SCOTLAND has secularised quicker than any other nation, with Christianity at best "barely tolerated", the new Moderator of the Free Church has claimed.

Rev David Robertson warned against a "creeping absolutism of the State", criticising what he described as hysteria around the Independence movement as well as references by the UK Government to British values.

He was speaking as the Free Church's General Assembly prepares to open in Edinburgh.

Rev Robertson, who has developed a reputation for repeatedly trying to engage the likes of "celebrity atheist" Richard Dawkins in debates, also said he believed secularism had peaked and pointed to a decline in those who described themselves in official surveys as being of no faith.

Speaking ahead of his keynote address, he said: "Whilst it has been encouraging and good to see the level of political involvement in Scotland since the referendum, it is worrying that there has been an attempt to hijack the traditional nationalist movement and combine it with a more militant and emotive secularism.

"There is nothing wrong with wanting one's country to be self-governing, but there is something profoundly wrong with believing that your own country has inherently better and more progressive values than anyone else.

"The combination of new hopes being raised, emotions being stirred and self-righteous assurance of our own superiority, can lead to a kind of mass hysteria that is dangerous.

"We would urge the Scottish Government to remain balanced, tolerant of other opinions and humble.

"Likewise we are concerned with a British nationalism which speaks of British 'values' but is unable to explain what those values are or where they come from. Being British or Scottish is neither a value nor a virtue."

Known as one of Scotland's most ­outspoken ministers and Christian commentators, Rev Robertson was named moderator of the Free Church last October.

The minister of Dundee St Peter's Free Church and director of the Solas Centre for Public Christianity now take up the role with the commencement of the General Assembly.

He takes over as moderator at a time when his church is bucking the national trend with increasing support, some of it in the form of those leaving the Church of Scotland over the issue of gay ministers.

There are currently107 congregations, while attendance at Sunday services stands at 12,812, up marginally on 2012/13 from 12,639.

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