We mean by “Church” in our heading the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, which was concerned in matters relating to the Lord’s Day and which were given much publicity during the month of February. At that time the town of Inverness became somewhat of a storm-centre on this vital question of Sabbath observance and much controversy arose therefrom. As we have already noted in a former issue of this Magazine this originated from proposals of an Inverness Town Councillor, Major MacGillivray, a Roman Catholic, to open up varied public facilities for sports and other similar worldly activities in the town of Inverness on the Lord’s Day. These proposals were severely condemned immediately following their publication in the press, by the Northern Presbytery of the Church. The detailed protest of the Presbytery was forwarded to the Town Council and otherwise made public. This lead was supported by other Churches and religious bodies and individuals within the Inverness area. Later, the instigators’ proposals to trample on the Fourth Commandment were rejected at a special meeting of the Inverness Town Council by a majority vote. This was indeed a relief to many lovers of the Lord’s Day. The supporters of the proposals, naturally enough did not conceal their bitter disappointment at the failure of their campaign for “brighter Sundays” and a trend toward the Continental way of life, in the Highland Capital. But this is not the main subject-matter of this article.
When the above case had somewhat subsided in the press and among members of the public, we received intimation from a member of the press in the South regarding quite another separate matter involving the Lord’s Day and the Synod of the Church. This was the released news of the banning of radio and television at Raigmore Hospital, on every Lord’s Day by the Northern Regional Hospital Board. This news was given on the 15th of February; and the ban was in response to a resolution of the Church’s Synod, of May, 1959, and which was forwarded immediately after the said Synod to this Hospital Board. It intimated that complaints had been made to Patients at Raigmore Hospital that they had to endure the painful experience of listening on the Lord’s Day to profane and noisy programmes on the radio and television, which destroyed the sanctity of the Day and imposed on them, in their weakened state of health, an intolerable strain. Although no official word has been received by the Church, the Hospital Board in question, after eight months, have come to their decision upon the Synod’s resolution. During these eight months the Board have in no way been pressed or communicated with by the Church to act on their resolution. We may then assume that the members of the Board came to their decision after mature and serious thought and consideration as those having responsibility for all, not some, patients in this hospital. We would seek to emphasis that the Board apparently did not institute the said ban hastily or without practical consideration.
Then the enemies of the Lord’s Day, being this in our opinion as soon as they heard of the ban began to attack the Church principally, and the withdrawal of radio and television on the Lord’s Day in Raigmore Hospital. We live in a nation still professedly Christian and concerned to conserve freedom of religion and expression of views which are not subversive of public morality or the good of society. The Synod therefore ventured to ventilate the genuine grievances of some patients in the hospital concerned, with the result as related, certainly most satisfying to those entertaining scriptural respect for God’s Day.
Bitter attacks upon the Church emanated from various quarters. First of all we would refer to a leading article in “The Glasgow Herald,” in which among other things it was stated: “More than we like to think, a vocal, devoted minority can impose will on the lackadaisical majority of the population. This to be what has happened in Inverness over the question of Sabbath Observance in the town.” The article goes on to refer to Raigmore Hospital and that as a result of complaints from the Free Presbyterian Church patients were to be denied the chance to watch television or listen to radio programmes on “Sundays.” In referring to the Free Presbyterian Church, the leader writer says: “In imposing will, therefore, on the Northern Regional Board . . . a minority have been allowed to dictate the course of action of their fellow citizens.” The writer in “The Glasgow Herald” does not at all discuss moral principles or the divine claims. minorities and majorities. The apostles were a minority imposed the gospel of Christ upon a majority, by the divine authority. Yet, “The Glasgow Herald” did pay a compliment to the Free Church and in doing so pointed an accusing finger at other denominations as follows:—”The firmness with which the Free Church adhere to their beliefs does them great honour. Churches could doubtless benefit from a dash of the ‘firmness’.” We believe that there are some people in denominations who would agree with the above statement. But the Pilate spirit and attitude to popular clamour is rife today, for the toning down or the elimination of the divine and exalted claims of our Lord promulgated through His law and gospel.
Then, Dame Flora MacLeod of MacLeod, who was a patient in Raigmore when the ban was made known, expressed her strong opposition to this action. She said “This is a terrible blow,” and one of her main arguments was that many patients looked forward to religious services which are broadcast and televised. One would think that people had no Bibles to read or a throne of grace to go to when laid aside in sickness and affliction, on the Lord’s Day. What do true Christians do when laid aside in affliction in their own homes, where there may be neither radio or television? As reported, Dame Flora MacLeod of MacLeod ended a long complaint with these words: “It is inhuman and unchristian, and it is an interference with human liberty.” This lady does not seem to have thought how “inhuman” and “unchristian” it is to be partly responsible for many people working and slaving on the radio and television on the Lord’s Day to entertain others. There can be no radio or television on Sabbath without (not merely performers, worldly or religious) but technicians, announcers and so on. Have they no souls, have they no responsibility in regard to the law of God and His Day? And let it be noted here that the Free Presbyterian Church is probably the only Church in Scotland not involved in broadcasting religious services through the B.B.C. on the Lord’s Day. We do not now enter upon a discussion as to the advisability or otherwise of broadcasting religious services. What we have indicated it the involvement of many in their worldly callings on the Lord’s Day and the earning of money therein, to provide Dame Flora MacLeod of MacLeod and others, with radio and television, on that day. And even the Free Church of Scotland cannot take up this attitude of the Free Presbyterian Church, because their ministers broadcast religious services from their churches on the Sabbath. These are just statements of fact.
Another source from which criticism of the Church came was Inverness Town Councillor and Burgh Treasurer, Mr. W. J. MacKay, described in one paper as “a champion of the ‘Brighter Sunday.'” He declared that stopping of the radio and television on the Lord’s Day in Raigmore Hospital was “a downright shame.” He stated that he and others understood that the ban had been imposed because of noise. Then he argued: “But why cut out T.V. and radio on Sundays? If it is noisy then it must be equally noisy throughout the week.” There was of course the religious aspect first and then the noise taken up in the Synod’s protest. Mr. MacKay in his reported statements suggests how the Sister in a ward might control matters if the noise affected any patient. There should not be noisy and audible (and to some) objectionable entertainment in a ward of a hospital with twenty or thirty or more patients suffering more or less from various ailments. We have read of a committee of inquiry in this Country into the question of “noise” and the elimination of unnecessary and harmful noise. Mr. MacKay describes the Church as “a most vociferous minority in Inverness.” He did not seem to have it clear that it was the Synod of the Church which protested, which Synod speaks for quite a large number of people in Lewis, Harris, Skye, Ross-shire, Inverness-shire, Sutherland and Caithness. This issue extends well beyond the said Councillor’s domain in the town of Inverness. Patients come continually to Raigmore Hospital from all these Counties mentioned.
The fourth and last opponent of the Church on this issue who publicly expressed opinions, and which we will refer to here, was a minister of the Church of Scotland, Rev. Hamish MacIntyre, Dalneigh, Inverness. The heading in one daily paper to his declamations against the Free Presbyterian Church read: “Minister hits out at Sunday Bigots.” In “hitting out” this professed minister of the gospel, in our opinion, stretches out his hand against the Lord of the Sabbath, the law of God, and a witness for conserving the sanctity of the Lord’s Day in an institution for the treatment and care of the sick and afflicted. In referring to the ban on radio and television programmes at Raigmore Hospital, he said: “It was surely scandalous that such a bigoted confining opinion should by all appearances smother the community with its stuffy theology and put the young and aged in revolt.” Mr. MacIntyre may not know from the light of God’s Word that most of the young and aged have been in revolt against God long before this controversy arose. But on the question we are discussing, Mr. MacIntyre is reported as saying: “In one Ward, 17 were in favour of the normal Television and radio facilities as ward conditions permitted; (Italics ours)—20 thought religious broadcasts should be taken; and the others had no definite opinion or were too ill to express one.” (Italics ours). It appears from this clergyman’s statement that “Ward conditions” must determine whether the radio or television shall be on or off, and thus a hospital ward is not a normal place to permit such noisy entertainment on week day or Sabbath. Then there were those too ill to express an opinion. A place where people are too ill to express an opinion is surely a place where quiet and calm should pervade the atmosphere always and as far as is possible in the running of a busy hospital ward. The view has been expressed by such as know what it is to work professionally in a hospital, that “audible” radio and television in a hospital ward can give the impression of pandemonium where quietness should prevail. In addition it has been suggested from the same source that if the radio and television are demanded by some patients who are fit for this sort of thing, then they should be catered for some where other than the ward and be required to foregather there. And those who have conscientious objections to radio and television and those who are really ill, should then be left in peace, on Sabbath and week day.
The most of patients in Raigmore Hospital as elsewhere, are paying National Health Insurance, and all are entitled while receiving treatment for ill-health to conditions most conducive to comfort and recovery as far as available, and it is only right that in a public hospital nothing should be permitted of a specific and particular character calculated to infringe religious feelings on Sabbath or weekday or to affect adversely the health even of a minority.
It may be that the Hospital Board discerned more keenly than the critics and opponents of the Free Presbyterian Church that there are fundamental issues involved relative to patients, their care, and their religious principles, as and when they are being treated under the National Health Service in a public hospital.
The Church will weather this recent storm of opposition for its witness on the side of the fourth commandment, “Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy . . .,” although there may be but a small remnant in the land which abhors the thought of the “Continental Sunday” spreading like a plague into the warp and woof of the nation.