A Catholic priest from the Netherlands (with the most appropriate first name *ever*) has figured out a way to shame the people who leave his Church: Put up their pictures so everyone knows who they are.
What I imagine the Defector Wall looks like (via Mashable)
“This is a large parish, and I don’t know everyone: by putting up the photos I thought someone might recognise someone they know who they could try to make stay in the Church,” priest Harm Schilder told AFP on Tuesday.
…
“This isn’t about pointing a finger, naming and shaming,” said Schilder, insisting that the plan would help the community pray for these people not to leave the Church and perhaps “persuade them to stay”.
I don’t know about you, but that sounds more like an Atheist Hall of Fame to me. It’s motivation, really. Let’s get more pictures on the wall!
They could always do the less creepier thing and put up pictures of the people who actually attend the church… but it would probably be just as awkward for them every time they have to take a picture down…
Actually, I think Schilder should go a step further: Include the reason people left right next to their image:
- “This Church is homophobic.”
- “This Church protects pedophiles.”
- “This Church believes things that are provably untrue.”
- “This Church is bad for society.”
- “This Church treats women as second-class citizens.”
Hell, if my former temple did this, I would donate a picture for their wall.