Praying in Scotland

In the interest of full disclosure, and it shouldn’t be a shock given my last name, I am of Scottish ancestry, even on both sides of my family. Given the Left turn that Scotland has taken, I must say that I am immensely grateful that my ancestors emigrated to America. This was even before new abortion laws in Scotland could criminalize praying within a “safe access zone” of abortion clinics, even if a homeowner living within the designated zone can be heard or seen praying within their own home.

It is immensely revealing that abortionists and those so intent to kill unborn children are either offended, fearful, or spitting angry that someone may actually be praying for the soul of the mother to hopefully change her mind, for the soul of the child about to be killed, and even for the soul of the abortionist and his or her helpers to end their vile practice — which some have thankfully done over the years. That politicians and the police in Scotland consider praying in one’s home as potentially reckless and a crime...is a crime — against humanity.

Yes, in very extreme medical cases where an expectant mother is likely to die if the child is delivered, there is a necessity to curtail the birth. But abortion clinics rarely deal with such cases. Hospitals tend to deal with those cases. Abortion clinics by and large exist to provide abortion-on-demand because the unborn child is considered an inconvenience.

From The National Pulse (emphasis mine):

Christian and pro-life groups are raising alarms over new abortion laws in Scotland, which could criminalize prayer even in private homes. The legislation, which took effect last month, establishes 200-meter (~656-feet) “safe access zones” around all abortion clinics, banning activities that supposedly “harass, alarm, or distress” abortionists and their patients—including silent prayer vigils.

Even people living within these zones now face the possibility of prosecution for actions people can see or hear from outside their homes. This means activities such as praying aloud or displaying religious symbols could potentially be treated as crimes.

The Scottish Government led by the left-separatist Scottish National Party (SNP)—roughly equivalent to a U.S. state government—confirmed through letters sent to residents in Edinburgh’s safe zones: “In general, the offenses apply in public places within the safe access zones. However, activities in a private place (such as a house) within the area between the protected premises and the boundary of a zone could be an offense if they can be seen or heard within the zone and are done intentionally or recklessly.”

The late Supreme Court justice Louis Brandeis once articulated that "a single courageous State may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory; and try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country." Brandeis’s comment has been simplified to “States are the laboratories of democracy.” Of course, Brandeis didn’t live long enough to see the novel social and economic experiments carried out by states like California, Oregon, Washington State, Illinois, Minnesota, and New York, to mention a few, that threaten to cause harm to the other states.

Much has been written lately of the fall of Great Britain. It has been so seduced by woke identity politics and the militancy of Leftist ideologues, even making cowards of Tories in Parliament, that it should concern any sober American that Britain could also be a laboratory of failed novel social experiments destined for implementation here in America.

The Department of Justice has already targeted peaceful anti-abortion protesters. Is it beyond the realm of possibility that there are fervent pro-abortion activists within the DOJ and other branches of government who might wish to emulate what Scotland has done – especially if a Harris-Walz administration is elected? Sound farfetched? Tim Walz is a great admirer of the Communist Chinese. What has he learned from them? I also seem to recall that there were several Democrat politicians and operatives who were quite happy with pushing for the arrest and incarceration of climate change deniers.

It is quite sad, though, that we now live in a world where some consider abortion-on-demand a necessity, while at the same time believing that prayer for the redemption of souls and for sparing the lives of the unborn can be reckless. Pray for Scotland. Pray hard.

Rights free photo by Alex Azabache on Unsplash