To want to report my vicar (to whoever you report vicars to)

[dilemma456]

Message withdrawn

[Greensleeves]

report him to the bishop

and the school's governors

and your MP - cc all the letters to everyone, so nobody can hush it up

hypocritical tosswank

[Mamulik]

may be you should go to another church? I always wonder how many churches in England, on every street.

[Qally]

Email him saying you've been pondering his advice and asking what kind of donation size he'd recommend, all apologetically and sincerely - that way, if he replies, or even doesn't say "are you insane?!" in the reply, you have evidence of the conversation to send to the Bishop.

[treedelivery]

Was he being sarcastic as he's drained by the reason for his full house? We can only hope so. Yak!

[PeachyTheRiverParrettHarlot]

mamulik its all a hangover from the past, average congregation is about 11!

Qally's suggestion is right, email him. And yes, appalling behaviour

[famishedass]

He was being sarcastic.

[Katz]

i'd put money on him being sarcastic, most vicars i know have very dry sense of humours and would have responded to you comment similarly.

[violethill]

Sounds like he's even more cynical than you OP!
Def think he's being sarcastic here.

[ThingOne]

I suspect he was joking.

[weegiemum]

If he was being serious report him to the bishop's office.

I would like to think that he was being sarcastic, but the fact that there were no school-age kids there does make me . Is he known for signing off church attendance without you having to actually be there?

The fact that there were no kids there at all would also make me wonder if it does anything much for kids and would you be better off going (if you do go) somewhere else that does have a good programme for kids. Maybe even somewhere non church of England ???.

[poface]

he must have been being sarcastic, no? It would seem a logical riposte to your observation about only under school age children being at church...Unless he is very stupid.

[ilovemydogandmrobama]

I can't believe he was being serious. Obviously you were there and can judge whether he was being dry to the point of totally arid, but here's an idea. He is obviously fed up with parents playing the system and knowing how to get their children into the C of E school, so they play the game. He is exasperated by it all, and makes an equally cynical remark.

Cannot believe a vicar would being so overtly corrupt, and the most probable explanation is that it was tongue in cheek.

Ask him the next time you're at mass. What about, 'brought my checkbook..'.how much was that donation to secure DD's place...'

[dilemma456]

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[dilemma456]

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[piscesmoon]

I would think it was tongue in cheek and a dry sense of humour.

[hocuspontas]

Wouldn't older children be in Sunday School? Could this be why there were only pre-schoolers?

Agree - he MUST have been being sarcastic. He's probably fretting about getting a call from the bishop now

[dilemma456]

Message withdrawn

[morningpaper]

He was being sarcastic because everyone turns up to get them into the school

Vicars are 90% sarcasm, 10% burying old people

[GrendelsMum]

Am I right in thinking that it's you that's the regular at the church, and the DD who doesn't usually come? If so, he might have thought that you were pointing out that people only seemed to go to church until they get into the school, and he was being equally cynical in reply. And then you didn't laugh... He's probably spent the day going "oh no, she actually believed me..."

[LilyAllensThirdNipple]

OP
utter rubbish
i reckon he was taking the piss

[LilyAllensThirdNipple]

my dad once refused to sign a letter sating a kid was a regular attender

the dad was aghast

[Smithagain]

He was being sarcastic. And probably cheesed off at the knowledge that several of the children in his congregation are not there for overly spiritual reasons.

Also, there are quite a few churches who struggle to retain children over pre-school age, if they don't run a decent children's programme. What was on offer for older children?

[donnie]

yes, definitely sarcasm....he will be fed up with irritating parents who suddenly 'find God' when their children are 3 years old, only to suddenly lose the faith when they get into the school. And who can blame him? there are loads of parents like that at our church and they are soooo obvious they may as well have a sign round their necks!