In his letter on ‘religious fundamentalism’ (18/11/14) Alistair McBay appears to employ today’s violent Islamic jihadists in an attempt to warn us off anyone who has dogmatic religious beliefs.
He quotes from the liberal Anglican clergyman Michael Marshall who fifteen years ago wrote of an increasing danger from religious zealots who mix with politics with their religion and stated that ‘the unchecked crusading spirit has shed rivers of blood throughout history.’
Mr McBay acknowledges the foresight of Marshall’s words and asserts them to be damning of ‘fundamentalist religious belief.’
The violence which the world has witnessed over the last fifteen years and for which a religious motive has been claimed is chiefly associated however with only one form of ‘fundamentalist religious belief,’ namely the Islamic form. Perhaps Mr McBay would acknowledge that?
It is certainly not the case that ‘fundamentalist’ or ‘conservative’ Christian religious belief based on the Bible leads to violence, as I hope Mr McBay would also acknowledge.
Rev. David Blunt
Free Church (Continuing) Manse
17 Knockline
Isle of North Uist
HS6 5DT
Peaceful religion
28 November 2014