Sammy Brush: I can barely believe church is urging DUP to give into Sinn Fein blackmail
I must take issue with the views expressed on the news yesterday by the Rev Trevor Gribben who appeared to be speaking on behalf of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.
He seems to be urging the DUP to give in to Sinn Fein’s blackmail in order to get the assembly up and running again whilst ignoring the fact that it was the actions of that party which brought the executive down.
I can scarcely believe that a minister of a Christian church should advocate giving in to such blackmail, which if successful will set the scene for such vile actions to be repeated many times in the future.
I am a member of the Presbyterian Church, a member of the DUP, a former councillor and a victim and survivor of PIRA terrorism and it annoys me greatly to hear a minister of my church supporting an aim of the political wing of that illegal army.
During the height of the terrorist campaign the Presbyterian Church had many members murdered and maimed by those terrorists and also lost members, who felt that their church was not properly supporting victims, to other churches.
I have to say that in my area the ministers were very supportive all through that terrible time and since but many people felt that that was not the case everywhere.
I would shudder to think that the attitude expressed by the Rev Gribben is now policy of the Presbyterian Church.
I understand why there is a concern about abortion being inflicted on Northern Ireland without consent of the assembly but the blame for this situation must be directed at those responsible.
Having seen what has happened on the political scene recently I am not so sure that the assembly as it is made up at present would totally reject an abortion act anyway, in spite of opposition from the DUP.
Sammy Brush, Ballygawley
Morning View: Abortion reform is an outrage but so is blackmail