Secularists to be pitied

Sir,

It never ceases to amaze me how Alistair McBay of the National Secular Society (Letter 18 November) uses the words of either counterfeit clergymen or the problems of the church, some factual, some imagined, to fuel the flames of his secular agenda. He has to be pitied.

In fact, all secularists and humanists have to be pitied because of the way they arrogantly try to undermine and dismiss all that is sacred. They vainly imagine they have nothing to live for and nothing to die for. Yes, sadly, the Christian church in Scotland is not the glowing example it should be to them, or anyone else, and shame on her for not living up to the glorious name that she bears.

I am the first to acknowledge, with great heaviness, that deep heart-felt repentance is desperately needed within the heart of the Scottish church if the blessing of repentance is to flow like a mighty river across our spiritually barren nation. The Bible assures us that blessing will follow when the church repents of her sin: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD.” (Psalm 33v12)

Nevertheless, there is a great gulf between all that is secular and all that is sacred, from a Biblical perspective. In stark contrast to secularism, which says, “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you die,” stands Christianity, which says, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.”

Christianity speaks of something more than the here and now. While secularism takes the short view, Christianity takes the long view. While secularists talk about the here and now, Christians speak of an eternal life beyond the grave. While secularism, which teaches man is the product of evolution, validates narcissism, hedonism, materialism, and pluralism, Christianity, which teaches man is created in the image of God, refutes all man-made isms with the admonition, “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

Man of course, in his arrogant pride, does not want to do what God wants him to do. As a result man attempts to suppress the truth about God in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18). Why? Because if man can be persuaded to believe the lie that there is no Sovereign God who lives in eternity, then he can be comfortable involving himself in all sorts of uncleanness, ungodliness and sinfulness (Romans 1:19-25). Secularism, of course, is the perfect vehicle for such unbelief…and unbelief is the greatest sin on earth.

If I can remind Mr Alistair McBay of what Jean Bon Andre said to a minister during the French revolution: "I will pull down all of your churches, your steeples, your places of worship that you may no longer have any object to remind you of your religious superstitions." "But," replied the minister, "You cannot pull down the sun, the moon, and the stars; these all declare the glory of God. If every house of prayer be destroyed, if every preacher be forced to keep silent, if every choir be no human voice again pronounce the name of God, the heavens above will forever declare His glory - the birds will sing His praise and the wind and waves will say, 'OUR GOD REIGNS!'" And He does, Halleluiah.

Mr Donald J Morrison

85 Old Edinburgh Road

Inverness

Secularists “to be pitied”

1 December 2014