Oh dear

I'm all in favour of companies' providing (legal) services in response to consumer demand. I also generally think people who hold bizarre or superstitious notions should bear the costs of them, as the corollary of being free to believe them. But this story is repugnant:

Insurers have withdrawn the cover on their virginity taken out by three sisters in the event of the second coming of Christ. Essex-based Britishinsurance.com confirmed it had provided the £1m policy, but said it was reviewed on Thursday following complaints.

The firm said the women from Inverness had renewed the policy since 2000. The cover was meant to pay for the cost of bringing up Christ if one of them has a virgin birth.

Britishinsurance.com managing director Simon Burgess said it had not been the company's intention to offend anyone.

The company, which is based in Braintree, specialises in accident and unemployment insurance.

Mr Burgess said: "The people were concerned about having sufficient funds if they immaculately conceived. It was for caring and bringing up the Christ.

"We sometimes get weird requests and this is the weirdest we have had."

Mr Burgess adds that the Catholic Church is "up in arms" about the policy. The problem with this company's behaviour is not that it's offensive to Roman Catholic beliefs: there's no intrinsic reason for treating anyone's religious beliefs with respect, and none for avoiding offence to them. After I wrote a column recently on Pope Benedict's visit to Auschwitz, I received several letters from the faithful accusing me of being anti-Catholic - which I'm not, but the charge doesn't bother me. Despite deriding in the press the hollow and pernicious notion of 'Islamophobia', I have yet to receive complaints about showing disrespect, but I shall certainly bin them if and when they appear.

But I do object to corporate rapacity at the expense of the simple-minded. Leave the Three Wyrd Sisters alone. (Note also that Mr Burgess has provided insurance cover without knowing what he's insuring. The Immaculate Conception - the doctrine that Mary was conceived without sin - is not the same as the Virgin Birth.)