Other Stories

Guest Blog: What Not To Do When Meeting The Vicar Who Is Going To Marry You

Sometimes you hear a story that is so fantastic that you know you could never do it justice in trying to re-tell it. So today, in a momentous first for Other Stories, I am bringing you a very special guest blog from my dear friend Jess. Jess is getting married next summer and she and her betrothed recently had to go and meet the vicar of the church they are to be married in. Over to Jess:

For your reading delight, I present my list of what not to do when meeting the vicar hosting your wedding for the first time....

1.  don't leave home late
2.  don't get stuck behind a van driving at 11mph for most of the journey
3.  don't get lost
4.  don't slip and nearly fall under the wheels of the car when running back to it after asking for directions in the local pub
5.  don't be in quite a bad mood with each other on arrival
6.  when asked 'have you been christened?' don't answer no
7.  when asked 'would you like to be christened?' don't answer no
8.  don't go on to explain that you and your parents just never thought it was that important
9. when asked your reasons for marriage, don't say it's more romantic than a joint mortgage
10. don't mention that you've alienated all the Christians you used to know at college
11. don't try to give a second hand theological lecture on Genesis, and definitely don't use the word 'myth' when doing so
12. don't bring up the Big Bang Theory
13. don't babble on about tradition being really important, you'll only have to back-pedal when you remember that you don't want the traditional vows
14. when read the start of the marriage service, don't admit that you only know that bit because it was on Pride and Prejudice
15. don't ignore your other half when he starts trying to shut you up by subtley nudging you with his knee
16. don't get crumbs on the carpet

Here endeth the lesson.

Dawkins

I completely forgot to mention that Boyfriend and I went to see Richard Dawkins in conversation with Alistair McGrath (author of The Dawkins Delusion), chaired by Joan Bakewell, at the Oxford Literary Festival last Friday. It was somewhat a case of preaching to the converted, excuse the pun, as Boyfriend has been a Dawkins Evangelist since before The God Delusion came out. I've always been an Atheist, but for whatever reason hadn't read the book. I really want to now though. He was eloquent, intelligent, and utterly reasonable - not that I'd expected him to be anything else - and the case he made was just so obvious that I wonder why I hadn't thought of it that way before.

The Faith Defender was saying that most religious people are good people who do good things, but Dawkins point - and my thoughts throughout - was "yes, of course, but that doesn't make God real". It was enlightening and thought-provoking, and really very good indeed.

The Festival has been fantastic generally actually - already looking forward to next year. Oddly for all the years I lived in Glasgow, I never once made it to the Edinburgh Book Festival. I think I shall have to rectify that this year!