Church of Scotland must not abandon supernatural faith

The belief inferred that the Kirk is too heavenly-minded to be of any earthly use is an old cliché and untrue. Crossreach is the social responsibility arm of the Church of Scotland and supports over 30 organisations including postnatal depression, substance abuse, learning disabilities, homelessness, prison visiting and dementia units among many other projects and provided counselling services for 27,000 people last year alone.

There is indeed a lack of awareness across Scotland about how much the church in Scotland as a whole actually does do, as well as not being informed of far-reaching effects of the social responsibilities carried out so well by the Church of Scotland.

Crossreach’s mission statement demonstrates clearly its concern for the most vulnerable and needy in our society all across Scotland: "In Christ's name we seek to support people to achieve the highest quality of life which they are capable of achieving at any given time. We aim to show the practical side of our Christian faith by reflecting Christian love to those we support, through our leadership, management and working relationship."

Too obsessed with "getting to Heaven"? I don’t think so. Supernatural faith and social responsibility should go hand-in-hand in today’s world.

Irene Munro, Conon Bridge.

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• Address problems in our schools by building a fairer society

YOUR disturbing article on the issue of classroom absence should make Jenny Gilruth, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, take a long look at pupil motivation to attend school ("Government urged to act over high level of classroom absence", The Herald, August 26).

The model of a row of pupils in a class with an adult in front was probably the design first adopted for education because the paradigm of the church was the most familiar solution for imparting knowledge. I suspect that pupils are now becoming disaffected with school for the same reason many of our churches are empty. They are being given something which someone thinks they need but it is not what they want.

The eight areas of learning within the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence were initially promoted as having coherence but I expect that in most secondary schools they are compartmentalised into stifling subject boundaries. The creativity of cross-curricular projects and themes will often be suppressed in the drive for higher attainment.

Children will not be motivated to attend school if it undermines their self-esteem. Children will not change; it is the school provision which must adapt to what interests and motivates generation Z.

Bill Brown, Milngavie.

The disparaging of Walter Scott

LIKE Ian W Thomson (Letters, August 26), I wonder at the never-ceasing criticism of the works and views of that great "Wizard of the North", Sir Walter Scott.

Unfortunately, it is not just William Wordsworth’s sister who has joined in enthusiastically in that respect over the years. Perhaps the biggest culprit of all in that direction is Scotland’s very own legendary comedian, Sir Billy Connolly, who over many years has turned the disparaging of Scott into part of his (undoubtedly side-splitting) comedy act. I wonder if he ever reflects on this in his wisdom years? Along with various other misguided critics of the great Scottish genius, he must have played a major part in ensuring that our school curriculum is limited strictly and exclusively to our other home-grown literary giant from Ayrshire, Robert Burns.

I feel sure that in future, more enlightened, times that Walter Scott will be recognised for what he is: arguably, the greatest historical novelist of all time; and a truly wonderful poet. Unlike Dorothy Wordsworth, Scott much more accurately wrote of Loch Katrine, “ so wondrous wild, the whole might seem the scenery of a fairy dream”.

DH Telford, Fairlie.

Dreich delight

WELL said, Doug Maughan (Letters, August 25) in describing the joy of the Scots language and specific words within it.

His story reminds me of the time I said the very same word "dreich" to a work colleague in Aberdeen. It was one of these days when the sky, sea, buildings and even the people were grey and seemed to merge into each other.

My colleague, who hailed from deepest Devon, once I’d explained its meaning, thought it was one of the most descriptive words he’d ever come across. He added that he would test it out the next time similar conditions prevailed in his native Devon. Sadly I never asked him if he actually did.

Willie Towers, Alford.

• DOUG Maughan, in advocating the use of the Scots language wherever possible rather than any translation thereof, recalls a time flying a plane to the USA.This brings to mind a flight I was on from Dubai to Perth, Australia. A strong wind was blowing as the plane approached Perth, which led the pilot to abort the landing twice, before landing at the third attempt. The words heard frequently from the Australian pilot during this episode were "no worries, no worries".

In the circumstances these words really needed no translation. A lady sitting close to us was unmoved by these words of good cheer from the pilot: she took out her rosary beads.

Ian W Thomson, Lenzie.

Sir Walter Scott by Sir William Allan, 1844. (Image: National Galleries of Scotland/Getty)

Degrees of happiness

DENIS Bruce (Letters, August 26) describes well the good old and innocent days of hearing exam results.

Seeking moral support, a friend asked me to accompany him to a board outside Glasgow University, where, late one evening, the results of the civil engineering finals would be displayed in alphabetical order. After much intense searching, commiseration turned to congratulation when my friend noticed his name in a small section at the top of the board reserved for honours degrees.

David Miller, Milngavie.