When I was active in the church, it was in the larger ‘compromised’ Church of Scotland where I was free to hold my own views while it was free to engage constructively with the changing values of contemporary society. I am no longer in any church but that does not make me a libertarian. I don’t believe that in the name of equality ‘anything goes’. I have strong views on women’s rights and am against changes to gender recognition that compromise those hard won rights. Nor do I believe in the untrammelled rights of sex workers. Prostitution is a form of sexual exploitation. I also believe it is very misguided to defend illiberal anti pluralist attitudes on the grounds that it would be illiberal and anti pluralist not to.
I have some sympathy for those who point out the double standards of calling out the views of the Free Church while turning a blind eye to those within the Muslim faith community who hold broadly the same views. The difference is that in mainstream Christianity and Islam there is scope for the promotion of progressive values such as gender equality, human rights, LGBT rights, women's rights, religious pluralism, freedom of expression, freedom of thought and the rejection of fundamentalism. There are also those within these faith communities who strongly oppose these progressive values. Kate Forbes was disingenuous to suggest that she was simply part of mainstream Christianity in expressing her beliefs. The truth is the Free Kirk is far from the mainstream, has no liberal wing and therefore offers no safe place for the promotion of liberal social values.
There is a bit of a post code lottery when it comes to politicians expressing socially conservative views for religious reasons. In Northern Ireland and even parts of the Highlands and Islands it was almost expected. Remember the Rev Ian Paisley. His hostile opposition to abortion and homosexuality and his belief in a literal interpretation of the Bible led him to found his own tiny Free Presbyterian Church. When Robin Cook MP moved an amendment to legalise homosexual acts to the Bill which became the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980, he stated ‘The clause bears the names of hon. Members from all three major parties. I regret that the only party represented among Scottish Members of Parliament from which there has been no support for the clause is the Scottish National Party.’ When the amendment came to a vote, Western Isles MP, Donald Stewart, and the SNP's other MP Gordon Wilson both voted against the decriminalisation of homosexual acts.
The tradition at Westminster has been for the main parties to allow conscience votes on the big social issues like abortion and equal marriage. However no conscience votes were offered to those who felt it morally wrong to go to war or renew nuclear weapons. They faced three line whips.
It’s one thing to apply some ethical casuistry to backbench politicians with ‘dodgy’ views to let them off the hook. It’s quite something else when you are selecting someone to lead a government. That person has to be a champion for the administration they lead - for it’s enacted and proposed legislation, its policies and programmes. It’s no use if that person’s publicly expressed beliefs are at odds with those of the government.
Aspiring political leaders and those who promote them, would do well to remember the words of Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair's director of strategy and communications. When an interview with the then Prime Minister strayed on to questions about his Christian faith, Campbell quickly intervened to say emphatically, ‘We don’t do God’.