Post by Harry on Oct 19, 2009 8:18:28 GMT
DUP Minister Nelson McCausland has rejected the comments of a Protestant Church leader who said there was no doctrinal bar on him attending Catholic religious events.
The Culture Minister caused controversy when he said he would refuse any ministerial engagement that involved attending Catholic worship.
While republicans have accused him of failing to be a Minister for all people, the head of the Presbyterian Church has questioned any doctrinal bar on Protestants attending a Catholic service.
Presbyterian Moderator Stafford Carson said: "I think attending a service anywhere does not mean an endorsement of all that that particular denomination believes.
"And I think very often personal and human connections take us into those kind of situations.
"I don't think we would want to cause offence or hurt in any way. And a Minister attending a service like that does not necessarily mean that he would endorse all that that denomination believes."
Mr McCausland said: "The Presbyterian Moderator is entitled to express his personal view, just as I was entitled to express mine."
He said different religious leaders held various views on the matter.
"Down through the years different moderators have held different views on this matter and I can recall several former moderators who held the same view as mine."
Last week Sinn Fein and the DUP were at loggerheads in the Assembly after republicans sponsored a debate challenging Mr McCausland's stance.
Raymond McCartney of Sinn Fein questioned how Mr McCausland could carry out his responsibilities as Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure in an impartial way given his opposition to Catholicism.
The minister said Sinn Fein was failing to show toleration for deeply-held personal beliefs.
Mr McCartney said: "It is my belief that all ministers should commit themselves not to make religious belief a barrier to carrying out duties in an impartial and non-partisan way.
"It fundamentally undermines his ability to state that he is a minister who will carry out his duties without fear or favour."
Mr McCausland said his refusal to go to a Catholic church did not mean he did not enjoy good relations with Catholics, but he said that he was entitled to his personal views.
He added: "The motion is framed in the language of liberalism but it is intolerant and discriminatory."
The Sinn Fein motion called on the minister to withdraw his statement that he will not attend a service in a Catholic church, to recognise that such a refusal to attend a Catholic Church service from a minister has no place in an inclusive society, and that as a minister he has a duty to serve, respect and engage with all sections of society regardless of religious background.
The motion was defeated.
The Moderator's comments on BBC Radio Ulster sparked fresh remarks from Sinn Fein.
The party repeated claims that Mr McCausland had alienated a section of the community he served.
Mr McCartney said the DUP minister had singled out the Catholic faith.
"In the tone of the debate, this wasn't about us telling Nelson McCausland, 'here's what you should attend and here's what you shouldn't attend'," he said.
"What we were saying was, withdraw the statement that he made.
"We pointed out that in any other democracy, take England, take Dublin, take across Europe, if a minister took a position saying he wasn't going to attend a service in a particular religion I think most right-thinking people would be saying that that was wrong."
The Culture Minister caused controversy when he said he would refuse any ministerial engagement that involved attending Catholic worship.
While republicans have accused him of failing to be a Minister for all people, the head of the Presbyterian Church has questioned any doctrinal bar on Protestants attending a Catholic service.
Presbyterian Moderator Stafford Carson said: "I think attending a service anywhere does not mean an endorsement of all that that particular denomination believes.
"And I think very often personal and human connections take us into those kind of situations.
"I don't think we would want to cause offence or hurt in any way. And a Minister attending a service like that does not necessarily mean that he would endorse all that that denomination believes."
Mr McCausland said: "The Presbyterian Moderator is entitled to express his personal view, just as I was entitled to express mine."
He said different religious leaders held various views on the matter.
"Down through the years different moderators have held different views on this matter and I can recall several former moderators who held the same view as mine."
Last week Sinn Fein and the DUP were at loggerheads in the Assembly after republicans sponsored a debate challenging Mr McCausland's stance.
Raymond McCartney of Sinn Fein questioned how Mr McCausland could carry out his responsibilities as Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure in an impartial way given his opposition to Catholicism.
The minister said Sinn Fein was failing to show toleration for deeply-held personal beliefs.
Mr McCartney said: "It is my belief that all ministers should commit themselves not to make religious belief a barrier to carrying out duties in an impartial and non-partisan way.
"It fundamentally undermines his ability to state that he is a minister who will carry out his duties without fear or favour."
Mr McCausland said his refusal to go to a Catholic church did not mean he did not enjoy good relations with Catholics, but he said that he was entitled to his personal views.
He added: "The motion is framed in the language of liberalism but it is intolerant and discriminatory."
The Sinn Fein motion called on the minister to withdraw his statement that he will not attend a service in a Catholic church, to recognise that such a refusal to attend a Catholic Church service from a minister has no place in an inclusive society, and that as a minister he has a duty to serve, respect and engage with all sections of society regardless of religious background.
The motion was defeated.
The Moderator's comments on BBC Radio Ulster sparked fresh remarks from Sinn Fein.
The party repeated claims that Mr McCausland had alienated a section of the community he served.
Mr McCartney said the DUP minister had singled out the Catholic faith.
"In the tone of the debate, this wasn't about us telling Nelson McCausland, 'here's what you should attend and here's what you shouldn't attend'," he said.
"What we were saying was, withdraw the statement that he made.
"We pointed out that in any other democracy, take England, take Dublin, take across Europe, if a minister took a position saying he wasn't going to attend a service in a particular religion I think most right-thinking people would be saying that that was wrong."
