Dean John 'like Gerald Ratner'

[...] Do you remember, a good few years back, some chap called Gerald Ratner who owned a chain of high street jewellery stores?

For those that don't, it came out in the national press that Ratner, speaking at a private function, said the jewellery his stores sold was "total crap".

The chain - which had a strong brand name, even if Ratner's diagnosis was not far short of the mark - went into near ruin.

Now I'm not saying that Dean John's comments are going to bring the Church of England to its knees, but I do think he should be more careful about what he says in public.

Let's not forget that this man is no stranger to controversy, being the first gay dean in the church.

I had no problem with that, and don't see why his sexuality should have been a barrier to him getting the role.

But nevertheless, there were those in the Church who were far from happy at his appointment and you'd think that, after all the uproar his arrival caused, he would try not to make too many waves thereafter.

Seemingly not. But if I were him, I'd leave the denouncing of the Church's teachings to me when I'm drunk down the pub and concentrate more on giving his flock more of what they want to hear, and less of what they don't. Read more