Stornoway Gazette - Letters (July 13)

Last settling day is fast looming

Sir, – There are many people, sceptical of God, who foolishly think that the Lord’s Day is not really a very important day and can do with it, and every other day, just as they like.

The story is told of a farmer, also a proud atheist, who once wrote to the editor of a newspaper: “have been trying an experiment. I have a field of corn which I ploughed on Sunday, I planted it on Sunday, I did the cultivating on Sunday, I gathered the crop on Sunday, and on Sunday I hauled it into my barn. And I find that I have more corn per acre than has been gathered by any of my neighbours during this October.”

The farmer’s sneer was obvious. By deliberately choosing to do all the work connected with his cornfield on the Lord’s Day, he had challenged God to express disapproval by giving him a disappointing result. Instead, he had reaped an exceptionally good crop.

However, the editor of the newspaper drew attention to one very important but overlooked fact in a footnote:

“God does not always settle His accounts in October.”

No, as the Bible reminds us, God’s ‘reckoning day’ lies in the future.

The scriptures give repeated testimony that a judgment day is coming when “God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14).

Every seeming injustice will then be set right.

How important it is to prepare for the last ‘settling day’ which is fast looming round the corner, that will bring history to a close.

God tells us that He “hath appointed a day, when He will judge the world in righteousness.” (Acts 17:31). He also says: “Be ye ready.” – Yours e tc.,

Donald J Morrison

Old Edinburgh Road

Inverness

Serious questions over this ideology

Sir, – At last week’s G20 meeting, global leaders urged the USA to Ratify Paris Climate Change Agreement.

Only two other countries, Nicaragua who wants more to be done faster, and Syria have not signed up.

The USA refused, thereby, maintaining a chasm between the world’s richest economy and obligations to work with others.

There are serious questions about the market system ideology throughout political systems in the West, where this lack of commitment to majority group planning, is seldom achieved.

Do we need a change in the system, and afresh analysis of the market system, and communism, or other party politic ideology?

This is seen locally, in the the blaming of the English or Westminster or the Scottish or Holyrood, which, while it does offer points for discussion, also moves the discussion away from things that we agree on.

Could we get a list of things we agree on at the same time as the things we don’t agree on, just to get a safe platform for the community to stand on? The lack of things we agree on leaves us weak, and while the political class continue to try to get us to change identity and vote for them, work is left undone.

The work needed is in the practical realities relating to long-term climate changes, population increase, income inequality, reduction in bio-diversity, and urgent survival migration.

If we are not orienting our social, political and emotional will and energy towards solutions, then we are playing games of divide and rule and in so doing we are maintaining dysfunctional non-regulated systems with leaders enjoying impunity while diverting attention from or refusing to acknowledge the obligations of elected office.

We do not need to live with a continuous identity crisis about our allegiance, and what we can buy with our votes. We can instead all walk upon common ground, in search of majority solutions. – Yours, etc.,

H Mansfield

Ford View

Tong

Stornoway

View on same-sex marriage move?

Sir, – A month or so ago your columnist Rev. Terry Taggart of the Scottish Episcopal Church told us he was on his way to his church’s general synod in Edinburgh.

This news generated some interest among readers who anticipated a follow-up to that announcement, but, sad to say, no follow-up has appeared.

So did Rev. Taggart ever reach Edinburgh we wonder, and if he did, what did he make of his synod’s backing of same-sex marriage? – Yours, etc.,

Keith Fernie

Drakies Avenue

Inverness

An attempt to confuse us?

Sir, – Addressing the Christian, in their last advert in last week’s Gazette, the LDOS group said there is no knowing God’s will that can ever be divorced from the law of God, summarised in the Ten Commandments.

In this instance, it is certainly true, where they quoted from psalm 40: verse 7, they said Christ came into the world to do the will of God, to obey the law of God, which he did every jot and title.

One cannot be sure to what intent the LDOS group worded the quote the way they did. Could it be to confuse us or fox us?

It certainly was God’s will Jthat esus came into the world, and was born of a woman under the law.

Incidentally, there is more to the law than just the Ten Commandments.

Christ perfectly kept all of the 613 laws of the mosaic law.

In case we misunderstand what the LDOS mean, it would be wrong to suggest to the Christian he cannot know God’s will while we are divorced from the Ten Commandments.

In effect, we would be ignoring other new convenant Bible truth that would say differently.

For instance, the Reformed Church consistently teach that Christians are under the said law (ten) as a rule of life.

Romans 6:15 says we are not under the law, but under grace.

Romans 7:6-7 says we are delivered from the law.

Galatians 4:5 says redeemed from the law. Ephesians 2:11 says the middle wall of partition broken down the

law.

Second Corinthians 3:7-11 says the Ten Commandments are rendered inoperative, the part of the law mistakenly said is still in force, Greek word katargeo.

The righeousness we have is apart from the law, in Romans 3. Hebrews 7:12 records a change to the law.

Nine of the Ten Commandments are reissued into the law of Christ. They are authoritive.

That does not mean the ten of the old system are still in force.

In the Church epistles law of Christ, there are numerous mentions of the written will of God for the Christian to

obey.

We can never be quite like Jesus was. The LDOS say we should be. We are not to keep the mosaic law like he did. He is the God man, the Lord.

One final word about the Ten Commandment.

Wwhen the LDOS say ten, they actually mean nine.

We don’t observe the fourth commandment specifically as the law requires. – Yours, etc.,

Donald Murray

(by email)

Brexit now being overshadowed

Sir, – It is more than a little ironic that as Scotland, through being part of the UK, prepares to leave the European Union, Estonia, with a population around a quarter that of Scotland, took over the EU Presidency on July 1.

The Presidency is responsible for driving forward the EU’s work, ensuring the continuity of the EU agenda, orderly legislative processes and cooperation among member states.

During the next six months this will focus on key areas, including single and digital markets, the energy union and closer integration of Eastern partners into Europe.

It also want to focus on the promotion of e-solutions and the information society in EU policy areas. Interestingly its Prime Minister, Jüri Ratas, has declared that Brexit is not a priority for the Presidency, a sign that the EU is moving on from Brexit, with bigger issues to deal with.

Estonia, which next year will celebrate its centenary of becoming independent, takes over from Malta in holding the Presidency of European Union, an island with a population less than that of Edinburgh.

During the independence referendum, the Better Together camp claimed that the only way to guarantee Scotland’s place in the EU was to vote to remain in the UK. Indeed, Scotland was to “lead the UK” not “leave the UK”.

Times have indeed changed since September 2014 and we are, despite these assurances, heading for the EU exits.

Of course, we could have the best of both worlds, part of a single market with the rest of the UK - as promised to Northern Ireland in its relations with the Republic of Ireland – and still members of the

EU.

For that to happen of course requires the confidence, as Malta and Estonia have demonstrated, to take full control of our own affairs and be the masters of our own destiny, leading not leaving the EU. – Yours, etc.,

Alex Orr

(address supplied)

There should be means-testing

Sir, – I’m compelled to write down my heartfelt thoughts on the proposed food banks for Uist and Barra.

Firstly, I have to say that having been brought up in a small house, without running water or electricity, and a household of nine

including Mum and Dad, we were never without a

dinner or a breakfast, and that was even when ration books were still on the

go, in the late 40s and early 50s.

I also well know that many other families were in a similar situation, but we never lost our dignities. Therefore, with trust in God we were well cared for, and not at all mollycoddled.

Of course, if we look at the morals behind life then, my dear mother did not have three-inch painted nails, or a 50-inch TV, or social parties in pubs, Or bingo sessions.

Indeed, she was too busy making bread, often at night when we were asleep, and washing clothing by hand and so on,but we children were the centre of our parents’ lives.

So we really have to get a grip on things and would do well to means-test anyone who has very few mouths to feed, but seem to have all the secular and worldy items that are out there.

What has gone wrong in our formerly Blessed Isles?

Surely if our parents could get through life without foodbanks and no luxuries, such as TV, electric gadgets or running water, those today with only one or two children should put having luxury items second to providing food and loving care for their families.

Maybe paternal training is required, because, if any child is not getting fed properly, there is surely a parental problem.

Here I have to say categorically is where Socialism really goes of the proper road.

Folk need to remember that whether it was in peace or in war we always kept our dignity and our faith was very strong.

Indeed, without our spiritual upbringing, maybe we too would have lost our moral compass.

I’m truly of the view that during those bygone times, the faith we and our parents possessed, greatly helped, simply because that faith was spiritual and not a

wordly thing, as in the present philosophy. – Yours, etc.,

Aonghas Eoghainn Mhoir

Gearraidh ns Monaidh

Uibhist a Deas

Keep Me Posted campaign success

Sir, – This month marks four years since consumer choice campaign, Keep Me Posted, was launched.

Keep Me Posted was started to challenge companies who push their customers to receive electronic communication, without their consent, and sometimes without their knowledge.

Our research has proven that it is easier to assess your financial health when you receive paper statements (75 per cent) compared to (48 per cent) electronic statements.

Thanks to the valuable information and feedback we have received from your readers, we have been able to persuade parliamentarians, large corporations, service providers and banks that everyone should have the right to receive their financial information in the format that is easiest for them – be it text, paper, email or a combination of all three.

As a result, 29 service providers, including a number of high street banks, have been awarded the Keep Me Posted Mark of Distinction in recognition of their commitment to consumer choice.

This means that millions of people across the country can rest assured that they will not be forced to receive electronic communication or penalised for requesting a hard copy of statements or bills.

I am incredibly proud of what the campaign has achieved over the past four years.

However, the battle is not over – we must continue to fight to ensure our rights are honoured by companies.

We ask your readers to do the same.

Together we can stop organisations overlooking our wishes or taking our custom for granted.

Let us know your experiences by writing to us at: FREEPOST KEEP ME POSTED. – Yours, etc.,

Judith Donovan CBE

Keep Me Posted campaign

Nominate heroes in the community

Sir, – A nationwide search has been launched to find our local community heroes – people who go above and beyond in their acts of kindness or in some cases, bravery.

Brits across the country are being asked to nominate their unsung heroes, whether that is a single person or a group.

Those nominated will be in with a chance to win one of five surprise parties in their honour, complete with catering, entertainment and drinks.

The campaign, Pop Up Parties, has been created by the UK’s favourite pork pie makers, Pork Farms.

To nominate your unsung heroes, visit www.porkfarmsparty.co.uk.

Each nominee will feature on the website and will go up for a public vote to find the most deserving winners.

Michael Holton, brand and marketing manager at Pork Farms: “Pop Up Parties is now in its third year and is all about celebrating people in the community who go that bit extra to really improve the lives of the people around them.

“Over the past few years, the parties have seen hundreds of nominations – from young carers, to community groups giving up their time to better a local cause, to life-savers and staff who take great pride in their role at some of the country’s biggest organisations.

“No good deed is too big or too small and we are eager to celebrate your local heroes. Simply submit your nominations to be in with a chance of winning.”

To get involved with this year’s Pop Up Parties and nominate your community heroes, visit: www.porkfarmsparty.co.uk.

For more information and media enquiries please contact Paul Owen or Charlotte Tuohy at KRPR on 01257 262498 or via email on [email protected] or [email protected].

The nominations phase ends on August 28.

The Pop Up Parties winners tour will start in the week commencing October 23. – Yours, etc.,

Charlotte Tuohy