In the Church of Scotland Rev. Andrew Doig, Secretary of the National Bible Society of Scotland was appointed Moderator. The Lord High Commissioner this year was Lord Elgin. The Prime Minister, Mrs Margaret Thatcher, attended the opening meeting of the Assembly. Mr Doig said that the Church’s message of compassion was not getting through to the people. He urged the need to build Christian education on the family pattern.
Rev James Matheson, Convenor of the recently appointed Assembly Council forecast radical changes within the Church. He believed that these changes must come, maintaining that Christ’s Lordship in His Church is always radical. Time alone will tell what Mr Matheson has in mind but we fear such changes will do little to promote the Cause of Christ in Scotland.
The Assembly overwhelmingly approved a meeting of the Moderator with the Pope. Dr Wm Johnston stated that the same courtesies should be extended to the Pope as to any other religious leader. A counter motion for complete rejection of any move on the Kirk’s part to seek a meeting was put forward. In support of it, it was said that the Pope promotes Anti-Christian teaching. Another counter motion agreed to a meeting on certain conditions. These counter motions received little support. The Church of Scotland in this way has shown how little it values its Protestant heritage.
Great concern was expressed in the Assembly over religion in schools and a demand made for pressure to be kept up on the Secretary of State for Scotland for action to improve the teaching of religion in schools. It was pointed out by different members of Assembly how woefully inadequate was the present teaching of religious education. Dr Herron said it was strange that the national church was denied in national schools facilities comparable to those in Roman Catholic schools. One member said that it was time to demand the same rights as the Roman Catholic community and the setting up of church schools. It was claimed that many children were leaving schools in total ignorance of Christ and even of the Lord’s Prayer. The criticisms made in the Assembly are well justified in the case of many schools. It is very clear that the statutory requirement for the teaching of religious education is being disregarded in many schools in the country. It is to be hoped that something can be done to remedy the situation. We cannot but state, however, that failure by the State Church to proclaim the whole counsel of God has not a little to do with the present situation.
The Assembly overwhelmingly voted to continue support for a British nuclear deterrent against the view of the Church and Nation Committee that the Assembly should support unilateral nuclear disarmament. Grave concern was expressed over the high level of unemployment in the country. A plea from two ministers to concede the principle of voluntary euthanasia was rejected. The Assembly urged the Government to campaign more vigorously against alcohol abuse, including the use of alcohol advertising. Opposition was expressed to sex aid shops and advertisements. Continued vigilance on the part of the local community was stressed. An attempt by a Peterhead minister to have the works of Eric Von Daniken, such as, Is God an Astronaut, discontinued in the Church bookshops did not succeed.
When the matter of the Pope’s visit was dealt with, one minister raised the possibility of an invitation to the Free Church Moderator to address the General Assembly. This was referred to the Church and Nation Committee to look into the possibility.