The right to pray

IT really is quite incredible that some of our MSPS have made the preposterous claim that silent prayers “can still be intimidating” to those seeking abortion services (“MSPS reject calls for silent prayers to be allowed outside abortion clinics”, The Herald, April 22). How can anyone ever know if a person’s silent prayers are intimidating and how do you police them? Are we really about to have legislation introduced that will criminalise silent prayer?

If any of these MSPS have a clear and concise answer to these questions then I am all ears. I wonder how they feel about me praying to end abortion from the privacy of my own home? Or whilst in church? Or how about a few prayers on Edinburgh’s Lothian Road during the annual pro-life chain? I wait in anticipation of these MSPS sending the thought police to my door.

Meanwhile, over 16,000 children are killed by abortion in Scotland every year and that number continues to rise. The truth is that abortion is an act of violence against our children. Bodily autonomy doesn’t give women a licence to kill and abortion is fundamentally antiwomen. It is important to know that to be pro-life means to be pro-woman. The pro-life movement is mostly led by women and is comprised mostly of women who work steadfastly in order to reject abortion both culturally and legally. Praying is not a criminal act, nor is offering help to vulnerable women. The sooner the buffer zone bill is rejected the better.

Martin Conroy, Cockburnspath.