ON the back of my birth certificate is an endorsement to the effect that I was baptised on Quinquagesima Sunday, February 27, more years ago than I care to mention, by my family's rector, a distinguished member of the Chapter of St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, Glasgow.
After reading John MacLeod's column and James MacLeod's letter (December 3), I can't begin to say how grateful I am for my Episcopalian upbringing which has meant that I have been untouched by that particularly sterile variety of Presbyterianism and soul-destroying Calvinism so beloved by John MacLeod. I wonder how much healthier the post-Reformation society of Scotland would have been if the mindless Edinburgh mob had not succeeded in shouting down Dean John Hanna when he tried to introduce Archbishop Laud's magnificent Scottish Liturgy, on Sunday, July 23, 1637, in St Giles' Cathedral.
For John MacLeod, it must seem that his halcyon days have returned. I refer to the time when the Free Presbyterian Church split asunder over the Christian charity and common, decent humanity displayed by the then lord chancellor, Lord MacKay of Clashfern, when he attended the funerals of two highly respected Roman Catholic judicial colleagues. Mr MacLeod's career in journalism took off at that time because of his ability to explain to the nation the minutiae of the casuistry of those stern, unforgiving Presbyterian sects to be found on the fringes of Scottish Christianity which appear to arrogate unto themselves many, if not all, of the prerogatives of the Almighty.
John W Elliott,
19 Gordon Avenue, Bishopton.
I really must protest at John MacLeod's accusation that those, such as myself, who have been writing to The Herald about the Alasdair Morrison affair have a ''profound hatred'' of Christianity. I have been a professing Christian for nearly 30 years. It is clear that most of the other letter-writers are Christians as well, including at least one Baptist. John MacLeod does his case no good at all by making such silly assertions.
Martin Waddell,
11 Munro Road, Glasgow.
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