Plans to hold the Western Isles’ first LGBT pride parade have been condemned.
Newly formed Hebrides Pride have organised Saturday’s event taking place in Stornoway town centre.
Organisers say it is a “celebration of acceptance and tolerance.”
But Rev Stephen McCollum disagrees, saying “closer examination reveals that this event is neither truly tolerant nor truly loving.”
The minister of the Stornoway Reformed Presbyterian Church said a gay lifestyle is incompatible with Biblical teachings.
Mr McCollum said: “To those of you in the LGBT community, the Bible does not accept your practice or identity, things that are very dear to you.
“In many ways it seems to be a clear-
He said: “To be tolerant is to accept the airing of different points of view. A tolerant person may listen to other viewpoints but retain the right to disagree.
“However, the Pride movement aims to go further. Tolerance is not enough; unreserved approval is demanded.”
He added: “The very fact that Christians cannot approve of Pride events means that they are frequently decried as “intolerant,” “bigoted,” or “homophobic.”
“The Bible’s teaching on these issues is deemed to be completely unacceptable.
“Ironically, this attitude exposes the very intolerance at the heart of the LGBT movement.”
Mr McCollum’s blog post said: “While the event promises to be a “celebration of love”,
true Christians cannot support it because the “love” that is celebrated is a watered-
“For Christians to accept “that there is nothing wrong with being gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and anything in between” would be an act of hatred towards God because it shows intolerance to His Word.
“The God of love does not approve of LGBT practices and therefore Christians cannot either.”
The pastor said he can understand why people living a LGBT lifestyle find it hard to be inside a church or find Christians difficult to tolerate.
He said: “Our world views are in conflict and no matter how hard many try, they can’t be reconciled.
“Admittedly there are those who both claim to be Christians and endorse the Pride agenda, but can we not see through that?
“They are completely contradicting what God says and utterly failing to love their neighbours.”
Pride parade is not “tolerant or loving”
4 October 2018