Church of Scotland General Assembly 2021
The Church of Scotland General Assembly was held online from May 22 to May 27 with 700 commissioners. The Assembly took a step nearer to permitting her ministers and deacons to perform same-sex marriages. Draft legislation was approved, by 319 to 217 votes, which has now been sent down to the Presbyteries for consideration under the Barrier Act. We are glad that two-fifths of the office-bearers who voted were against this great evil, and there must also have been a large number of abstentions. The proposed legislation came with the usual assurances that it was only permissive and would not require anyone to participate in the solemnisation of sodomite marriage, but experience has shown how little confidence can be placed in such assurances.
The General Assembly also approved a proposal to reduce the number of “full-time equivalent ministry posts” from around 800 to 600. There are currently 693 ministers and “Ministries Development Staff” in post, and 151 locums. There are 299 vacant charges (representing 402 congregations) and a further 36 congregations in “guardianship” (that is, vacant, but not permitted to call a minister), thus requiring 335 interim moderators. Apparently 40% of all current full-time ministers are over the age of 60, with significant numbers, perhaps as many as 60%, expected to retire during the next 10 years.
It is sad to see the national Church brought so low, both morally and numerically, but a matter of surprise and thankfulness that there is still substantial opposition to sodomite marriage, in spite of all Satan’s efforts to promote it. We look to the promised day when God will turn back the captivity of Zion and all this evil legislation – toleration of homosexuality, ordination of women, toleration of doctrine contrary to The Westminster Confession of Faith – will be swept out of the Church.
DWBS
Ideological Indoctrination by Lego
Lego, the Danish children’s toy maker, has released a new set of models in honour of the LGBTQIA+ community. (The acronym gets ever longer, now standing for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual and other non-heterosexual people.)
Six colours are used in a bow (in opposition to God’s rainbow, which has seven) and they tell us, “It is a waterfall of colour with eleven brand new minifigures striding purposefully towards an imagined brighter future”. The set is entitled, “Everyone is Awesome”. We are told that no specific gender has been assigned to the figures apart from one. The exception, sporting a large beehive hairstyle, “is a clear nod to all the fabulous drag queens out there”, said the designer Matthew Ashton. The set went on sale on June 1, the start of “Pride month”.
The education system, the world of children’s entertainment and now a manufacturer of children’s toys are conspiring to confuse and subvert the minds of young people. Our youngsters are being indoctrinated and coerced into absorbing what is a God-dishonouring deceit. No doubt the plan is that, if little ones can be made familiar with these things, they will be more likely to accept these travesties as the acceptable norm. The struggle of Christian parents to raise their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord gets ever more difficult in this adulterous and sinful generation.
“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them” (Gen1:27).
FRD