to think texting in church is disrespectful?

[booomchikkawowow]

I work with a teenage organisation, we had a church parade today so the woman in question was not there necessarily by choice, but if she had a strong objection to church she could well have escorted the kids inside and excused herself. All through the service she was sighing and moaning about having to sing hymns etc which I thought was her own business, but when she got her blackberry out and started texting I was a little bit gob smacked!

Not only was it rude to the vicar, but also disrespectful to the religious place we were in, and those genuinely worshipping there. I'm not religious at all, but when I mentioned it to some friends after they just shrugged. I obviously am not going to say anything to her, but I was just surprised no one else looked at her oddly! Am I being a bit judgemental or do you think that it was disrespectful?

I think it was disrespectful too.

If sending the text was that important, she could have gone outside to send it.

Are you sure she wasn't MumsNetting?

YANBU, it was very disrespectful.

I think it is disrespectful. Ds is in the choir and I would text etc during practice but never during the actual service. She could have gone outside. Some the choir parents go to the local pub during the service!

Maybe she was texting God?

As a church goer and vicar's wife I think it's rude to text during the service (although very common!!!) because it shows disrespect to whoever is speaking. I don't think it's any more disrespectful just because it is in church. I would find moaning about hymns more disrespectful, at least texting is quiet!

YANBU It is disrespectful. I'm not the slightest bit religious but if I had to attend for some reason then I'd sit quietly while the service was on.

I think if someone has had to go to a church as they are escorting someone else, anything they want to do to alleviate the boredom is fine as long as it's quiet and not disruptive.

I fell asleep in church this morning, think that is worse somehow, especially as I was standing up at the time.

Mighty that tired or that bored?

DH always falls asleep in chapel during retreats...

I find retreats are too cold to fall asleep on

I think texting in church is disrespectful and moaning about hymns is too. She should have waited outside It's sad that people would be like this.

Its just something about being in a church which seemed daunting to me! I didn't want to do anything out of line.

solidgold the thing is the people she was escorting were about 300 teenagers in total. Its lucky she sat behind as if they were to have seen her they would of all assumed it was an okay thing to do! I was more asking the question based on the morality of it, rather than the situation she was in if that makes sense?

Thanks everyone for your replies. Glad i'm not alone in my thinking!

At least it's quiet!

But if she was there in some sort of leadership capacity with young people, then she should be setting a better example and refraining from testing. If it was an urgent matter, then I would be better if she had gone to the back to ensure she did not disturb those who did wish to concentrate on the service.

hiddenhome where do you go? Our Diocesan retreat house in Offchurch is very comfy

I saw someone surfing the internet on his phone once, during his daughter's First Holy Communion. Right in the front row too. I cringed on his behalf, because he did not seem to realise it was sooo disrespectful.

Tired! I wouldn't go if it was boring, Easter is nice anyway. It's all joyous and alleluia alleluia etc., I should probably not go so early in the morning, wait until 10am maybe.

I am a youth leader and would be annoyed if I saw one of the young people using a phone, no way should a leader be on the phone when in a leadership role anyway unless it was something urgent!

Mighty I fall asleep quite a lot in church but I just pretend I am closing my eyes and either praying or focusing with my eyes shut on the sermon.
I do have a 2 year old and 6 month old who keep me awake at night quite a lot though! :(

I guess iut depends what the pews or seats are like too though - ours are quite comfy.

As long as a person is being quiet and non-disruptive, texting in church is no more morally wrong than texting while you're waiting for your DC to finish their gym class or whatever. If someone is not religious and is there purely to escort someone else to the church event, it's really bloody boring to sit through such a thing and texting (as long as the phone was on silent and not beeping away) is a fairly unobtrusive activity.

SGB I'm perilously close to agreeing with you on something religion related. Worrying

Boring or not I think it's polite and respectful to have a little decorum whilst in someone else's place of worship.

Particularly someone in charge of youths who probably look up to them.

I totally disagree with you SGB. There are many situations in life where it is inappropriate to text, and church is one of those places.

I'm not religious, but that's shocking!

Golly madmouse, you're pretty liberal for a vicar's wife!

When someone is at a gym class you are not ignoring someone who is talking to you though.

In an situation like that it is wrong to text. Would you say texting in a course was ok? Or during a presentation?