It’s certainly hard to be adversarial about identity if you choose to have more
than one!
I’m an Irish person who now regards Scotland as home, I am very aware
that the smaller nations seem to be instinctively more pro-European. Small
nations with distinctive identities respond positively to the idea that they can
also be part of something much bigger. I suspect that this is one of the
reasons why Scotland seems to be
more pro-EU than the rest of Britain.
But I do not think that it would be in
our best interests if a Brexit were to
lead to the break-up of the UK. These
are separate issues and it is important
that they should be treated as such.
There is one further issue which
troubles me. The clergy whom I work
with know that I am keen to avoid the desire of some to decide issues
through meetings of the whole congregation. We govern by representative
democracy. My contention is that wider meetings allow tired arguments to be
rehearsed in extreme terms by people who are speaking without
accountability. The ‘let the people decide’ argument for referenda is of
course very powerful. Indeed anything less sounds anti-democratic. But I
wonder whether the referendum campaign with its complexity of different
issues is really the best way of deciding this issue.
Having stated that profoundly unfashionable view, I say that I shall continue
to pray for my country and its leaders. And the people will decide.
About the author
Born in Dublin and growing up in Northern Ireland,
David was a student at Trinity College, Dublin, and
trained for ministry at Oriel College, Oxford and Ripon
College, Cuddesdon. Ordained in 1976, he spent the
next 29 years in the ministry of the Church of
Ireland. Most of that time was spent in places which
were deeply affected by the continuing community
conflict – particularly the last 19 years spent as Rector
of Seagoe Parish, Portadown. Elected Bishop of St
Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane n 2005, he moved to
Scotland became Primus of the Scottish Episcopal
Church in 2009. Throughout his ministry, Bishop
David has given a high priority to communication. A regular broadcaster, for
the last ten years has written a blog at www.bishopdavid.net. He is married
to Alison and they have three adult children and three grandchildren.
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