Blending schools could fix sectarianism

I am pleased to read SNP MSP Bob Doris stating that sectarianism will not be tolerated in modern Scotland, and there will be “decisive action to eradicate it once and for all” (your report, 31 August).

Hopefully this will mean an end to sectarian schooling of all kinds. The present system is in effect institutionalised bigotry, where in some schools children, parents and teachers are legally the subject of religiously motivated prejudice and discrimination.

The Catholic Church finds this form of sectarianism acceptable, of course, and indeed to be encouraged, since it wants as much discrimination as it can get in its favour, while complaining loudly of any against it.

It is time for modern Scotland to remain entirely neutral on the matter of religion, which is a private matter, for the home or place of worship, and has no place in the running of publicly funded institutions.

Alistair McBay

Methven

Perth

Paul McBride QC behaves as an agent-provocateur seeking to advance his own agendas by provoking response from others and he certainly comes to this subject with agendas, both culturally and politically (your report, 31 August).

Meanwhile I, like most others in Scotland, live a life in which we neither ask nor care about the religion of those around us. I’ve no doubt that there are pockets of sectarianism in parts of Scotland but this is vastly exaggerated by the likes of McBride and there is absolutely no reason to suggest that this will get worse if the country were independent.

I await with trepidation an upcoming front page story which tells us that James McMillan agrees with Paul McBride’s extreme views.

Alan Ness

Orchard Bank

Edinburgh

The debate about Scotland’s future has hardly begun in earnest and already opponents of independence are scraping the bottom of the barrel.

You report an assertion by Paul McBride QC that with independence, and without the restraining influence of the rest of the UK, there is likely to be an increase in sectarianism in Scotland.

We hear no justification for this ridiculous and provocative assertion. However, it is highly irresponsible because – rather like Tory MP Enoch Powell’s “rivers of blood” speech some years ago – there is a danger of silly, unjustified predictions such as this becoming self-fulfilling.

If opponents of independence cannot engage in the forthcoming debate in a more grown-up fashion than this they should keep their views to themselves.

Peter Swain

Innerwick

Dunbar