Wee Free maverick wants to ditch 'doom and gloom' image

Published on Saturday 12 January 2008 19:04

FOR decades they have been caricatured as dour, depressive killjoys, only truly content when they are chaining up playparks on a rainy Sabbath.

But now God-fearing members of the Free Church of Scotland are being urged to lighten up and put the cheer into Calvinism.

The official magazine of the traditionally ultra-conservative Presbyterian faith has called on its readers to dispel the notion that Wee Frees are characterised by "doom, gloom and joylessness".

As part of the bid to shed their austere fire and brimstone image, the Church has endorsed Harry Potter, as well as the blockbuster The Golden Compass, both of which have been denounced as "ungodly" by many Christian groups.

Rev David Robertson, the editor of the Free Church's monthly magazine, claims it is high-time that followers of the faith smiled rather than scowled as they worshipped.

The Dundee-based minister wrote: "The definition of a Calvinist as being a person who is miserable at the thought that someone somewhere is actually enjoying themselves is sadly all too typical. In the Free Church I'm afraid that we are not good at joy in worship. So much of our worship has no soul, no spirit and very little joy."

Robertson said his fellow clergymen were often lampooned as being like Rikki Fulton's lugubrious TV clerics Rev IM Jolly and Rev WE Free, with some justification. "They are caricatures, but sadly they are popular because they reflect a common understanding.

"Religion, especially of the Scottish Presbyterian kind, is doom, gloom, blackness, depressive and joyless. Let congregations pray, think and act in order to deal with the sin of joyless worship.

"This is not a plea for frivolity, flippancy or entertainment – 'fun' worship. But please can we have some serious joy."

Robertson, who recently took over the editorship of the traditionally staid Monthly Record, said Presbyterians should rejoice rather than recoil at the success of the Harry Potter series and the recent blockbuster The Golden Compass, which starred Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman.

He said: "The Potter books are popular because they are immensely enjoyable. JK Rowling has no aim other than to write good stories which are actually very moralistic, and in the tradition of all good fairy tales, about the battle between good and evil.

"In terms of attacking the Christian world view they are a lot less dangerous than Neighbours (or] EastEnders."

The latest edition of the magazine includes an upbeat verdict on The Golden Compass, the film based on the fantasy novel Northern Lights written by avowed secularist Philip Pullman, who was denounced by the Vatican for his "militant atheism".

Robertson said the reaction to his liberal stance had been largely positive: "Most people seem thankful that sane and balanced comments are being made."

But the magazine's outspoken views have not met with universal approval. One angry reader wrote to cancel his subscription and accused Robertson of "endorsing witchcraft".

His letter in the Monthly Record states: "In the books Harry Potter is told there is no good and evil, only power. This does not square up with evangelical Biblical truth."

While still a cardinal, Pope Benedict denounced JK Rowling's books claiming they "deeply distort Christianity in the soul before it can grow properly".

The Golden Compass is set in a parallel universe dominated by an authoritarian, brainwashing organisation known as the Magisterium, believed to be a caricature of the Catholic Church.

America's Catholic League described the film as having a "pernicious atheist agenda", while a Vatican spokesman said it was "as anti-Christmas as a film can be".