A picture of Kate Forbes wearing a red jacket and flowered dress in an interior with circular windows in the background.

Humanist Society comments on Kate Forbes’s links to evangelical charities in Third Force News

February 22, 2023

We offered our thoughts on Kate Forbes’s connections to a number of evangelical Christian organisations for an article by Niall Christie in Third Force News.

Here’s our statement for Third Force News in full:

“Humanist Society Scotland is aware of Kate Forbes’s links to a number of evangelical charities as well as her recent and historical statements on anti-abortion views, against equal marriage, and against the GRA reform.

“We will, of course, work constructively with any new first minister to push for the humane, compassionate, and rational legislation that humanists want to see. This encompasses not only GRA reform but also assisted dying for the terminally ill and a number of issues around reproductive rights, including creating safe access zones around abortion services.

“We would add that Humanist Society Scotland is by no means opposed to an individual’s right to practise their faith in their own lives. However, it is legitimate to question political leaders on how they seek to use that religion to form their policy decisions. After all, they have to govern for the whole country: for people of all religions and none.

“We applaud any candidate who makes a distinction between private faith, whether Christian, Muslim, or any other belief system, and a commitment to policy which recognises Scotland’s overwhelmingly secular profile.”

Read the full article here