Pro-abortionists pressure MSPs to ban ‘unacceptable’ silent prayer near abortion centres

Abortion activists are pushing Holyrood to impose Scotland-wide censorship zones banning silent prayer outside abortion centres.

Speaking to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee on the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill, Lucy Grieve of pro-abortion group Back Off Scotland branded silent prayer “unacceptable” and claimed that outlawing such behaviour would be “extremely beneficial” to society.

The Bill intends to block any pro-life witness within 200 metres of abortion centres. Although it does not mention prayer, its author Gillian Mackay MSP has used it as evidence for why a ban is needed and people have fallen foul of other censorship zones just for silently praying.

Prayer

Superintendent Gerry Corrigan of Police Scotland said that it could not provide an opinion on silent prayer and would only be able to report facts based on a person’s body language.

He said: “I do not think that we could go down the road of asking people what they are thinking or what their thoughts are. That feels really uncomfortable”.

The officer noted that there is already legislation in place if protestors “cross a line of what is acceptable in terms of criminality”.

‘Robbed’

Michael Robinson of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children said: “Buffer zones are illiberal, unnecessary and motivated solely by pro-abortion ideology. As Police Scotland says, they already have powers to deal with criminal behaviour”.

“A ‘safe space’ simply means censorship. Gillian Mackay’s Bill is wholly disproportionate both in terms of its draconian nature as well as its cost to Police Scotland in time and money.

“The right of women to hear what pro-life individuals and groups have to say and offer to them is also at stake. If buffer zones are introduced, women who might otherwise have chosen not to abort a child will be robbed of a final opportunity to choose life.”

‘Pro-abortion narrative’

Last month, the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland reminded politicians that introducing censorship zones around abortion centres is “unnecessary”.

In a letter to The Herald, Director of the Catholic Parliamentary Office Anthony Horan said that claims of widespread violent protests are merely a “convenient narrative being written by those in favour of the establishment of blanket buffer zones around abortion centres in Scotland”.

Instead, Mr Horan said that many are “peaceful vigils, consisting mostly of women, standing quietly praying at a reasonable distance from the main entrance to hospitals and clinics”.