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Bible offer rebuffed by SNP councillor

A prominent member of the SNP group on the Highland Council has rebuffed an offer by church leaders to present each councillor and top official with a copy of the Bible.

Nairn provost Liz MacDonald told all the other councillors by e-mail that she was not interested in receiving a copy, and that the council should also consider stopping the tradition of opening meetings with prayer or should invite prayer from faiths other than Christianity.

The move has caused "sadness and disappointment" among some other council members, who said this was an attempt to abandon part of the Highlands' heritage.

This is the third time that members of the SNP group have fallen out with Christian groups.

Provost Bob Wynd of Inverness caused controversy over the Kirking of the Council in the Old High Church for members in the Highland capital by choosing to read his own speech instead of a passage from the Bible.

SNP members in Inverness also criticised the newly-started street pastors. The pastors are sent out by Christian churches in the area to counsel and help people who are drunk on the city streets at weekends. SNP members said they should include among their pastors people of other faiths and people of no faith at all.

Full story at the John O'Groat Journal.