We must stand up to those who are intolerant of Christianity
MY thanks to Kevin McKenna for his articulate, intelligent, and comprehensive exposé of the new Thought Police in our midst (“Witchfinder general is alive and kicking in 21st century”, The Herald, August 27)
The truth of his argument is sadly evident everywhere in contemporary Scottish life, but we are not unique. Witness the moral/secular behaviour of police in France (“Women told they can contest fines after court overturns ban on burkinis”, The Herald, August 27).
As for Catholic schools, they have been under siege since their very beginnings, but recently the onslaught has become increasingly fierce.
Christianity is being targeted in an almost sinister way here, and Catholic schools are the last bastions of Christian education in this country. They are successful, too. That is why they are so resented.
The fight to protect them has been one which has had to be rejoined with depressing regularity, but this is one battle the church cannot afford to lose. I agree that faith schools may be a sideshow to the witchfinders of our so-called utopian Scotland. The real deal, as ever, is all about power and control. Though numerically still small, these self-appointed guardians of our lives are aggressively vociferous. Their whole modus operandi reveals a breathtaking arrogance and intolerance. Mr McKenna correctly identifies this tyranny with the Scottish Humanist Society, and its lackeys in the Scottish Greens and Liberal Democrats. In the final analysis the witchfinders are just bullies.
Incidentally, I went to a non-denominational school. Charlie McGuire, 5 Mountpleasant Road, Rothesay. KEVIN McKenna’s column highlights the issues of the intolerance of the tolerant, in that those who do not agree to toe the line drawn by secular humanists are too easily vilified in the press. We do now live in a modern version of Orwell’s Animal Farm, where “all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others”.
I hope for Mr McKenna’s sake that he escapes the Thought Police after his attempt to restore some balance to the debate. Jane Crawford, Mount Tabor Avenue, Perth. I FIND it deeply disappointing that Kevin McKenna misses the point about faith schools in Scotland. This is nothing to do with “removing all vestiges of Christianity from Scottish public life”. Secularism challenges religious privilege, not freedom of religious practice.
Unlike Mr McKenna, it seems, I want to live in a Scotland where all public sector institutions are equal opportunities employers since they are wholly funded by taxpayers. Denominational schools fail this test because they discriminate against teachers seeking posts in religious education, guidance and senior management based on religious affiliation; they use taxpayers’ money to present one religious viewpoint as being superior to all other viewpoints and they require all applicants for teaching posts to support the religious ethos of these schools regardless of ability.
As a curricular leader of religious education in West Dunbartonshire I take pleasure in educating my pupils in a variety of religious and non-religious viewpoints, including Catholicism. However, I have to also observe with some frustration that many fine young teachers who come through training may be prevented from obtaining posts in the 370 or so faith schools in Scotland simply because they don’t tick the above boxes. Is this a celebration of diversity? Check out the dictionary definition of sectarianism.
Do a little more research, Mr McKenna, and you will discover that secular countries such as the United States, France, India and so on don’t need to employ discriminatory legal crutches in the religious sphere, yet often have much higher levels of religious participation. Barry Stansfield, 8 Haggs Gate, Glasgow. KEVIN McKenna’s suggestion that those who oppose LGBTI equality, for example equal marriage, are “not permitted” to speak out, is simply untrue.
When the Scottish Parliament was considering whether to approve the equal marriage bill, I, as director of a national LGBTI equality organisation campaigning for the bill, gave oral evidence to the lead committee. Rev David Robertson, as spokesman for the Free Church, opposing the bill, similarly gave oral evidence to that committee. We both also gave written evidence. We had equal access to make our case, as did other supporters and opponents of the bill.
Mr Robertson often has letters printed in the press; so do I. While he was recently Moderator of the Free Church, he had, by virtue of that position, more access to speak out in the media than I do. That’s life; I’m not complaining.
The change in the debate that Kevin McKenna notes is not due to opponents of LGBTI equality being silenced, but because the balance of voices speaking out is now firmly in favour of equality. In particular, many LGBTI people, and our friends and families, now have the freedom and confidence to speak out when others seek to deny us equal rights. We consider it outrageous that we should be denied equality, and we say so.
Public responses to publicly stated views on social issues are in the best tradition of liberal democracy. Being Scotland, the debate is sometimes robust, but it ought never to descend to abuse. We look forward to it continuing. Tim Hopkins, Equality Network, 30 Bernard Street, Edinburgh.