Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland submission to the
Scottish Government Consultation on the Registration of Civil Partnerships and on Same Sex Marriage
►FP church slams SNP for gay marriage proposals
The Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland received the above Consultation paper and we enclose our response to the appended questions. The responsibility of providing an answer to this consultation is given to the Religion and Morals Committee of the Church. This additional response is a statement of our most decided opposition both to the consultation process and to the proposals which are being consulted on. We wish to make it absolutely clear that in answering some of the questions in this consultation, we are not in any way to be taken as approving or endorsing the process. We consider this consultation to be repugnant and offensive to public decency and morals and we wish to be disassociated from having any part in bringing about any legislation resulting from it.
We regard the Scottish Government’s stated wish to go forward to legislating on this subject extremely dangerous and subversive of Christian morality and harmful to the foundations of our society which are so intimately bound up with the divinely ordained institution of marriage. We remind the Scottish Government that we have protested against previous decisions relating to Civil Partnerships as also to legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament permitting the advocacy of homosexuality in Schools and other public bodies. We further remind the Scottish Government that we are under oath to preach and declare the whole counsel of God which specifically condemns homosexuality which this consultation process pretends to legitimise. Our authority in such matters is only the Word of God and we refer the Scottish Government to its plain statements condemning homosexuality. (Genesis 13:13; 18:20, 21; 19:4 – 7, 24, 25; Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Isaiah 3:9; Romans 1:24 – 27; 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10; 2 Peter 2:6 – 10; Jude 7, 8)
We reject utterly the legal right of any government to redefine marriage as it pleases or even as it may please the democratic majority of the people. As a matter of conscience and principle we will oppose and condemn any such move as an iniquity and public shame. No law or public opprobrium will prevent our ministers from publically preaching against the sins of sodomy and unnatural union which this consultation process seeks to promote. We therefore herewith warn and solemnly protest to the Scottish Government that they desist forthwith from what would, if enacted, tend to erode the institution of marriage. We exhort all concerned in this process to beware of inviting the deserved judgement of God on our nation by such actions and decisions as would pretend to validate what God has condemned as abomination and wickedness.
We herewith declare that if legislation is eventually passed, based on this consultation,
or by any other means, we will consider it our duty and calling as officers in the
Church of God, not only to treat any such legislation as invalid and unconstitutional,
but that we shall continue to preach publically against it as that which the Word
of God condemns. We consider any such legislation as necessarily bringing all Christian
ministers who are guided by the Bible, into direct conflict with the civil authorities
and as such to be extremely hurtful to the public peace of the nation. Furthermore,
spiritual privileges such as the sacraments, as also office in the Church would be
forbidden any who entered into such a relation as is envisaged in the consultation.
The confusion which civil partnerships and the so-
As is detailed in our responses to the consultation questions, we regard the inference of some questions deeply disturbing. It is utterly inconsistent with our constitutional liberties and with justice and equity to consider the possibility (as may be inferred from some questions) that the state could force religious bodies to act against conscience and the Word of God. We consider it insulting to be asked our opinion on this and repudiate the suggestion that it could at any time be feasible for the Scottish Government to coerce the Christian Church to supply religious ordinances or to give its blessing to anyone, far less to “solemnise” a perversion which the Word of God describes as an abomination. Interference in the freedoms of the Church of God in Scotland, which were secured at such great cost, and which are legislated for in the Treaty of Union, would be catastrophic to the peace and liberty of Scotland.
In such weighty and important matters we esteem it our duty to follow the example of the Apostles of Christ to obey God rather than men. We will count it our continued duty to the Scottish Government, as well as to those whom the Lord has called us to minister to in his Word, to expose and condemn homosexuality as a sin against God and those unnatural homosexual unions forged by men as an abomination to him. We must continue to do this until the land is more fully purged of these evils by repentance and public reformation.
In light of the very serious nature of this consultation, the Free Presbyterian Church would be very willing to take up the invitation of the Justice Directorate to meet with your representative to discuss the issues arising from the consultation.