Oops! Forgot my cloak of invisibility

By Diogenes ( articles ) | Jun 13, 2008

And now we return to the case of Father Robert Whipkey, the Denver priest whose efforts to avoid excessive perspiration by jogging in the nude last June drew a harsh reaction from local law-enforcement officials. We later learned that Whipkey's behavior on this occasion conformed to a previous pattern, which his defenders evidently regarded as benign.

Not so a jury of his peers, who yesterday found Father Whipkey guilty of indecent exposure. Which is odd, because his lawyer offered such a strong defense:

Steinberg said it’s not illegal in Colorado to walk down the street nude unless you know you’re going to expose yourself to someone.

Now I actually haven't read the Colorado statute, but I'm going to take Mr. Steinberg's word for it. The remaining questions, then, are:

1. When you walk down a street, are you aware that people could see you?
2. If you're not aware that people could see you ("I'm invisible!"), are you qualified for parish ministry?