Sir, – Well I certainly seem to have stirred it up among a lot of religionists, including a few reverends.
Perhaps I should have pointed out that I have not believed in theexistence of any God since I was in my teens.
The whole concept of a supposedly all-powerful, all-loving God just never made sense to me.
I grew up in Barry in the immediate post-war years, when non-appearance at the local church, especially for communion, would have you denounced from thepulpit.
This was also the time when the swings and slides at Carnoustie beach playground were chained up everySunday, and when I and a group of friends were ordered by a police officer to go home and stop playing football on a Sunday or our parents would be fined.
So much for a day of rest and enjoyment.
I currently have anumber of good friends, and a cousin, who are gay and in civil partnerships.
Had that been in the 1940s of 1950s they’d have been imprisoned and had to suffer priestly indoctrination to convert them back to “normal” before release.
They’d probably have been placed on the then-equivalent of a sex offenders’ register for life as well.
How proud I am that it was due to my intervention via HM Treasury’s consultancy services that the Civil Partnership Act was delivered on time, despite the constant attacks from hugenumbers of religious groups, intent onpreventing it from going through parliament on schedule, if at all.
That said, I have no objection whatsoever to people having religious beliefs.
That is completely their choice andprivilege.
What I do object to, however, is anyonetrying to force those beliefs on me.
By all means have classes on religion in schools, if the purpose is to make pupils aware that religion exists and is part of our wider culture.
But keep this togeneral awareness, not indoctrination of aparticular faith.
We are termed aChristian country, not because Christianity is the only true religion but because that’s theculture we grew up in.
Had this been Saudi Arabia, we would all be of Muslim culture, or in Israel, of Jewish culture.
So my apologies to those I may have upset.
I fully accept and appreciate your rights to your beliefs, but I also ask you accept mine in equal measure.
Let’s leave it at that.
At least I will.
Howard Evans. 13 Links Parade, Carnoustie.
UK break-upnot inevitable
Sir, – Before those who voted no in the referendum become too despondent following the voting outcome last week, and are, perhaps, thinking that the breakup of the United Kingdom is possibly imminent, they should consider the following.
The referendum in 2014, admittedly, with a higher turnout (84.6%) returned 1,617,989 votes for yes while the general election last week saw overall 1,454,436 voting in favour of the nationalists, though on a lower turnout (71.1%).
Take last week’s nationalist vote and increase it by a factor to equate with the referendum turnout and then add, to be fair and realistic, the number of 16 to 17-year-olds thought to have voted yes.
The result sees that the nationalist vote has increased by approximately 101,000. Translate this into a referendum results akin to September 2014 and the yes vote would be 1,721,784, still not a majority for independence.
Though the next referendum may not beimminent, rest assured it won’t be far round the next corner. NicolaSturgeon knows very well that economically they had a close shave last September.
The ensuing mess that would have followed a yes vote, subsequent to the drop in oil prices and other factors, is still very fresh in people’s minds.
I hope this crude analysis places things in perspective and stems the fear some might have of a chasm opening up between Scotland and the rest of the UK, through a misunderstanding of lastThursday’s results.
Jonathan Brown. Waterloo Cottage, Longleys, Meigle.
Take offer of devo-max
Sir, – May I take this opportunity to congratulate Nicola Sturgeon on a historic win in last week’s UK election.
May I also remind her that, it was not as herpredecessor seems to think, a call for a further referendum on independence.
When he was First Minister he made the proclamation that this was a “once in a generation” occurrence.
He changes his mind as often as the Scottish weather. I think it is only fair to the Scottish public to take the devo-max that is on offer and be thankful for that big badWestminster ToryGovernment.
Willie Robertson. Grianan, Lynton, Stanley.
Democracy in state of decay
Sir, – The Tories “victory” owes nothing to popular support.
The party polled approximately 36.9% of the vote, a small rise on 2010 but due to the first-past-the-post system, it increased its number of seats by 24.
This is an election that Labour lost ratherthan one that the Tories won.
There was actually a swing of 15% against the two governing parties who won 59% between them in 2010 and only 44% last week.
Labour saw a slight increase of its overall vote and won a dozen additional seats inEngland but this was more than offset by its spectacular collapse in Scotland.
Britain’s ruling elite got the result they had wanted.
Virtually all the media and leading businessfigures insisted that a Tory majority was necessary for the “stability” of the financial markets.
But it is a pyrrhicvictory.
David Cameron heads a government that not only might preside over a British exit from the European Union but also the break-up of the UK.
It commands thesupport of just 22% of the electorate.
The overriding message from the election is that, for the vast majority of people who sought change, it will not come through parliament and certainly not from the Labour Party.
There has never been an occasion where the gap between thesentiment of the mass of the population and thestructures of officialpolitics has been so vast.
This is only the reflection of the gulf which has opened up between the super-rich who dictate the policies of all the major parties and the working class.
This situation willhave explosive political consequences.
Parliamentarydemocracy is in a state of advanced decay andcannot be revived.
Alan Hinnrichs. 2 Gillespie Terrace, Dundee.
We need wealth of England
Sir, – Alex Salmond says the Scottish lion has roared.
Luckily, to prevent it doing any damage, its teeth have been pulled.
SNP MPs should not get expenses fortravelling to their hated Westminster because they will be wasting their time.
In fact, a sensible UK government would ban declared separatists from standing for the UK parliament. It is common sense to ban anyone from an organisation they want to destroy.
The Scottish people have been effectively disenfranchised because their MPs will be ignored by the main parties due to the fundamental flaws in their ideals.
Scotland needs the powerhouse of England to maintain and continue to improve its standard of living.
We should not be diverted by jealousy of our fellow citizens. David Cameron should not allow another referendum for a decade and then only if the question is changed.
Yes we want to stay united. No we don’t want to leave the UK.
R J Soutar. Camperdown Street, Dundee.
Treat Scotland as equals
Sir, – David Cameron charms us by referring to the United Kingdom as a family.
If he means it, he must start treating us as one.
The members of a mature family are not given pocket money, no matter how generous, and restricted in how they spend it.
No, the maturemembers of a responsible family each husband their income by theirpriorities and negotiate what should becontributed to shared resources such as heat and light.
If the UK is a family, are we to be a modern family sharing responsibilities or a controlled and grim Victorian one where one memberdictates to all theothers?
Scotland has voted against further austerity.
Compelling Scotland to accept a greater squeeze on our living standards is a recipe for disaster.
A wise governor would give full fiscal autonomy to Scotland and offer the love and assistance which most families thrive in.
Brian Rattray. 124/2 Gylemuir Road, Corstorphine, Edinburgh.
Wrong site for new school
Sir, – Fife Councillor Bryan Poole asserts only Pipeland is available and suitable on which to build a replacement for Madras College, St Andrews.
In opposition, would he not have deridedany council defining the available North Haugh with Station Parkunderpass as an unsuitable split-site?
Clearly, when asserting Madras College was “the only split-site in Scotland”, the council’s definition covered only academic teaching.
Several others have off-site sports grounds, so their criteria changed from December 2012 to March 2014.
And what happened between its October 2012 green belt designation and the December 2012 agreement to buy Pipeland for 12 times the farmland value?
R. Thomson’s letter misrepresents the earlier letter of Carroll Finnie which clearly stated Pipeland had no “nearby” golf, tennis or cricket.
Pupils’ access touniversity facilities is not a “delusion duringuniversity terms” but was council policy.
Planning 2,000 new houses in north-east Fife and a school for only 1450 pupils and one which blocks ourhospital’s expansion is delusional.
John Birkett. 12 Horseleys Park, St Andrews.