Second coming for nun-sense insurance story

-27/06/06

It was the highest-hitting story


Second coming for nun-sense insurance story

-27/06/06

It was the highest-hitting story of the day on the BBC website and red hot on the newswires. Even Ekklesia ran it, albeit with an informative theological appendix and a ìvirgin on the ridiculousî headline.

But now it turns out that the story of three Inverness sisters (assumed to be in holy orders rather than siblings) who allegedly took out insurance for a virginal conception was… well, a bit of stuff and nunsense.

It took the intrepid Inverness Courier (ëAt the Heart of the Highlands since 1817í) to spot that there was ìpoetic licenseî ñ to put it gently ñ in the claims of larking English insurance agent Simon Burgess that his Britishinsurance.com had created the policy but then withdrew it after concern from the Catholic Church.

Indeed it turns out that Mr Burgess has a longstanding flair for publicity. In 1996, while working for Goodfellow Rebecca Ingrams Pearson, he apparently used the lyrics of a popular rugby song about ìfour and 20 virgins came down from Invernessî to attract the attention of the media.

According to The Inverness Courier, he claimed to have been contacted by 25 nuns in Inverness for insurance in case one of them gave birth to Jesus when he returned at the millennium but one dropped out.

Burgess also claims that he has insured hundreds of thousands of Americans against alien abduction. This is considered by observers to be rather less far-fetched.

And the wily salesman reportedly flogged an insurance policy to Gary Campbell, president of the Loch Ness Monster Fan Club, to pay out £1 million if he suffered ìpost-traumatic stress disorder, death or permanent disability occasioned by the Loch Ness Monsterî.

Mr Burgess told The Inverness Courier: ìMy main business is selling unemployment insurance, but that is rather dull. It is only when I have nonsense stories such as this that people want to speak to me… It is actually rather refreshing to talk to a journalist who is doing his job properly for a change.î

Said Simon Barrow of UK Christian think tank and news service Ekklesia: ìWe enjoy the odd bit of quirky fun from time-to-time, and weíre happy to admit having been had on this one ñ though the last line of our piece might have indicated that we werenít taking it too seriously. Oh, and we never said they were nuns.î

He added: ìIím sure the BBC, the news agencies and the worldís press will now follow our fine example in apologising for being tempted in this way. Itís clearly the wages of spin. Letís hope it wonít be habit forming.î

Ekklesia was informed of the ruse by a kindly Inverness minister who subscribes to our news service, rightly acting ìin the interests of accuracy and your reputationî.

ìAs far as I know we have no orders of nuns here in Invernessî, he declared, adding: ìYou might want to tell others about this, as it is still appearing in the press.î

Our sports correspondent adds The score so far appears to be The Inverness Courier 1 (one) ñ v ñ Global Media Incorporated 0 (nun). The result looks decisive and is unlikely to go into extra time, given the strength of the Scottish defence.

[Also on Ekklesia: Insurance policy found to be virgin on the ridiculous 26/06/06; Charity launches free debt help guide; Falling markets cost charities billions; Descendants of slaves seek justice from Lloyds; Church avoids fresh storm over rare snoozing bats; Faith just isn’t in the jeans for Polish Church; House prices website – get house price information available]


Second coming for nun-sense insurance story

-27/06/06

It was the highest-hitting story of the day on the BBC website and red hot on the newswires. Even Ekklesia ran it, albeit with an informative theological appendix and a ìvirgin on the ridiculousî headline.

But now it turns out that the story of three Inverness sisters (assumed to be in holy orders rather than siblings) who allegedly took out insurance for a virginal conception was… well, a bit of stuff and nunsense.

It took the intrepid Inverness Courier (ëAt the Heart of the Highlands since 1817í) to spot that there was ìpoetic licenseî ñ to put it gently ñ in the claims of larking English insurance agent Simon Burgess that his Britishinsurance.com had created the policy but then withdrew it after concern from the Catholic Church.

Indeed it turns out that Mr Burgess has a longstanding flair for publicity. In 1996, while working for Goodfellow Rebecca Ingrams Pearson, he apparently used the lyrics of a popular rugby song about ìfour and 20 virgins came down from Invernessî to attract the attention of the media.

According to The Inverness Courier, he claimed to have been contacted by 25 nuns in Inverness for insurance in case one of them gave birth to Jesus when he returned at the millennium but one dropped out.

Burgess also claims that he has insured hundreds of thousands of Americans against alien abduction. This is considered by observers to be rather less far-fetched.

And the wily salesman reportedly flogged an insurance policy to Gary Campbell, president of the Loch Ness Monster Fan Club, to pay out £1 million if he suffered ìpost-traumatic stress disorder, death or permanent disability occasioned by the Loch Ness Monsterî.

Mr Burgess told The Inverness Courier: ìMy main business is selling unemployment insurance, but that is rather dull. It is only when I have nonsense stories such as this that people want to speak to me… It is actually rather refreshing to talk to a journalist who is doing his job properly for a change.î

Said Simon Barrow of UK Christian think tank and news service Ekklesia: ìWe enjoy the odd bit of quirky fun from time-to-time, and weíre happy to admit having been had on this one ñ though the last line of our piece might have indicated that we werenít taking it too seriously. Oh, and we never said they were nuns.î

He added: ìIím sure the BBC, the news agencies and the worldís press will now follow our fine example in apologising for being tempted in this way. Itís clearly the wages of spin. Letís hope it wonít be habit forming.î

Ekklesia was informed of the ruse by a kindly Inverness minister who subscribes to our news service, rightly acting ìin the interests of accuracy and your reputationî.

ìAs far as I know we have no orders of nuns here in Invernessî, he declared, adding: ìYou might want to tell others about this, as it is still appearing in the press.î

Our sports correspondent adds The score so far appears to be The Inverness Courier 1 (one) ñ v ñ Global Media Incorporated 0 (nun). The result looks decisive and is unlikely to go into extra time, given the strength of the Scottish defence.

[Also on Ekklesia: Insurance policy found to be virgin on the ridiculous 26/06/06; Charity launches free debt help guide; Falling markets cost charities billions; Descendants of slaves seek justice from Lloyds; Church avoids fresh storm over rare snoozing bats; Faith just isn’t in the jeans for Polish Church; House prices website – get house price information available]