A courageous statement from Cardinal Keith O’Brien on the Megrahi release decision, and on America’s “culture of vengeance”
Human values are alive and well in Scotland. In an independent Scotland, we could express them more effectively by determining our own foreign policy and relationships with Europe and the rest of the world.
What is needed now is the voices of senior clerics in the other religious denominations in Scotland - the Church of Scotland, the Episcopalian Church and Judaism (we know where the Muslims stand) - to speak out with equal force and courage.
Surely the Church of Scotland can do it? It may be too much for the Episcopalians - the Tory Party and the Establishment at prayer. But can Scottish Judaism separate itself from Zionism and speak for humanity?
This call comes the day after a British doctor - Dr. Karen Woo - and nine others were brutally murdered by robbers in Afghanistan. The Taliban have claimed responsibility, and given as the reason that the humanitarian workers were on a Christian mission. This is a lie - ("Although we are a Christian-supported charity, we would absolutely not proselytize.") - they were trying to help the most vulnerable, and the Briton who died was a Humanist.
Religion - and Scotland - must rise above this awful tragedy and show that we are not like the Taliban, not like the murderers, and we must not descend into blame and calls for vengeance.
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