Bicester town has an associated regiment, and the town council wanted to put on a 'welcome home' weekend for the guys back from Afghanistan, Boznia & Herzegovina and Iraq. Part of that was a special church service in the local Anglican church.
I tell you, English religion is as weird as anything the middle and far east ever thought up. It is also at times like this that Anglicanism is transparently a religon designed to primarily support the state - Henry would have been proud.
Interesting watching the behaviour of the officers in front of us this morning. Some of the guys just sang along. There was one chap who stood VERY stiffly to attention at the appropriate times, absolutely did not sing any hymns but launched whole-heartedly into the national anthem. The rest of the men appeared to just go into autopilot, lips moving at the appropriate moments, sitting or standing as required. If I didn't know God could break in through this kind of thing I'd be a lot more disturbed by it.
As for the guys from the army, it's right to welcome them back. I just find doing it like this quite strange. I wonder if going to church in this way makes a difference to how they feel and act in their theatres?
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