oh no, not the Spanish inquisition !

I first came to Scotland 14 years ago to study, and apart from a couple of years teaching abroad have stayed here. I don’t usually get into the game of comparing England with Scotland, but  one thing that has always  struck me is just how naturally welcoming and inclusive the Scots people are. Even traditional local rivalries are quickly put aside in the national cause. Come election time, there is no noticeable racist BNP presence distorting politics, a cancerous malignancy all too present in many other parts of the UK. Recently, even the Lambeth conference of the Anglican church communion and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams jumped onto this divisive and extremist bandwagon with their shameful treatment of American Bishop Gene Robinson last month.  Bishop Gene from New Hampshire had his face plastered all over posters outside conference so that church stasi would recognise him and prevent him from participating in the proceedings, something he had every right to do. His only crime, to be honest about his sexuality and domestic circumstances. Now I’m no theologian, but I can’t find any reference in the bible about the prohibition of long term monogamous same-sex relationships. Plenty about wife-beating and female subservience, and about sacrificing first-born sons (mind you, with the state of behaviour in schools nowadays, that one might be worth resurrecting!). And of course these things would not even be considered in this day and age. As Bishop Gene  made the point so well, the bible was written in another age and society has evolved so much in the last 2500 years or so since most of the bible was written. Situations and circumstances exist now that were unthinkable all those years ago. The inflexibility and prejudice of Archbishop Rowan is just so outdated, unfair, and dare I say it, plain stupid. I wonder what Jesus would have to say about it if he were with us today… Dr Williams even banned Bishop Gene (a priest consecrated by fellow bishops don’t forget) from celebrating the communion anywhere in England. But not so in Scotland…

The provost of the episcopal cathedral in Glasgow, Kelvin Holdsworth, clearly not a man to be intimidated by the silly pythonesque (hence the picture above) actions of Rowan Williams, invited Bishop Gene to visit, and so, a few weeks ago he came to St Mary’s, preached a sermon and celebrated the Communion here, in Scotland. You can listen in full if you go to Provost Kelvin’s own blog (there is an interview as well as the sermon)

http://www.thurible.net/page/2/

The provost is a real techie kind of guy which you will discover if you check out his site ! Bishop Gene has also reflected on his experiences whilst in the UK on his own blog…

http://canterburytalesfromthefringe.blogspot.com/

Anyway, my point I guess is this; Scotland and its people have much to teach the rest of the UK. And not just about how our people should be educated. About tolerance, respect and decency, not to mention reformation where it’s needed. That’s why it would be such a shame if devolution morphed somehow into independence. The UK would lose its voice of reason as well as it’s moral compass.