Councils go secular, but public life can still benefit from the power of prayer
I READ with interest, and some regret, your story "Council drops prayer sessions" (The Herald, June 27).
I READ with interest, and some regret, your story \"Council drops prayer sessions\" (The Herald, June 27).
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We now have councils in Scotland – in Edinburgh and Dumfries and Galloway – following on developments in England with regard to prayer sessions being omitted before the commencement of council meetings. I view the reported reasons given on behalf of Dumfries and Galloway for the cessation (that they are part of moves to "eliminate discrimination, harassment , victimisation or any other prohibited conduct") as overblown.
Life in this country, as many of us know and cherish, changes rapidly before our eyes. One wonders whether in another decade it will be recognisable. There are those who believe that the more secular we become, the better. They are, of course, entitled to their views, but I believe they are profoundly mistaken. The consequence of increasing secularisation is less regard is given both to the spiritual qualities in life and the overall well-being of society.
I am reminded in this context of the observation of G K Chesterton : "When people stop believing in God, they don't believe in nothing – they believe in anything".
Ian W Thomson,
38 Kirkintilloch Road,
Lenzie.
In criticising the introduction of Gaelic road signs, W Gordon Watson (Letters, June 26) aims at the wrong target. The real pressure on Scotland's native tongues comes from the overpowering Anglo-American language which is rapidly becoming more American than Anglo. Churchgoers, for example, will notice that while traditional hymns are still sung in normal style, contemporary worship songs seem to call for the curious mid-Atlantic pronunciation promoted by pop culture.
Scots and Gaelic – together with Navaho, Nahuatl and other minority tongues – are all in the same boat. To survive and prosper, they need to be seen and heard. That is why Gaelic road signs are a great help, as is the use of local speech on radio in the Northern Isles. Why not throughout Scotland?
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Councils go secular, but public life can still benefit from the power of prayer
I READ with interest, and some regret, your story "Council drops prayer sessions" (The Herald, June 27).
We now have councils in Scotland – in Edinburgh and Dumfries and Galloway – following on developments in England with regard to prayer sessions being omitted before the commencement of council meetings. I view the reported reasons given on behalf of Dumfries and Galloway for the cessation (that they are part of moves to "eliminate discrimination, harassment , victimisation or any other prohibited conduct") as overblown.
Life in this country, as many of us know and cherish, changes rapidly before our eyes. One wonders whether in another decade it will be recognisable. There are those who believe that the more secular we become, the better. They are, of course, entitled to their views, but I believe they are profoundly mistaken. The consequence of increasing secularisation is less regard is given both to the spiritual qualities in life and the overall well-being of society.
I am reminded in this context of the observation of G K Chesterton : "When people stop believing in God, they don't believe in nothing – they believe in anything".
Ian W Thomson,
38 Kirkintilloch Road,
Lenzie.
In criticising the introduction of Gaelic road signs, W Gordon Watson (Letters, June 26) aims at the wrong target. The real pressure on Scotland's native tongues comes from the overpowering Anglo-American language which is rapidly becoming more American than Anglo. Churchgoers, for example, will notice that while traditional hymns are still sung in normal style, contemporary worship songs seem to call for the curious mid-Atlantic pronunciation promoted by pop culture.
Scots and Gaelic – together with Navaho, Nahuatl and other minority tongues – are all in the same boat. To survive and prosper, they need to be seen and heard. That is why Gaelic road signs are a great help, as is the use of local speech on radio in the Northern Isles. Why not throughout Scotland?
John Coutts,
138 Ladysneuk Road,
Stirling.
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We moderate all comments on HeraldScotland on either a pre-moderated or post-moderated basis. If you're a relatively new user then your comments will be reviewed before publication and if we know you well then your comments will be subject to moderation only if other users or the moderators believe you've broken the rules, which are available here.
Moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. Please be patient if your posts are not approved instantly.
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