Germans launch Priests Feedback site

Corsendonk

Good or bad idea? I think its good, always heplful to know who gives a good sermon or who has the quickiest Mass. My parents for years spoke in great respect about a local Parish Priest that due to his walking disability and fondness for minding his cows use to conduct the quickest Sunday service for miles around so he could get back to the herd. He always had a packed house which drew him to the attention of the local Sisters of Mercy who wanted him discplined for not conducting the correct services in their view.

Journal.ie

A NEW WEBSITE PUTS power in the hands of churchgoers by letting them give instant feedback about their local priest.
The German site, called Hirten Barometer (or “Shepherd Barometer”) lets users class their hardworking cleric by a range of different attributes. Criteria include service to God, credibility, “finger on the pulse”, work for younger people and work for seniors. The average scores are represented as a sheep’s colour – with top priests turning bright white and underperformers a nasty black.
Andreas Hahn, one of the site’s founders, told Reuters that it aims to boost the quality of priests’ work as well as giving credit where due. “Pastoral work should be qualitative,” he said, adding: “Many parishes work well but their performance doesn’t become public.” He also said that he hopes the site will help to flag problem areas before they develop into something more serious. The site has registered 25,000 parishes and 8,000 priests so far.
Even deceased priests can be rated. So far, Pope John Paul II is a top performer in a light shade of grey, with users rating his service to the Lord especially highly. One anonymous user simply called him “A great Pope”. But there’s bad news for Benedict XVI should he happen to check the site out on his iPad – his “finger on the pulse” rating is letting him down. “There have been better Popes, like Johannes XXIII,” one user wrote.
The Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference said they were not aware of the site. A spokesperson added: “It is already the case that the faithful offer and support their local parish priest and bishop.”

georgieporgy

Interesting idea. But it could end up like Tripadvisor where anybody can write anything. If the posters had to identify themselves then it should work ok. But anonymous comments are open to slander.

Onesimus

Plus the feedback from liberals who contradict the teachings will just confuse people wanting to know their truth rather than lies.

philologos

Irrespective of what people may or may not post, it is a sad reflection for any church when people feel the need to build a website to comment rather than feeling secure and comfortable to air ones grievances. This is why churches should allow input in terms of running the church from the congregation. They are the heart and soul of churches, and it isn't all that bad a thing if you allow the people who care about the church to have a bigger role in it is it?

Monty.

Sounds just as problematic as any of the "rate my . . . ." sites.

homer911

I prefer this kind of rating idea

Ok, its limited to one visit, but a church is more than just the priest/minister and the review is prepared without a local attachment/agenda

http://www.ship-of-fools.com/mystery/uk.html

PDN

homer911 wrote: »

I prefer this kind of rating idea

Ok, its limited to one visit, but a church is more than just the priest/minister and the review is prepared without a local attachment/agenda

http://www.ship-of-fools.com/mystery/uk.html

I always dread my ushers finding the Ship of Fools business card in the offering basket after I've preached a particularly lousy sermon!

homer911

I just scanned the list for Ireland and note that Core in Dublin is included

Fanny Cradock

For all those partitioner's interested in freaking PDN out...

homer911 wrote: »

I just scanned the list for Ireland and note that Core in Dublin is included

Yeah, it has undergone some big changes since then.

antiskeptic

PDN wrote: »

I always dread my ushers finding the Ship of Fools business card in the offering basket after I've preached a particularly lousy sermon!

What a site! Hilarious..you can just imagine your own place being dissected so

On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
5 – Apart from the wild gesticulations, Pastor McKim had the most annoying habit of constantly stopping and asking the congregation to repeat some word or other that he had just voiced. At first it wasn't too bad, but we ended up being asked even to repeat words like "but"! He also constantly asked people to say certain things to the person beside you, like tell them it's good to be saved, etc. Thankfully the man beside me wasn't playing that game!

Manach

Fanny Cradock wrote: »

For all those partitioner's interested in freaking PDN out...

There is a rate my mod site? ...

Fanny Cradock

antiskeptic wrote: »

What a site! Hilarious..you can just imagine your own place being dissected so

The forum there is quite interesting. There is a nice mixture of conservative and liberal theology, Christians and non-Christians, educated and ignorant, nice and not so nice.

Check out the Gadgets for God section (link on the magazine page). They manage to poke fun at the foibles of Christianity without some of the bitterness you see you see over yonder on the religious humour thread.

Manach wrote: »

There is a rate my mod site? ...

Yeah, it's called the Dispute Resolution forum.