Lois McLatchie, Communications Officer for ADF International, wrote to the Editor of The Herald regarding the forced closure of Churches in Scotland.
The Scottish Government’s decision to completely close churches is disproportionate, and I was pleased to read that 500 Christian leaders are standing up for the rights of religious communities.
The fact that England has allowed its churches to welcome worshippers – albeit in a restricted manner – is the first red flag that this move is disproportionate. Freedom of religion or belief is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, among various other international agreements, because it is a foundational right. Churches have taken great care to comply with mask-wearing, no-singing and social-distancing mandates, and Chris Whitty admitted in November that there was weak medical support for full closure. The suspension of a human right carries a heavy weight. The question as to why that weight is measured differently in the balance of Holyrood than in Westminster is awaiting answer.
Read the published letter in The Herald here.
