Free Church to debate independence 12/5/14
The Free Church of Scotland today released four papers discussing the place of Christianity
in a post-
Two leading church figures, Skye minister Rev Gordon
Matheson and solicitor and elder Neil DM MacLeod, write from a pro-
All four papers call for positive practical engagement in
national political discourse, and commit to working with politicians from all parties
regardless of the vote.
The Free Church has already said it will not be telling its
ministers and members how to vote in Scotland’s historic referendum in September.
Former
Moderator Rev Dr John Ross expressed concern that a successful ‘Yes’ vote will lead
to Scotland becoming a secular state.
The Glenurquhart minister said: “The Nationalist
White Paper states that in an independent Scotland no change will be made ‘to the
legal status of any religion or of Scotland’s churches’. This is dishonest. Change
is inevitable.”
Dr Ross continued: “The Yes campaign is not just asking us to vote
for an independent Scotland but for a secular Scotland.
“The aim of the SNP is a
secular constitution rigorously pluralist that gives every religious tradition equal
status.
“Despite the fact that a majority of Scottish people (54%) consider themselves Christian,
in an independent Scotland, as a matter of public policy, and for the first time
since the Reformation, Christianity will be deprived of its status as the national
religion.”
Writing in favour of independence, Skye minister Rev Gordon Matheson said
he did not foresee any dramatic change to the current constitutional arrangements,
because Scotland’s post-
Mr Matheson added: “Whilst it could be argued that
a ‘yes’ vote would lead to a secular Scotland, similarly a ‘no’ vote will leave us
with a secular Britain.
“Most of us feel far more connected to Holyrood than we do
to Westminster, and I believe it will be easier for Christians to have a say in society
in an independent Scotland.
“If Scotland becomes independent, the Free Church and
others should be there from the beginning seeking to be salt and light.”
Solicitor
and Free Church elder Neil DM MacLeod, also in favour of a ‘Yes’ vote, pointed out
that neither side in the independence debate had presented any evidence on the place
of Christianity in a post-
Mr MacLeod
added that the legislative convention known as the Diceyan Parliamentary Sovereignty,
the position of the UK Government, means that the Westminster Parliament could tear
up the Act of Union tomorrow if it so wished – and therefore gave no concrete security
to Christianity in Scotland.
He said: “A ‘yes’ vote is for the principle of an independent
Scotland, and thereafter how the constitution of that country would be drawn up would
be by separate decision making process.
“With a ‘no’ vote means the speed of secularism
will continue unabated as it has over the last century.
“A ‘yes’ vote brings the
Church the opportunity to be closer to Holyrood to influence decision making.”
However
Professor Donald Macleod, former Principal of the Free Church College in Edinburgh,
argued that the advent of the Scottish Parliament had offered no defence against
the erosion of Scotland’s Christian culture.
Professor Macleod, in favour of the
union, wrote: “The legislation (mainly local bye-
He added: “There are no grounds for hoping that a ‘yes’
vote will do anything to reverse this trend.
“The devolved Scottish Government has already shown its predilection for secularising
Scottish life, and this predilection covers the whole political spectrum.”
It is expected
that Rev Dr John Ross and Solicitor Mr Neil DM MacLeod will debate the place of Christianity
in a post-
The
Free Church Assembly runs from 19-