“DEAR MISS MANNERS–I go to church for some peace of mind. I don’t understand why people bring their beeper/phones to this sacred place. These go off in the middle of the prayers, and one loses concentration. I have approached the minister, but with no success. Am I being unreasonable? One lady even accused me of being hostile towards her husband because he carries a beeper.

“GENTLE READER–Miss Manners has heard many a claim of why it is more important to talk to one person over another, but this is the first time she has heard God’s place in the hierarchy. …”

–The one, the only, Judith Martin, Miss Manners’ Basic Training: Communication