ROSEMARY Goring’s article (“Kirk could yet trip up on the march to new understanding”, The Herald, May 16) misses the larger issue of the Church of Scotland’s liberal establishment pursuing its agenda of the ethnic cleansing of evangelicals. There had been panic caused by the growth in strength and wealth of evangelical congregations leading to purposeful provocation of these more pious, prayerful, committed and generous members of the Church of Scotland. Liberals succeeded in keeping evangelicals out of the highest offices of the church. In 2009 they found salvation in the case of Scott Rennie. The General Assembly officers stood the disciplinary procedures of the Church of Scotland on their head to allow his translation to another charge. Here was means of challenging evangelical influence and halting its progress.
The most basic courtesies of New Testament Christianity required that the consciences of evangelicals should be respected. They were not. They were overridden. Now the 2017 General Assembly will take things further, goading and provoking remaining evangelicals and enjoying their discomfort and probable defeat. Language suggesting respect is disingenuous. There is none. There is disguised fear and contempt for people who still believe in and are committed to the core Christianity that is professed by overwhelming numbers of Christians throughout the world.
There is no comparison between the issue of ordination of women and the acceptance of practising homosexuality in ministry. The Church of Scotland does not have a priesthood; it has a servant ministry of word and sacrament. Homosexuality involves a micro-minority and its justification is not applicable to or universalisable throughout the human community. Nor should its politics become the default ethics of any society. The Church of Scotland displays its collective lack of faithfulness to its origins and history. In identifying itself with current secular values it guarantees its nemesis though the outward shell of poor panoply will remain visible awhile yet. Ecclesiastical aristocrats are out of touch with and betray the common sense and faith of most of the members of the church.
Rev Dr Robert Anderson,
8 Old Auchans View, Dundonald.
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