The Very Rev Dr Alan D McDonald reflects on the day the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland changed its position on nuclear weapons. Weekly blog.
I understand that you want me to say a little about the
position of the Church of Scotland on Nuclear Weapons.
Well I know, because I was there when our position
changed! Since 1978, as a young Minister, already
passionate about Nuclear Disarmament, I had always tried
to attend the General Assembly, on Church and Nation
Day, whether as a Commissioner or just a person, sitting
up in the public Gallery.
The highlight for me was the annual debate on Nuclear
Weapons. And, in the end, the Debate always seemed to
come down to two people. The famous George MacLeod of
the Iona Community, and a Church Elder from Elie, in
Fife, Mr G N Warnock, who was a retired Army Colonel.
Every year, George McLeod, a wonderful orator, made a
compelling case about the evil of nuclear weapons. And year after year, the General Assembly politely
listened, and then chose to vote for the deterrent
argument, put forward by Colonel Warnock.
However, at what turned out to be one of MacLeod's last
Assembly appearances, when he was ninety one, at the
end of his passionate speech he put forward a motion
which said: "As of now, the General Assembly declare that no Church
can accede to the use of nuclear weapons to defend any
cause whatever."
As Lord McLeod slowly made his way back to his seat, the Assembly could already see the ramrod figure of Colonel G
N Warnock walking up to the podium. However, from the
start of his speech the Commissioners were hearing
something different.
He said that he had risen, not to
oppose, but to support George MacLeod.
You could have
heard a pin drop, as the retired Colonel, said that for him,
everything had changed that year, 1986, and all because
of Chernobyl. And he went on to say, that if he were still a serving soldier, and was ordered to press the nuclear
button, he would not be prepared to do it, and would shoot himself first.
The Colonel returned to his seat as thunderous applause echoed around the old wooden rafters of the Kirk's
Debating Chamber, and that day in 1986, Lord MacLeod's
motion was carried by a huge majority.
And ever since 1986, that has remained the settled
position of the General Assembly, of the Church of
Scotland. That was why, in 2018 I was able to move the
following Motion, which was adopted unanimously by the
Assembly:
"The General Assembly:
• Reafirm the belief that
possession, use, or threat of Nuclear Weapons is
inherently evil;
• Congratulate the International Campaign
to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, ICAN, on being awarded the
Nobel Peace Prize 2018;
• Welcome the establishment of an
International Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear
Weapons,
• And urge the UK Government to engage with
the Treaty process, as a way for the UK to disarm its
nuclear weapons."