Stornoway Gazette Letters

Sir, – Curiosity got the better of me recently after reading a letter in the Gazette, from Iain Campbell of the Western Isles Secular Society (WISS).

On Googling this particular society, I was somewhat surprised to see a certain group of people amongst them: ‘We are a local coalition of humanists, atheists, Christians and pagans opposed to religious privilege!’

Did my eyes deceive me? Christians? Opposed to religious privilege?

Yes, I knew that humanists, atheists, and pagans dismiss all that is sacred, but Christians?

This claim was either one of two things: a typing error of WISS, which I greatly doubted, or else hypocrisy on the part of those shamefully calling themselves Christians – if indeed they embrace the secularistic and humanistic mind-set of this group.

Whatever else they are, true Christians are neither humanists or secularists.

Yes, they may dare claim to be a Christian, but the Bible records they are certainly not genuine. Instead they are, just like counterfeit coins, gimmicks and fakes.

To avoid any confusion, let us set the record straight here.

Secular humanism and Christianity are mutually exclusive, diametrically opposed systems.

The first states that matter is eternal, that there is no God, that man and his environment are the result of evolutionary forces, that ethics is situational, that no-one can possess absolute truth, that there is no life after death, that views of salvation are illusory and harmful, that man is the most important thing in the universe, that man has no soul, that there is no heaven or hell, and so on.

Christianity, on the other hand, teaches the exact opposite of these things. The Bible speaks often of an eternal God, man’s immortal soul, heaven, hell, a promised and planned salvation, the absolute nature of truth, morals based on an objective standard, etc.

Humanists have failed to comprehend one of the greatest of all truths – that the “fear of the Lord” is both “the beginning of knowledge” and “the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10). True wisdom is in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30). He alone is the way, the Truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father but by Him (John 14:6). It is His Truth that will make us free (John 8:32) and protect us from the “philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men”, which is able to destroy us (Colossians 2:8).

This is what all true Christian believe. Why? Because the absolute truth of God’s Word declares it.

It is also what all secular societies disbelieve and ridicule. They do so, and woe unto them, at their peril.

Neither to they believe in the sanctity of the Lord’s Day.

It is because WISS don’t believe in what the Bible says about ‘Sundays’ that they stoop to call the Rev David Fraser ‘an extremist and a fanatic’ – because he boldly defends God’s day from those who sneer and disregard it with contempt.

Can I, with sadness and hope, remind Mr Campbell and members of WISS, that it is they who will forever ‘remain in thrall’ to a sovereign God, in a lost eternity, unless they repent and believe the gospel. Jesus Christ is their, and our, only hope. – Yours, etc.,

Mr Donald J Morrison, Inverness

Sabbath - Bible not clear about which day

Sir, – Reading what the Lord’s Day Observance Society had written (last week’s Gazette) made me think they are in error here.

For instance, in the New Testament, a new act of creation changed the day of rest from the last day of the week to the first.

The resurrection of Christ on the first day is now the holy day of rest and worship.

While it can be fact that Christian worship began on the first day, it can not be proven from scripture that the early Church viewed day one (our Sunday) as the new Sabbath day.

The Sabbath is mentioned nine times in the Acts of the apostles but only in connection with the seventh day – no mention that the day changed with them, though they could have changed the day, but they did not.

If so, where is it recorded or practised in the Bible?

Luke the apostle wrote the book of Acts and Paul is mentioned keeping Sabbath day.

Why were they not informed of a day change, because they continued to refer to the seventh day as the Sabbath?

No other weekly Sabbath has Apostolic biblical authority to impose on anyone.

The seventh day Sabbath is still observed by Israel, though I do not believe it is obligatory these days.

On the first day of the week (Sunday), our Christian Sabbath (not a Bible term), they say, the LDOS, God created light.

The word ‘first’ implies precedence over anotherwhen both are in existence, the day we call first day (Sunday), is day one for the Jewish faith, whereas on day one of creation there was no second day, so first does not apply here.

The Sabbath day is still the seventh day in the Bible – no day change. Our Sabbath was the day God created light, they wrote, whereas the first three days of creation, the light on earth was the uncreated light of God. Created light did not come until the fourth day, when the sun was created.

It’s strange, the day we call Sunday.

So I cannot agree with what they have said about these things. Sorry. – Yours, etc.,

Donald Murray, Inverness

All children ‘are disabled’

Sir, – I’d like to respond to the call for an apology from me.

The problem with the dear lady who tries to take the high moral ground on the subject of disability is that her view seems one dimensional.

I would say in response:

1. It cannot be wise to sacrifice the well-being of all in the community based on the needs of one person. All children are disabled (as we all are) spiritually and the best therapy the community can apply to treat this complaint is to give them undisturbed Sabbath rest, where parents are not wrenched away from their children and church for unnecessary work. This has proved the greatest asset for stable homes and happy children.

2. It is easy to point out any of my many faults but my critics seem to have missed the mark – I have all my adult life been dedicated to helping others, children included. Since my teens I have been engaged with children’s camps, missions, outings and events, in Africa and many parts of Scotland. And every day I am giving a disable person porridge in the morning.

3. No it’s not that I don’t have sympathy with parents of a child with challenging disabilities, but I have to warn the soft-hearted among us that anyone wanting to win a campaign in Lewis will seek to create a wave of sentiment for the “little darlings” and in a mist of emotion we can let our hearts rule our heads.

We know, don’t we, that for the greatest good of everyone we need proportionality.

Don’t let us be duped into discarding the precious heritage of Sabbath rest that helps us all, including those with extra disabilities. – Yours, etc,

David Fraser, Newmarket

Independents - their intent must be questioned

Sir, – The recent published list of candidates standing in the Western Isles surprisingly does not show any formal Labour Party members seeking election. No doubt there will be a number disingenuous party members and associates standing as independents.

If history repeats itself, they will steer the council in an unnecessary anti-Scottish Government direction for political reasons.

We only have to look back at the removal of some inter-

island flights and their efforts to blame the SNP.

Despite the legacy of Thatcher, excessive austerity cuts, and the Brexit fiasco, the Conservative Party is prepared to stand by its convictions and field official candidates.

Has the Labour Party fallen so low that the members are frightened to be associated with their party ?

Is the Labour brand become so toxic that individual members believe their chances of being elected are better if they adopt a disingenuous stance and disassociate themselves from their party?

If party members are not prepared to openly stand by their principles and try to disguise them, their intent must be questioned.

Anyone in this situation who values their credibility would declare their interest and provide a reason for not standing on their party ticket.

Archie Harper, Shulishader