Scottish Government Proposals On Buffer Zones Totalitarian: Criminalizes Pro-life Prayer Vigils
From the website of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children…
Help protect women and children from abortion by defending pro-life vigils in Scotland.
A public consultation has been launched on a bill proposed by Gillian MacKay MSP to bring in buffer zones around facilities that provide abortions in Scotland.
Ms MacKay’s proposals would criminalise all pro-life activities in the vicinity of abortion facilities.
If this Bill becomes law, anyone taking part in a pro-life vigil in Scotland would be subject to a 6 month jail sentence for a first offence, and up to 2 years in prison for subsequent breaches.
It is important that as many people as possible respond to this consultation.
The consultation is running until Thursday 11 August 2022. Please complete the questionnaire as soon as you can and encourage others to do the same.
We have produced a guide to help you respond to the questions included in the consultation survey.
Editor writes…
I submitted my response to the consultation yesterday.
In summary, there is no need for a new law. We all have the right to protest and/or pray peacefully, and if anyone steps out of line and causes trouble, the current law should be invoked against that person, as appropriate. Most pro-life gatherings are to pray outside clinics, but in some cases, pro-lifers offer to speak with women going into the clinic, in order to offer an alternative possible solution and/or informative literature. Women have a right to such information and the possibility of receiving necessary help, not on offer from the abortion clinics. Nobody is forced to speak with the pro-lifers or to take literature. Only in totalitarian States do Governments ban protests and punish religious practices such as prayer. There is a section in the questionnaire which asks our opinions about suggested punishments – my response was simply that nobody should be punished for participating in a peaceful protest or prayer vigil. Again, if the Scottish Government continues down this road, we are witnessing a reinforcement of that authoritarianism which was evident throughout the imposition of Covid lockdowns and restrictions.
I urge all our bloggers, readers, and visitors to this site to submit the consultation form in good time to meet the deadline (11 August).
Comments (15)
Shameful unparliamentary behaviour. This is Britain not North Korea or China.
I totally agree that Scotland is now like North Korea of China. That’s a given, sorry to say. We saw it during Covid and that won’t change now – not until the Consecration of Russia, IMHO.
If this goes through the Scottish Parliament, it will be proof positive that we are being ruled by demons. To criminalise someone for praying in defence of innocent, helpless, unborn babies is impossible to explain in any other way.
If anybody thinks the “consultation” means anything, just think back to the same sex “consultation” (there were two actually, and in each case a majority of Scots voted against) – but we still got same sex marriage. I Googled just now to find a report and an American one was first on the list, LOL! Here’s their opening paragraph:
The government of Scotland has decided to disregard the wishes of two-thirds of its citizens and move ahead with legislation to legalize same-sex marriage. According to Britain’s Telegraph newspaper, Scottish Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced July 25 that she would push though legislation to legalize homosexual partnerships even though 64 percent of respondents to a recent public consultation indicated they opposed the move. Sturgeon said she would like to have homosexual marriage ceremonies begin in the country in 2015, the same year Britain’s Prime Minister, David Cameron, is pushing for them to begin in England.
https://thenewamerican.com/scotland-set-to-legalize-same-sex-marriage-despite-majority-opposition/
So, I wouldn’t spend too much time on that “consultation”, frankly.
Josephine,
I’ve mentioned that fake consultation on ss “marriage” many times, locked into my memory because I spent hours completing both questionnaires. As others said at the time, it was clear that they had been deliberately designed to put people off responding. The questions were disgraceful – convoluted and difficult to understand. They were so bad that the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland (“Marriage” agency) put together a leaflet to explain the meanings of each question, with possible responses. Incredible. Even so, the Government lost the argument. And the rest, as they say, is history. We got ss “marriage” anyway. Laugh? I thought I’d never start.
I still think it’s important to complete this buffer zones questionnaire because if there is not a good response, the Government will use that fact for all it’s worth, and say it shows they have a duty to legislate for the zones to make sure people feel safe, blah blah.
Josephine and Editor
I remember filling in that consultation on ss “marriage” and how Sturgeon completely trampled the will of the people as expressed through it. Still, I filled out this latest consultation with vigour and no few sharp reminders about what this proposal by a culturally Marxist government represents. They may ultimately ignore the truths I’ve expressed in that form, as everyone in authority seems to be doing these days, but the truth will out in the end.
Another pattern noticed from last week where irish govt announced plans to ban rallies from abortion practice hospitals whereas they wouldnt be allowed to approach, say 400 yards to half mile. Irish govt have been meeting Scottish, Welsh govst on a quarterly basis rotated in various locations.
FDS,
It’s very obvious, really, that these Governments are working in concert, taking the same draconian action to send the totalitarian message to us, loud and clear.
Liz Truss, one of the two leadership contenders in the “battle for No. 10” as the media clowns have dubbed it, Liz answered a question about Scottish Independence today by saying that she would ignore Nicola Surgeon. She’s lucky to be living far enough away to DO that – up here, we might do our best but it’s very hard to ignore someone who wants to throw us in prison for simply praying outside a hospital. Gimme a break!
Editor, that Irish govt in coalition on its last legs cos polls had them on historic low figures for months. Can’t see them winning a GE cos they are totally despised as the electorate can’t wait to kick them out. Last week was the last straw re carbon emissions penalties which they as govt blatantly ignored airlines fuels. Govt of Ireland, Scotland and Wales seemed to work more in co ordinated pattern re plans. Our plans derived from scot or Welsh or vice versa. To be honest with you, Irish Catholic Church is off the cliff and free falling etc. Examples: various churches closing too early as St Anthony devotions on regular Tues evenings now cancelled. Latin Mass suppressed except for Sundays. No priests on sight re walking as they change into layman clothes. We have no fssp here except for sppx on boundary line.
I met a guy in West of Ireland as he said there was a priest from Scotland who used to live there for a year. His name is Steve gilhooley. Never heard his name before. Friend said that priest wrote a book and was a friend of cardinal o brien. He’s now in Switzerland as he stopped using his place in West of Ireland as residence. Hes sending me a book called ‘Tommy Sheridan’ later. Have you heard his name before especially in Scotland??
FDS,
Essentially, Father Steve Gilhooley is one of two major reasons why Catholic Truth was launched. He published a column in the local secular newspaper, the Edinburgh Evening News where he mocked the Faith and undermined religious and moral teachings, insulting Our Lady in the same breath that he savaged Catholic Truth in one of his daft columns – and all with the full backing of Archbishop (later Cardinal) O’Brien. The other one was Father “Call me Andy” Monaghan, who took on the role of Agony Uncle on local radio, and used that platform to undermine and even openly attack the Church. In due course, he found himself under police investigation after complaints from women about lewd behaviour, so you will appreciate why those of us at Catholic Truth were almost alone in NOT being surprised when the Cardinal O’Brien scandal broke. After writing to him in his capacity as Archbishop (and later Cardinal) umpteen times about both of these scoundrels, and getting nowhere, putting that together with the many other dissenters parading their faithlessness in Scotland at that time, we decided to wash our dirty linen in public, since nothing else was working. This report about Gilhooley is amazing – the confusion between truth and fiction is roughly equal to the distance between Glasgow and the furthest corner of the globe.
https://www.thefreelibrary.com/THE+PRIEST%2c+THE+BOOK+AND+THE+BOMB+PLOT.-a060418747
The alleged bomb was, of course, no such thing. At best it was an old box, and at worst (more likely) it was a figment of Gilhooley’s ripe imagination. He actually told the police that he suspected Catholic Truth was to blame and our poor founder and Treasurer, Charles J. Smith (RIP) received a visit from the cops to check him out. Charles, a highly respectable and respected well known local historian and scientist, was appalled at being suspected of planting a bomb, and he was actually unable to continue in his role as Treasurer thereafter. Later, I received a visit from the police, too; this time to ask me not to report about “Steve” since he needed to avoid publicity during his court case (he was alleging child abuse – see above article). I looked at the police officer quizzically, as they say in all the best novels, and asked her to hold on for a sec, since I wanted to show her something. I then went into the room which housed my desk and computer, pulled out a newspaper which a reader in Scotland had sent me days previously (I was living in the north of England at the time) and voila! She looked disconcerted at the double page spread, headlined to the effect that Rev Steve Gilhooley was a victim (yet again…) She shrugged and said “Oh, well if Steve…” Yeah, right. Steve, Sugar Plum Officer, loves to be in the limelight – and here you are, a real life detective, only finding that out now.
As you will have guessed, I haven’t got a good word to say about Gilhooley, so technically, I should say nothing more. However, having forked out the price of his daft book, I have to let the world know that, such was his command of the English language that he used the F word on every single page, or thereabouts. Eventually, having run out of ways to attack the Church, he flounced off to Ireland, saying he was leaving the priesthood. In due course, word spread that he couldn’t find a job, and later he wrote a column indicating his desire to return to Scotland and take up where he left off, as a priest. Here it is. A laugh-a-minute…
https://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2006/09_10/2006_10_06_Gilhooley_ConfessionsOf.htm
Apparently, there were priests in the archdiocese who were outraged at the possibility that the Cardinal might allow him back into a parish and so that didn’t happen. Instead, in the crazy world of novus ordo “vernacular” Catholicism, he was posted to an (drum roll) English speaking community overseas, somewhere, I forget – Switzerland, you say, could be. No idea. So, in case here was you thinking that Mass in the vernacular meant Mass in the local language, think again. It means that wherever you live or holiday in the world, you need to hunt out a Mass in English (or French, or Italian, or whatever your vernacular language is, get it?) Madness and insanity combined. Gies a break – as we say in the Glasgow vernacular 😀
PS Tommy Sheridan is a well known member of the Scottish Socialist Party which, again, Father Steve Gilhooley supported, if my memory serves me correctly. Tommy and Fr G were friends.
Note: when Gilhooley mentions a “Catholic group” or right-wingers etc. he is speaking about Catholic Truth. And his every allegation against us is false. We never sent him “court papers” – for example. Utterly false. Pray for him.
Editor, many many thanks re links. It sounded that he’s a controversial one with a gift of gab. I heard his name through a friend lived few doors from his place in county Cavan. It was rented and looked after by his father while that priest was away on trips to Dublin. Its only a 1 hour drive. Reading the articles that you sent me, he labelled CTS as ‘right wingers’ which made me chuckle cos he claimed re taping the sermons and sending it to Rome. That sounded like a crazy spy fiction.
Quite interesting that you wrote to O’Brien then an Archbishop which you got nothing out of him. Not surprised cos it’s bishop/s typical strategy of ‘silence or non response ‘ hoping that it will die down etc etc. It’s a common response nowadays coming from any Bishop in any diocese around the world. That’s the reason I don’t trust bishops at all. Their job is cover, cover and cover UP, period. They want their [Catholic] Church to look good on the exterior but rotten on the inside.
Then I asked him where’s he now as he sent me a link which you don’t have to read it. Cos you don’t think highly of him.
Link here : https://www.catholicchurchlausanne.org/priest
Thanks re Sheridan and him friends which made sense to me now after reading the articles.
I found his book on amazon but I give it a pass cos re his claims on taping the sermons just like a crazy spy fiction novel.
Editor: firstly, thanks for the Lausanne link which reminds me that I had been told of his “ministry” there when he was first shipped out. I’d forgotten that and will try to forget again 😀 Secondly, the claim that Yours Truly taped his sermon(s) is pure fiction. I was never present (nor were any of the CT team) when he was preaching… incredible. I’ve never taped any sermon(s) in my life. This falsehood, like others, was published in the Scottish press. Not a shred of evidence for any of it, from the bomb to the taping. It’s called “some nerve”.
Now, enough of Gilhooley – who, sadly, would quite likely be in favour of these buffer zones – so let’s get back on topic…
Editor, thanks for your comments, which is appreciated.
Buffer zones as you called it was first mooted on 25th Sept 2021 in Ireland.
Now its ramping up with most recent news here as its renamed as anti prayer zones instead of buffer.
Here https://www.catholicarena.com/latest/2022/7/27/ireland-to-introduce-anti-prayer-zones
Btw, that Chap Gilhooley has a very fertile imagination re his unproven claims.
FDS,
Many thanks for posting that link – sobering, to put it mildly.
This priest (in the USA) sets an example to us all – he’s going to jail as a result of his pro-life efforts.
https://www.lifenews.com/2022/08/03/catholic-priest-gets-three-months-in-jail-for-going-inside-abortion-clinic-to-save-babies/
He reminds me of Fr Morrow, the pro-life priest in Aberdeen. I pray that he intercedes for the failure of this buffer zones bill, if he’s in Purgatory or Heaven he can help us – and please God, he’s unlikely to be in the other place!