Religious persecution

Sirs,

Mr McBay of the Secular Society seems incapable of realising the skill with which he gives credence to the very concerns that he dismisses (Heb News 25th October 2017). He implies that to object to the proposed smacking ban is itself to warrant suspicion. To dare defend the existing laws of our land marks you out as some person of dubious motives to the secularist’s mindset.

Defending his slippery tone he uses that most robust of all scientific evidence - the brief google search. A similar search assures me that many, many companies have found a wonder-pill that literally burns away belly fat. Rather than trade insults, perhaps I might be allowed to clarify the matters that Mr McBay has so sneeringly set aside?

It is asserted that Christian objectors are failing to disclose their real motives behind their concerns. I hope to succinctly state my own objections and motives. I am not obsessing on my own rights as a parent. Rather my concern is about any state-sponsored attempt to curtail the rights of God to have His say. Where the laws of any state contradict the will of the Almighty God, what is the Bible-believer to do? Thankfully Peter answered that particular conundrum years ago: But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. Acts 4:19

My motive then is this: to preserve the right of Christ my Lord to speak, to be heard, and to receive the obedience of his people, without criminalising his people for that obedience in the eyes of the state to which they belong.

I hope that is crystal clear to Mr McBay.

The question then becomes: Is this proposed ban on all forms of physical discipline contrary to the Bible?

Now Mr McBay, ardent secularist that he is, will not be willing to accept the authority of the Bible. Nor could I force him to do so. But for the Christian in Scotland, the Bible is simply more important, more worthy of obedience than the laws of Holyrood. And the Bible does warrant the use of physical discipline. It does not demand it at every turn. It does not give free reign to any parent to abuse their child in the least. But it cannot be denied that the Bible itself gives warrant for it. And so we have the Word of God on the one hand.

Over against this we have the word of secularists such as Mr McBay. Impressive penman though he is, I doubt his letters to Heb News will remain in circulation for terribly long (any more than my own effort). More to the point we have the draft legislation before our Scottish parliament.

It presents to the Christian this dilemma - it makes them either lawbreakers for obedience to Christ; Or else sinners for obedience to the state. Now Bible-believers earnestly desire to obey their government. We desire to be good subjects of our monarch, good citizens of our land. We do not desire confrontation with the state. But if we are forced into a choice between state and Christ, be under no illusions where our allegiance must lie. That sir, would be the case whether we discuss this smacking ban, or any other legislation contrary to the Bible.

If the state wishes to make us criminals for this, it needs to realise what it is doing. It is creating religious persecution, plain and simple.

Greg MacDonald

The Manse

North Dell

Ness

Isle of Lewis

Letter: Scottish Government “creating religious persecution”

26 Oct 2017