Praise the Lord - and pass the dosh

It can be lucrative being a fundie. Wasn't L Ron Hubbard supposed to have made a bet with someone that he could get rich by forming a religion? The result was Scientology (assuming that anecdote to be true, and, even if it isn't, Scientology is still there).

Now the Christian Institute - not a religion, but an ever-more vocal part of one - has announced that building work is due to begin next month on a new (no doubt luxury) building, into which the staff will move in July 2006. So, if you can't invent a religion, take one off the shelf and form a kind of paramiltary arm of it.

'We continue to thank God for all our supporters who have given so generously to our building appeal,' says Humphrey Dobson, deputy director (policy and staffing) of the Christian Institute, drippng sincerity. I bet they do.

If they've got a 'deputy director (policy and staffing)', one wonders how many more deputy directors they have with parentheses after their designations. Nice work if you can get it. Anyway, I digress. Humph goes on (in one of the CI's email bulletins, which I'm on their list to receive):

The Trustees estimate a total cost of £1.2 million. A large proportion of this has already been given. There is a shortfall of £400,000 which can be covered by a mortgage, which has been agreed in principle.

However, we intend to renew our building appeal in the next month and are praying that the full total can be raised without recourse to the mortgage.

Thank you for all your support. Please continue to pray against the Religious Hatred Bill.

And they keep getting the name of that Bill wrong.