Incoming moderator says plight of faithful is ignored

THE next moderator of the Free Church in Scotland has forcefully attacked politicians for failing to protect Christians around the world.

In a strongly worded open letter to all of the UK’s political leaders, the Reverend David Robertson has asked why they have done nothing “for the most persecuted people in the world”.

The Dundee minister, who will take up the moderator’s role in May, also condemned the promise to make LGBTI rights a central plank of foreign policy as “cheap populism” and said something has to be done for the third of the world’s population who are Christian and being persecuted.

He writes: “I have no doubt that you are sincere in your desire to advocate and fight for the rights of the one per cent of the population that are LGBTI – and please don’t misunderstand me.

“I too have written against the homophobia of Putin and the cruelty of the proposed Uganda ‘gay’ bill. I am not arguing that you should not seek to deal with these things. But there is also part of me that thinks that this is easy for you, it costs you virtually nothing. It’s cheap populism. But for the third of the world’s population who are Christian, you seem to have little time or money.”

Mr Robertson cited the beheading of 21 Christians in Libya last week as an example of the cruelties inflicted on Christians, but added that it was just the tip of the iceberg.

“We long for the day when some sane Western politician will have the guts and the gumption to stand up and say: ‘No, enough. We are not prepared to ditch the foundation and basis of our Western civilisation. And we are not prepared to fund, support and encourage those who kill in the name of their religion’.”

Last year more than 100,000 Christians were killed because of their faith.