An outspoken Dundee minister has condemned plans by a fundamentalist US church to picket the church of a gay Scottish clergyman.
Reverend David Robertson from the Free Church of Scotland in Dundee described the Westboro Baptists as a “sick and twisted handful of self-publicists”.
Members of the Westboro Baptist Church have said they intend to visit Scotland to picket outside Queen’s Cross Church in Aberdeen where the openly-gay Scott Rennie is minister in October.
The church which is headed by Fred Phelps and whose membership is almost entirely made up of his extended family carries out thousands of pickets each year and said tolerance of homosexuality incurs God’s wrath.
The group has even staged demonstrations at the funerals of US soldiers and claims the deaths of service men and women, natural disasters and terrorist attacks on America occur because of its liberalism.
Although Mr Roberston is opposed to the ordination of gay clergy, he said that no practising Scottish Christians would support the protest or share the views of the tiny sect.
He said, “They are a tiny group who are basically just one family and will stand outside the funerals of American soldiers saying ‘God hates you.’
“They are just publicity-seekers and unfortunately, they get it.”‘Dangers of fundamentalism’He added, “The more shocking they can be, the better.”
Mr Robertson said he believed mainstream Christians opposed to the ordination of openly-gay ministers or gay marriage are tarred with the same brush as members of the Westboro Baptist Church.
He said, “It is a kind of ad hominem attack. If these people are opposed to gay marriage and you are opposed to gay marriage then you must be like them.
“It is not that these people are being more open or honest about their beliefs. I don’t agree with anything they are saying.”
Rev Rennie said last week he is relaxed about the possibility of their protest.
He said, “Everyone and anyone is welcome at Queen’s Cross Church at the very least it is a good reminder to us all of the dangers of fundamentalism.”
At this year’s General Assembly the Kirk voted to accept gay ministers provided they had declared their sexuality and were ordained before 2009, when Rev Rennie was appointed to Queen’s Cross Church.