Christian services offer personal touch too

ONE wonders if the Scotsman publications have an agenda to promote humanist activities. Every three to six months one or more of the Scotsman’s publications has a half to whole page article on how dramatically humanist weddings, funerals, etc, are growing; this especially in relation to the supposed decline in religious weddings and funerals.

A consistent line in each article is how the humanist wedding or funeral takes into account the personal life and wishes of the individual(s) involved. Are your various authors (Sunnah Khan being the latest on 29 April) implying that Christian celebrants don’t take into account the personal life and wishes of the individual(s)?

I have been taking weddings, funerals and baby dedications around Edinburgh for 22 years for those with faith and none. Many of my colleagues do the same. Each funeral, wedding or baby dedication caters for the individual(s) involved. We make each one personal (in the case of funerals, sometimes spending many hours with bereaved family members to not only comfort them but to find as much personal information about the deceased as possible). We do the same regarding weddings. Couples can marry wherever they wish – I’ve married them in hotels, churches, uninhabited islands, etc. They are encouraged to write their own vows if they wish, choose whatever songs they desire. It’s their day and we want it to be personal and special.

Yes we do offer the comfort of our faith and all have expressed their gratitude afterwards for this. At the same time, however, we openly share that some didn’t believe but still lived a life that is worth acknowledging.

If some folk, still the minority, wish to have a humanist wedding, funeral or child blessing, fine, but at least acknowledge the very valuable and personal work that ministers do, many times for people who never have darkened their church’s doorstep.

Steve Aiken, Pastor, Edinburgh