Northern Ireland ‘Agreement’
Mr William Whitelaw, former Secretary for Northern Ireland, received high praise in the House of Commons when news of the agreement over a Northern Ireland Executive was announced. In the power-sharing between Protestants and Roman Catholics, Mr Brian Faulkner, former Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, becomes Chief Executive while Mr Gerry Fitt, a rabid Irish Roman Catholic becomes his deputy. The agreement has involved the surrender by the Protestants to the Roman Catholics of a large measure of executive control. This bodes ill for the future of the Province. It is also evident that the Roman Catholics have been able to gain the maximum advantage possible from the murderous I.R.A. campaign in the Province over the last few years.
The settlement, which includes the setting up of an All-Ireland Council, is but a stepping stone to eventual absorption by Eire of the Northern Kingdom. No hollow assertion by the British Government that Ulster will remain part of the United Kingdom can blind people’s eyes to the true nature of the settlement, which is, the appeasement of Roman Catholic Eire. The action and attitude of the British Government with regard to Northern Ireland over the past few years, which has cost the lives of 200 British soldiers, can only be explained in the light of subtle Romanist political intrigue and influence.
Mr William Whitelaw may have returned from Northern Ireland with a piece of paper in his hand crying, ‘Peace in our time’, and may be applauded for his statesmanlike qualities in ostensibly reconciling Protestants and Roman Catholics in Ulster, but the evil consequences of this agreement both for Northern Ireland and for Britain herself are not hard to foresee. If a minority Roman Catholic population can reap such rewards of violent terrorism in Northern Ireland, why should a minority Roman Catholic population in the rest of the United Kingdom — in Scotland, for instance — not do the same? Let the British Government not think that it has now solved the Irish problem. So long as there remains within these islands one ardent Roman Catholic with intense hatred in his heart to all that Britain stands for, the Irish problem will remain unresolved.
Murders in Scotland
In 1972 there were 49 murders in Scotland according to Home and Health Department statistics recently issued. This was the highest-ever total for Scotland. It would seem as though this continued increase in the murder rate is likely to go on until the deterrent of capital punishment is restored.
The removal of the death penalty by the Government a number of years ago has borne its own fruit in an increase in violent crimes and murder. The lives of convicted murderers have been spared to the loss of many additional innocent people. The blood of these innocent lives lies as much at the door of our nation as at the door of the murderer. The failure to maintain the full divinely ordered sanction of the law — “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man” (Gen. 9:6) — for the sin of murder has involved our nation in terrible guilt. May our legislators be brought to realise this and restore to the statute book of our land the penalty of death for deliberate, pre-meditated murder.
Glasgow Presbytery and Gambling
The Church and Community Committee of the Glasgow Presbytery of the Church of Scotland has approved the idea that Glasgow’s gambling industries should be taken over by the Corporation. While opposing a civic lottery on the ground that it would involve an extension of gambling facilities, the Committee’s report recommended that the existing gambling facilities in the City should be taken over by the Corporation, giving as its reason that “under municipal ownership gambling is more likely to be contained to reasonable limits,” also that “revenue from it would better serve the public good.”
This recommendation ill becomes any section of the visible church in the land. It is the duty of the Church of God at all times to point out the evil of the practice of gambling and of the curse of God lying, not only upon those who practise it, but also on all the proceeds of such ventures. The city of Glasgow would be far better off without the proceeds of such ill-gotten gains.
Abortions
The Abortion Act of 1967 continues to take an increasing toll of unborn children. In 1972 about 160,000 ‘legal’ abortions took place in Britain.
Were there no other indication of how low our country has fallen morally and spiritually, this immoral, vile, inhuman practice alone would stamp Britain as a degenerate nation. It is to be doubted if the savage races of other days sacrificed in their life-time as many of their off-spring as Britain does of her unborn children in one year.
Pornography
The Government has introduced legislation to try to curb public display of indecent material. During the last number of years those who wish to gain from the display of pornographic material have been able to exploit the laxity of the existing regulations in this field. As a consequence more and more grossly indecent magazine covers and advertisements have been put on public display. The new laws will ban this. While such sanctions are to be welcomed, yet the Government will have to pass more stringent regulations if the evil traffic in pornographic publications is to be brought to an end. A speedy reversal of the present situation is called for and is long overdue.