Sir, - Like many people throughout Northern Ireland, I am saddened and outraged by the events reported in Andy Pollak's article, "Loyalist Protesters attack Catholics on their way to Mass in Ballymena" on December 2nd. This disgust is intensified when some members of our community seek to defend the indefensible. Whatever the merits of the Dunloy issue, there is no justification for the intimidation that took place outside the Church of Our Lady in Harryville, Ballymena.
Permit me, as Moderator of the Northern Presbytery of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland, vigorously to dissociate myself and my presbytery from the comments attributed to the man who claimed membership of our denomination in Andy Pollak's article. Almost every Church in Northern Ireland finds represented within it a wide spectrum of political views, some of which are unacceptable to any reasonable person because they espouse or condone the use of sectarian violence. Yet such views in no way reflect the Christian faith or the teaching of the Churches.
As a Church, we believe that the sectarian violence that we have witnessed in Harryville is anti Christian because it defies the teaching of Scripture and the example of our Lord. As pastors, our ministers condemn it openly and urge our members to dissociate themselves from it. Our presbytery (which covers the Ballymena area) will be considering how the teaching of the Bible in regard to this matter can be brought more effectively before our members. - Yours, etc
Moderator,
Northern Presbytery,
Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland
Portstewart Road,
Portrush, Co Antrim.