Gazette Letters - Proud heritage?

Your correspondent Morag Munro suggests that the islands have a proud heritage of Sabbath observance, and in regards to the Lewis Sports Centre opening its doors on the Sabbath she voices opposition to that, and wants things to remain as they are (Gazette letters 29.9.16).
By The Newsroom
Published 9th Oct 2016, 07:28 BST
Updated 25th Oct 2016, 18:57 BST

I’m not greatly bothered one way or the other by the opening of a sports centre, but as regards Sabbath observance my view would be that the proud heritage Ms. Munro speaks of was no more than clergy from hard line presbyterian denominations imposing their will on the people, and the people too ignorant or too afraid to stand against them.

Whether what resulted was an expression on the islands of true Christianity is hard to say, but my gut feeling is less towards Ms. Munro’s proud heritage and more towards an era of church-fuelled legalism and hypocrisy.

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In his dealings with the religious of his day it’s pretty plain from the gospel account that Jesus abhorred legalism in any form, hypocrisy likewise, and as regards Sabbath observance the same accounts record instances of Jesus as a very definite and deliberate Sabbath-breaker.

Keith Fernie

Inverness

Related topics:Jesus