A new Disruption

In the 1843 Disruption, evangelicals numbering one third of the clergy marched out of the Church of Scotland to defend a congregation’s right to call the minister of its choice. It is beyond parody that their successors want to repeat the process to prevent congregations calling a minister of their choice if he/she has the “wrong” sexual orientation.

A dozen or so hard-line evangelical churches have already gone but the fact is that they had been semi-detached for decades and their eventual departure was inevitable.

(Rev Dr) John 
Cameron

Howard Place

St Andrews

Speaking to the Free Church of Scotland at its annual General Assembly, Scottish communities minister Roseanna Cunningham has given no guarantee about its place in any future constitution (your report, 22 May).

Any future constitution must enshrine the freedom of religion. The right to private religious belief and practice must be protected. What must end, however, is the religious assumption that they speak for all and have the right to impose their beliefs in schools and in local government.

That is not “freedom”. It is 
privilege.

Neil Barber

Edinburgh Secular Society

Saughtonhall Drive

Edinburgh