Go Forth and Steal, Says English Priest

For some 3,500 years, the 10 Commandments have included the easy-to-follow instruction, “Thou shalt not steal.” But one British Anglican priest thinks that ancient command is now out-of-touch with our recession-hit world and has suggested it be changed to something more flexible, such as: “Thou shalt not steal, unless you’re short of cash.”

The Rev. Tim Jones issued his new religious edict on Sunday, while addressing worshippers at the Church of St. Lawrence, in the northern English city of York. He told parishioners that poor people struggling to survive should steal food and other essentials from shops, rather than raise money through prostitution, burglary or mugging.