Bell, book and Phoenix!

Now here's another sad tale of Christians pitted against the world. A judge in Pheonix, Arizona has sentenced a bishop to three years probation and a suspended 10-day jail sentence on charges of violating city noise ordinances. What was his crime? That the electronic bells at his northern Phoenix church were rung too loud and too often. But apparently they sound no more loud than ordinary street traffic. Interestingly, the Phoenix noise ordinance does not include an exemption for religious worship, though it does provide an exemption for ice cream trucks, which are allowed to emit 70 decibels, measured at a distance of 50 feet. Having heard such ice cream jingles only this afternoon, I'd not complain about the bishop's bells.

Now that he's got a criminal record, could the bishop come preaching in Britain or would he go on Jacqui Smith's old list? The new Home Secretary used to be a postman, so he knows about noises on the street. It's a weird world we're entering.