The church service had well and truly begun.
The congregation was seated. A sermon on paying more than lip service to the Almighty was underway, when a forceful and repeated sound suddenly became impossible to ignore.
I turned to find at the centre of all the racket an elderly man, sternly looking straight ahead and attempting to snort his apparent congestion away with a relentless and rhythmic vacuum. He also seemed to believe he was hidden behind a special cloak of invisibility.
The minutes ticked by until suddenly, the snorting was joined by another wave of distracting nasal noise.
Head after head turned to fin, at the source of all the racket, was a middle-aged man in a suit, lost deeply in the act of blowing his nose into a big, floppy handkerchief. He, also, was apparently completely oblivious to all the attention. An elderly woman in the rows behind, shook her head in disbelief.
What probably began as a momentary physical urge had indeed become a symphony of the sinuses.
Regardless of faith or beliefs, it is good etiquette to show respect in any place of worship – respect, in the very least, for the history and tradition within those walls.
And quite frankly, I can only think of a doctor’s surgery or hospital where someone is actively encouraged to share, publicly, the noises that the human body can make.
The need to share the body’s once-private range of bubbles, burps and blasts with the world seems to be becoming more and more prevalent – particularly in the winter months.
With today’s theme in mind, I’ve compiled a list of things NOT to do – particularly when inside a place of worship:
1. Bodily noises – That means NO snorts, sniffs, burps or belches.
* Chits or Chats – spare a thought for the Pray-ers who visit such places for the serenity
* Exposing midriffs and/or shoulders – This is an oldie but a goodie. Ladies, and some laddies, it’s neither a gym nor a nightclub.
* Taking Photos – Snappers, respect the privacy of prayer in public. Think about it like this – how much would you appreciate someone snapping over your shoulder while you’re observing your latest shots??
* Checking into Childcare – More and more mummies and daddies are using places of worship in much the same way as childcare. I’ve seen them pull out packets of crisps and snacks and colouring books and toys and… And then, there are the precious little darlings who are allowed to run amok throughout a service, watched on eagerly by proud parents. The care of children during a religious service is not the responsibility of the religious leader – they surely have enough to do in today’s times. Providing food and fun activities for children in churches only unfortunately reinforces the message that entertainment is more important than respect for religion and others.
It’s not rocket science. We all need to start showing a respect for respect again in society.
i, miss manners in the world 