A clergyman forced out of Limavady in the 1980s will not be granted the freedom of the borough, after unionist councillors voted against the move.
Reverend David Armstrong left the town after a backlash from within his Presbyterian church over his decision to shake hands with a Catholic priest.
He received loyalist death threats over his Christmas message of goodwill to Catholic counterpart Fr Kevin Mullen.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ire … 643147.stm
Back in the 1980s tensions were high and David Armstrong in a Christmas good will gesture shook hands with his Catholic counter part. He was threatened with death and hounded out of his home. Were as he should have been commended by his church for trying to bridge the religious divided responsible for so much tension and death, he was lambasted by the Presbyterian church and hounded out of the church. He retrained as an Anglican minister and is now based at a Church of Ireland parish in County Cork.
As a way of apologising for past mistakes Limavady council (his old parish) tabled a motion to give him the freedom of the borough. It was put forward by nationalists and was voted down by Presbyterian Unionist politicians.
The Presbyterian Moderator, the Reverend Donald Patton, said more groundwork was needed.
Nowadays the leaders of all the main religions here meet regularly, so why continue to punish someone who had the foresight to do it when it was really needed?
Fucking sad, stuck in the past Presbyterianism is whats wrong with this country.
Reverend David Armstrong left the town after a backlash from within his Presbyterian church over his decision to shake hands with a Catholic priest.
He received loyalist death threats over his Christmas message of goodwill to Catholic counterpart Fr Kevin Mullen.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ire … 643147.stm
Back in the 1980s tensions were high and David Armstrong in a Christmas good will gesture shook hands with his Catholic counter part. He was threatened with death and hounded out of his home. Were as he should have been commended by his church for trying to bridge the religious divided responsible for so much tension and death, he was lambasted by the Presbyterian church and hounded out of the church. He retrained as an Anglican minister and is now based at a Church of Ireland parish in County Cork.
As a way of apologising for past mistakes Limavady council (his old parish) tabled a motion to give him the freedom of the borough. It was put forward by nationalists and was voted down by Presbyterian Unionist politicians.
The Presbyterian Moderator, the Reverend Donald Patton, said more groundwork was needed.
Nowadays the leaders of all the main religions here meet regularly, so why continue to punish someone who had the foresight to do it when it was really needed?
Fucking sad, stuck in the past Presbyterianism is whats wrong with this country.