma is as restictive to art as it is to science.
Posted by: Matt Penfold
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October 16, 2009 9:57 AM
Brighton does not suffer from unemployment or crime any more than other UK cities of a similar size. It probably does have more homelessness, in part because of high property prices and rents, and partly homeless people from other parts of the South-East are attracted to the city. If you are going to be homeless Brighton is one of nicer places to be homeless.
Posted by: truth machine
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October 16, 2009 10:02 AM
I love this comment, which truly captures the spirit of Christianity:
Posted by: bcoppola
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October 16, 2009 10:07 AM
Hmm...vibrant, artsy, godless. Sounds like I should have visited Brighton on my last UK visit years ago. Have to check it out if Mrs. and I visit again. Alas, between the post 9/11 "security theatre" and airline piggishness, overseas air travel is becoming more and more of an ordeal.
Posted by: Matt Penfold
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October 16, 2009 10:17 AM
Another attraction of Brighton, at least for those who enjoy industrial history, is that it has the world's oldest electric railway: The Volk's Railway.
Posted by: Richard Eis
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October 16, 2009 10:25 AM
My favourite 2 comments
- richtextformat wrote:
oh my! would anyone like a nice cup of tea?
I thought you'd never ask.-
You know when you're in England...
Someone has also seen the alpha poll and pointed out that that is at 97% no. Oh the tangled interwebs we weave.
Posted by: Knockgoats
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October 16, 2009 11:23 AM
I lived for 15 years in Brighton and did both my degrees at Sussex Uni. - it's a great place! It may possibly have the UK Parliament's first Green Party M.P. after the next election. Unfortunately, it's unlikely I could ever afford to move back, as property prices have skyrocketed. The Brighton Evening Anus (as we lefties called it), which is hosting this poll, was one of the few drawbacks.
Posted by: Zifnab
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October 16, 2009 12:04 PM
Shorter Coates: My mistake. Shit's cool. Please don't look over here! *ducks out back door in embarrassment*
That bible-baiting isn't quite as effective as it used to be. :-p
Posted by: Nebula99
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October 16, 2009 12:29 PM
Now at 3%, 3%, and 94%. Don't worry PZ, you're not superfluous!
Posted by: Nemo
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October 16, 2009 2:12 PM
I tried to vote, but it didn't show me the results, just redirected me back to the same page. Are we being blocked?
Posted by: Die Anyway
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October 16, 2009 2:21 PM
Matt said: Brighton does not suffer from unemployment or crime any more than other UK cities of a similar size.
Glad to hear that. I was just sort of basing my comment on the general sense I got from Rev. Coates' statements. Since I was not impressed by his other statements, I probably should have taken those regarding the populace with a bit more skepticism. In general though, my sentiment stands. The religious always think that religion is the answer to the world's ills. The Rev. Coates could probably do much more good spending his time teaching job skills rather than preaching from the pulpit, but he won't see it that way.
Eat well, stay fit, Die Anyway
Posted by: maxh
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October 16, 2009 2:32 PM
Ooh as a native Brightonian I am pleased that we had already stuck two fingers up to the Reverand.
Brighton is my favourite UK city after Edinburgh. It is full of life, culture and diversity. It is perhaps the only place I know of where one can do the walk of shame home the next morning in fancy dress and not stand out - marvelous!
Oh I was only home last weekend but now I feel that need to go back again!
Posted by: stogoe | October 16, 2009 4:03 PM
I studied in Brigton one summer, and it was deliciousawesomefantabulouswaytooshort. Also I heard they changed the arcade at the pier into a Doctor Who exhibit right after I left.
Posted by: Nova
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October 16, 2009 7:07 PM
@#5 Matt Penfold
Indeed, the gay capital.Posted by: latsot | October 17, 2009 4:37 AM
@5, 15 and others:
Yeah, it seems likely. Well, I defend his right to say pretty much whatever he likes, regardless of how ignorant and distasteful it is. What annoys me even more is how mealy-mouthed and weasely he is about it (if he is indeed using 'godless' as a euphemism for 'homosexual'). He's telling people they are filthy sinners who are an abomination in the eyes of the lord and will burn in hell throughout all eternity, but he won't actually come out and *say* that in case someone tells him off.
Talk about having the courage of your convictions.
Posted by: John Phillips, FCD
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October 20, 2009 6:24 AM
Die Anyway and Matt Penfold. Brighton, like many seaside towns today, might have a higher than expected number of homeless, or at least a higher number of former homeless and thus also unemployed. But this is because some inner city councils used to, and might still, have an agreement with a number of seaside towns, such as Brighton, to ship off their homeless to them because of the number of B&Bs they had.
The seaside towns councils and landlords didn't mind, even if locals did, due to the number of people now having foreign holidays rather than UK ones which meant that many B&Bs were emptier than usual even in the summer season. A lot of these B&Bs then 'converted' more into hostels for the homeless than for holiday makers. Of course, you also have always had a number of homeless who migrate there of their own accord for other reasons. Such as being a seaside town with different 'opportunities' to the inner cities, some legitimate, some not so much.
Posted by: Richard Conolly | October 22, 2009 4:13 PM
@latsot:
"I defend his right to say pretty much whatever he likes, regardless of how ignorant and distasteful it is...He's telling people they are filthy sinners who are an abomination in the eyes of the lord and will burn in hell throughout all eternity"
And then crucially says: "but he won't actually come out and *say* that"
So how much more does everyone want to bash Archie Coates for things he neither did nor said?
Posted by: Silly Billy | October 25, 2009 6:50 PM
Found this on-line: His letter to the Argus following a misquote. Sheds a bit more light on the veracity of what the Argus wrote. Perhaps you lot should cool your jets a bit? I think this guy sounds alright. I'm not one for religious nut jobs, but he has clearly been misquoted.
Dear Sir,
I am disappointed that your article "Most Godless city in Britain" (16 Oct) suggested that the phrase was mine and expressed my views. It was not my phrase and does not express my views, as I made clear to your reporter when I spoke to him before the article was published. On the contrary, there is plenty of God-awareness in Brighton and a large number of churches of all denominations doing excellent work.
I am enormously excited to be here in Brighton and recognize that I have much to learn from a city which is full of creativity, vibrancy and life - which to my mind reflects a God who himself is creative, vibrant and living. Sam, my wife, and I and our four small children, are loving living in Brighton!
My reference to Brighton being dubbed ‘Godless’ was in connection with the census figures which showed that churchgoing in the city is below the national average. Naturally, I would like churchgoing across Brighton and Hove to increase because I have met so many great church leaders of all denominations across the city whose churches clearly have so much to offer in terms of building community, worshipping God freely and helping people in areas of social need. That is the kind of church I long for St Peter's to continue to be also, and I feel tremendously privileged and humbled (and a little daunted!) to have been invited by the Bishop of Chichester to come and play a part in it.
In the second week I was here, last month, the body of a young woman, "Mel", was found on the steps of St Peter's. She had taken a drugs overdose. My heart is for the church to help people like Mel. I don't know whether that constitutes "transforming Brighton", but it would simply be taking our place alongside all the other agencies and churches already doing great stuff and getting involved in whatever we can to help.
I have been bowled over by the warmth of the welcome we have received from local residents, businesses, charities, social services, the police and the council - and the amount of goodwill there is towards St Peter's. Who knows if we can manage to open up St Peter's fully once again as a properly lit, heated, renovated, accessible, welcoming building for the benefit of the community? I don't know - it needs a lot of money and a lot of practical support. But what I do know is that I am excited about trying and that there are countless people across the city - some of them churchgoing, many of them not - who share that same vision for St Peter's, and I am enormously grateful for their early and continued support.
your faithfully
Rev Archie Coates