- Bishop of Chelmsford said he’d support new law to allow only essential services
- Amazon, Debenhams and John Lewis are among those preparing to launch sales
- Experts predict millions will spend record amounts online on Christmas Day
The Bishop of Chelmsford, Stephen Cottrell, said he would support new legislation to prevent all but essential services operating during the Christian festival
A senior bishop has called for a crackdown on internet shopping on Christmas Day after The Mail on Sunday discovered that major companies are planning massive online sales for December 25.
The Bishop of Chelmsford, Stephen Cottrell, said he would support new legislation to prevent all but essential services operating during the Christian festival so people are not tempted away from precious time with family and friends.
Retail giants such as Amazon, Debenhams and John Lewis are among those preparing to launch New Year internet sales as early as Christmas Eve, slashing prices by up to 66 per cent.
Experts predict many millions will go online and spend record amounts on Christmas Day, dwarfing the 2.5 million expected to attend Church of England services on one of Christianity’s holiest days.
Bishop Cottrell suggested that companies should voluntarily postpone their sales.
But he added: ‘How you shut down the internet for a day I don’t know, but if anyone has an idea I would certainly back it in the House of Lords. The 24/7 way of living, with no distinction between day and night, days of the week or seasons of the year, diminishes us.’
Retail giants such as Amazon, Debenhams and John Lewis are among those preparing to launch New Year internet sales as early as Christmas Eve, slashing prices by up to 66 per cent
And in further evidence of the erosion of Christianity, a survey has found that nearly a third of primary schools have dropped or watered down traditional nativity plays, partly because of fears of offending non-Christians or non-believers.
A poll of more than 200 parents by social media site Mumsnet found 28 per cent of primary schools were either holding secular Christmas shows or had updated the traditional story by adding themes such as aliens or Strictly Come Dancing.
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