British priest excuses shoplifters in sermon

That is an article you can read here. I first saw in the 12-23-09 issue of the San Antonio Express-News, p. 2A. Key exerpt:

"The Rev. Tim Jones caused an uproar by telling his congregation that it is sometimes acceptable for desperate people to shoplift – as long as they do it at large national chain stores, rather than small, family businesses."

"From his pulpit at the Church of St. Lawrence in York, about 220 miles north of London, Jones said in his sermon Sunday that shoplifting can be justified if a person in real need is not greedy and does not take more than he or she really needs to get by."

This kind of statement results when respect for capitalism, free markets and private property is ridiculed by the intellectual elite. They are basically saying "the system is unfair, the capitalists are the bad guys, so go ahead and steal from them."