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Fat Rascals at Bettys LIVING IN SIN Thursday Note June 8, 1995 Several news breaking stories that we have been following diligently have, well..., broken and we knew you would want an update. First off, the Scrabble issue, which we reported to you in depth, blew itself all over page 2 of Wednesday's Times. You may recall Mike Goldman, "who claimed he was cheated out of victory when his timing clock was started while he was in the lavatory." (In the interest of reducing possible confusion, it should be said that mention of the timing clock and the lavatory in the same sentence might be unfortunate in that the issue was Mr. Goldman's performance on the Scrabble court, not in the lavatory.) Goldman is suing Graeme Thomas, chairman of the Association of Premier Scrabble players, for £5000 for personal damages. According to The Times staff reporter, "The case, at Central London County Court, has excited the scrabble playing world and after more than 20 enthusiasts turned up, the hearing was moved to a larger court." Watch this space for developments. Also on Wednesday, the Church of England released its blockbuster report on the family, taking the position that Living in Sin should no longer be condemned and the phrase should be dropped. The report was immediately criticized, and one of its authors resigned, stating that the report is not Christian enough. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. George Carey, waffled and distanced himself, "insisting: 'it is not, and does not purport to be the Church's authoritative teaching.'"
The phrase "living in sin" comes from the annual report of the Bath City Mission in 1838, the year after Victoria came to the throne, which reports: "Front attic, two aged people living in sin." Which in itself gives rise to hope for some of us, having been led to believe that the experience (and term) was reserved for the young. You can see the headline now: "Swampy View Retirement Home Torn Apart Psychologically as 80-year-old couple Discovered Living in Sin." One thing does lead to another, and the Thursday paper expanded the story. Referring to the report by the Church of England, “Something to Celebrate,” and its suggestion that "living in sin" should no longer be condemned and that the phrase should be abandoned, Cardinal Basis Hume of the Roman Catholic Church said its view was clear: "Full sexual relationships are only possible inside marriage. That presents our society with an enormous challenge and a difficult ideal." It also leaves unanswered the old half a loaf question, or so it seems.
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