Bird brained

Pigeon Campaigns UK (a group so vast that they can afford to spurn the need for a website) is up in arms because the authorities at Norwich Cathedral called in an expert to shoot a pigeon.

“We are absolutely disgusted that a place of worship such as Norwich Cathedral could be responsible for such a heinous crime against our wildlife,” fumed John Davison, a spokesman. “Culling pigeons as a method of control has been scientifically proven not to work.”

Perhaps, but that is hardly the point. The sniper apparently was called in when the bird was spotted trapped in the rafters, which suggests that the alternative may have been to allow it to continue to flap around in great distress until it died of stress.

As for the suggestion that the house (or rather, palace) of God should be a haven for wildlife, Christians believe that God gave man a duty to manage and look after the Earth, not a duty to treat every animal as inviolable, even where this means we must ignore their suffering. The rage of the pigeon fanciers says a lot more about the nature worship of Mr. Davison than the Christian worship of the church authorities.