Dear Ian,
Forgive me the familiarity, but I do feel as though I know you. In your role as leader of the SNP Westminster group you are regularly in the news. You have an important job as a political leader, and as a Christian, I pray for you because we recognise that the work you do is vital and important. I also understand that occasionally you attend the Free Church in your home island of Skye. I hope they make you feel welcome and that you benefit from what you hear and experience there.
It is in the capacity of a minister of the Free Church that I write to you. As a denomination, we do not take political stands, because our job is to proclaim the Word of God, not advocate party politics. However that does not mean that we never say anything that impinges on politics or that each of us as individuals does not have our own political opinion.
I was deeply distressed to read your recent comments concerning abortion and SSM in Northern Ireland – and would ask you to reconsider what you and 24 other SNP’s did last night in the House of Commons. This is what you stated last night.
And you were supported by your leader.
Why is this so distressing and troubling? So much so that I could not vote for you or anyone else who held this position – and I would discourage any Christian from doing so. When we vote for a member of Parliament we do so expecting them to be our representative. Of course we are not naive enough to think that every MP will see things exactly the way we do – but there are issues that are of such primary importance that we could not vote for someone who went against our most deeply held convictions – nor I hope would you expect us to. I would not for example vote for a racist. What is so important about what you did last night – in voting for abortion and SSM for Northern Ireland?
Betrayed Principle
Firstly it is a betrayal of a deeply held principle that the SNP used to adhere to. It is not right for an outside country to impose its values and laws upon another. The SNP has always held to the view that the Northern Irish, Welsh and Scottish parliaments should determine the laws in their own land. Democracy means that the elected politicians make the laws. Having them imposed from outwith is anathema. For the SNP, who are seeking independence from the UK, this is a core principle. And it is a principle you have now betrayed. Because you are using Scottish, English and Welsh votes to impose abortion and SSM on Northern Ireland. It is the very definition of cultural imperialism. I am grateful for those SNP MPs who did not follow your lead. Ironically I had just spent part of yesterday defending the SNP and explaining why you would abstain in this vote – because you were not cultural imperialists. Within hours I had to apologise when I read your about-face. I once thought the SNP was at least a principled party – but it seems as though you now follow the Groucho Marx line “If you don’t like my principles, don’t worry, I have others!”.
Why do you consider SSM and abortion so important that you will give up one of your fundamental principles in order to impose them upon others? I am not entirely convinced that you have thought about this. You just seem to be repeating the party line on the basis that it is the right thing to do. You have been told that the Emperors new clothes are lovely – as any ‘good’ person would see. Please forgive this wee voice saying that the emperor is naked!
Same-Sex Marriage
You say that you ‘strongly support’ equal marriage. What does that mean? Is this ‘equality’ for polygamists? Do they have the right to marry whoever they wish? Is it now the SNP policy to allow polygamy? If not, why not? Why do you deny the right of some people to marry, but insist on the rights of others? How is that ‘equal’? I wonder if you have thought about this. Do you know what marriage is? It is the Tories under David Cameron, who decided to redefine marriage for everyone and thus turned it into a civil contract for all. You rejoice in this Tory policy and seem completely unaware of the harm that this has done, and will do. The number one problem in Scotland today is the breakdown of the family. This is something that no amount of government money or legislation will ever cure. It is a breakdown which is at least partially caused by a removal of the Christian teaching about marriage – a teaching which has been the social foundation of our society for over 1,000 years. You are facilitating that….why?
https://theweeflea.com/2016/11/22/re-imaging-humanity-part-2-sexuality-marriage-and-the-fall/
Abortion:
The destruction of marriage is one thing. The destruction of children is another. You say you strongly support a woman’s right to choose on abortion. Again we simply ask, what do you mean by that? Do you think a woman should be free to choose to abort (kill) her child when they are 39 weeks in the womb? If not – why not? If so – are you really saying that it is the SNP policy to support abortion on demand, up to birth? And if up to birth – why not beyond? Why should a woman (or man) have to bring up a child they do not want? Why not just get rid of unwanted children? Before Christianity became the guiding ethos in European society, infanticide was normal. You think you are ‘progressive’, but the reality is that you are regressing to a Greco-Roman pagan view of the world. There are more than 100,000 people alive in Northern Ireland today because of the Northern Irish abortion laws. Yet you voted to kill babies in the womb. Herod only killed 3,000. You have voted to kill 300,000!
Apart from the immorality and crass callousness, it’s the stupidity of the position. I have noticed several tweets from the SNP in the past few days, complaining about the decline in the Scottish population – apparently, we are down about 500,000 on what we should be. Too many people are leaving our Nirvana and not enough are being attracted. So the SNP think the solution is to have control of immigration and get more people (servants) to come to Scotland to do the jobs we don’t want to do. Here is a radical thought for you…lets stop killing 12,000 plus babies per year (around 20% of all babies). Maybe the way to repopulate the country is to have more children, and to encourage families?
Theresa May’s Worst Move Ever – Dancing on the Graves of Africa’s Children
Transgender
Scotland’s Values
I once heard you on the BBC’s Any Questions state that anyone was ‘Scottish’ who accepted ‘Scotland’s values”. It was a chilling statement – not least because the implication was clear. Those of us who don’t agree with the ‘values’ put forward by you and your party are going to be considered ‘non Scots’. We are outside. We do not belong. We are not the people. This week you have stated that your ‘values’ are to attack the Christian understanding of marriage, to support killing the baby in the womb, and to dismantle the teaching of humanity as male and female. Furthermore you think that this is so important that you will give up one of your most fundamental principles in order to impose these ‘values’ on another country.
Ian, whatever else you represent it is not the Scotland I know and love. It is not the land of my ancestors; it is not the Scotland of many of your constituents, and it is not the Scotland of many Scots today. You are putting forward an elitist ‘progressivist’ agenda which will be the death of Scotland. You have put us, at best, on the road to nowhere – at worst it is a Highway to Hell.
I weep for my country – and I pray for its renewal, reformation and repentance – as I pray for yours. You have a great responsibility. To whom much is given, much will be required…
God have mercy on you (and us)….
David
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