THE intervention of 33 ministers of the Kirk in support of the Yes campaign is indeed welcome as a faith-based contribution to the debate on the referendum; as would be a parallel contribution from some of the ministers whose faith takes them towards support for the Better Together campaign .
Ordination is not a straightjacket, and the church is not a political party requiring its ministers or members to toe a party line of neutrality. By not taking an official side, the General Assembly opened the space for respectful dialogue last May, and again on September 3 when Lord Wallace, Liberal Democrat Leader in the House of Lords, and Finance Secretary John Swinney will be lead speakers at an event in Glasgow chaired by the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The event will be streamed live online to 10 satellite events in churches across the country, sparking discussion in each venue.
Where I disagree with Rosemary Goring ("A welcome intervention on the part of ministers", The Herald, August 25) is in her assumption that the only meaningful contribution to debate is to press a one-sided case. By inviting people to imagine Scotland's future, and to think about the key values to shape that future (independently or together), we looked beyond the knockabout of campaign debate, to seize a moment of opportunity. The 33 signatories, like our other 400,000 members, have their own views on which constitutional decision is best to reflect these values.
Whatever happens on September 18, we will continue to call for equality, justice and fairness, and work for what these mean to Scotland's people.
Sally Foster-Fulton,
Convener, Church and Society Council, Church of Scotland, 121 George Street, Edinburgh.
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