I am sitting in Costas having just been in the BBC studios debating live with Gordon MacRae of the Humanist Society of Scotland on behalf of what they described as the Solas think tank! I am a wee bit stunned because the Lord answered prayer in so many ways. Yesterday we mentioned the importance of education at the launch of the Solas magazine and press conference in the Scottish Parliament. We were glad that the BBC picked up on this and so I got up early and headed down to the BBC…
As I came down I received the following message: “Hi David, I was hoping you could give me some advice. Our son is 14 and just started attending our local Grammar School, for the last 3 weeks his R.E class has been showing D.V.D’s by Richard Dawkins. Our son was quite upset at the derogatory comments directed in particular toward the Christian faith. We have home educated all of our children up until this point and are not sure how to respond to this or indeed how usual this is. We were surprised that the school would be allowed to promote anything that would criticise another’s faith. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.” Coincidence?!
Then I sat in the studio and read and prayed my McCheyne reading….this is what is for today: “Fulfil your promise to your servant, so that you may be feared. Take away the disgrace I dread, for your laws are good. How I long for your precepts! In your righteousness preserve my life. May your unfailing love come to me, LORD, your salvation, according to your promise; then I can answer anyone who taunts me, for I trust in your word. Never take your word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws. I will always obey your law, for ever and ever. I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. I will speak of your statutes before kings and will not be put to shame, for I delight in your commands because I love them.”Psalm 119:38-47 – Coincidence?!
Anyway you can listen to the interview and judge for yourself…but for me it exposed the weakness of the Humanist position. They reject the basic human right of parents to choose the basis of their children’s education and they insist on everyone being educated according to their philosophy. Christians be encouraged – we are winning this argument – and we must continue – not just for the sake of our own children, but for the sake of the poor. Education, education, education.
The reaction has also been fascinating – within minutes the following was being tweeted or messged:
(other politicians have contacted me to thank me and say they basically agreed!)
“David i am praying with you right now and as a teacher can i thank you for you debate today, God spoke through you today and brought glory to His name!”
“David craves more sectarianism in Scotland, as if there’s not more than enough already.”
“Very Christain behaviour from the head of a church… I will doubtless receive some comment but I know I will be forgiven, it is the Christian thing after all.”
“Well said, I’ve been thinking the exact same thing. xxxxxxx awful man”
“There’s absolutely no justification for more religious based schools whatsoever. Segregating children based on the fairy beliefs of their parents leads to nothing but trouble. David, you’re part of the xxxxxx problem.” (note how non-aggressive the secularists are!)
“Thought the Humanists didn’t come over too well but DAR was over aggressive for such a short slot.”
I find the latter comment interesting….I apologise if I was too strong but it seems to me that the accusation comes because the wee lambs can’t give reasons or handle logic so they play the rude/aggressive/hurt card…happens all the time…and then these anti-Christians accuse you of being anti-Christian totally unaware of the irony! Sorry guys you want to indoctrinate our children in your godless hellish doctrines and you expect me to be ‘nice’ about it…As another tweeter put it..
“I would give you combative but not rude. SHS guy had no answer to issues on choice, UN & ECHR.”
The Lord is King, and his word will never return to him void….
And here is a video from the previous day in the Scottish Parliament –
Just listened to the debate. Well done David. It’s time that many more Christian leaders took your robust approach to really contend for the faith. Perhaps if they led by example, more ordinary Christians would move from being ‘pew warmers’ to courageous sharers and contenders for their faith.
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
Well done, David, you did a great job of standing up for Christ and Christianity. I don’t think you sounded agressive, I think you were asking pertinent questions of Gordon Macrae and not letting him get away with politician’s answers. I am alarmed by the continuing secularisation of education. My husband and I had already made the decision to homeschool our children (not due to religious reasons as my husband is actually an atheist, but because we feel they will get a better learning experience), but in the light of everything that is happening in the education system with regards to secularisation I am glad that we have as it avoids the very difficult decisions we would have to make about conflicting teaching between the education system and the Christian faith. Anyway, thank you again for your courage and boldness in speaking out for God’s word and just remember that it is because you are speaking the truth that people are getting angry – they don’t want to hear the truth. Blessings to you and your family.
Dear David
Thank you for your blog it is greatly appreciated ‘south of the border’. The Lord is clearly using you in a striking manner and I pray He will continue to do so, and richly bless your ministry and protect you. I look forward to hearing of you gaining a UK wide influence as God leads.
All blessings
Dr. Mike Daly (pastor of Marlow Baptist church, FIEC).
Combative? Hardly! Keep going, David – many of us are so grateful for your work.
It’s a bit rich for atheists to accuse Christians of being aggressive! It’s not hard to find atheists who say being Christian is equivalent to brain damage, or that religion is the root of all evil. You absolutely made the better points all through the interview.
Just a heads up: The link halfway down the page (to twitter) is broken. I think you’re missing a colon after https.