Belfast’s Lord Mayor breaks the tradition of saying grace before dinner

The Public Morals Committee has released a statement. available to download here STATEMENT

STATEMENT FROM PUBLIC MORALS COMMITTEE CONCERNING BELFAST LORD MAYOR

The Public Morals & National Righteousness Committee of the Reformed Presbyterian Church noted with disappointment the actions of the new Lord Mayor, Nuala McAllister of the Alliance Party, at her installation dinner on Saturday evening the 2^nd September 2017. She chose not to have a prayer to give thanks for the food before the meal. This is a break with tradition in the City Hall, but more importantly it is another example of our country moving away from its Christian heritage and foundations in the name of inclusivity. For fear that a Christian prayer to God might offend some in the gathering, the practice was abandoned altogether. Ms McAllister was interviewed on BBC Radio Ulster to discuss this matter. She confirmed that she identifies herself as an atheist and has chosen not to have any chaplains during her year in office, saying, “I am guided by my own morality; I believe that I am a good person”.

The Reformed Presbyterian Church holds that the Bible is the Word of God. It teaches that there is no one who is a “good person”. Romans 3:10 says, “There is no one righteous, not even one.” We live in a world full of sinners, each one being guided by their own morality. The world we see around us is a direct result of that sinful human condition. What seems right to one person is wrong for another. If there is no absolute morality, everyone ends up doing what is right in their own eyes, which brings chaos and division.

Yet God’s Word also offers hope. There is a way to deal with our sin, and that is through God’s perfect Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He offers forgiveness if we repent of our sins and put our trust in Him, for He took the punishment for the sins of His people on the cross. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” We do not need to depend upon our own faulty morality any longer. Rather we have the standard of the Lord Jesus to follow. He has perfectly kept all the commands of God, and we must strive to do likewise.

We call upon Ms McAllister (and all our political leaders) to listen to the Word of God; to acknowledge Jesus Christ as the only King and head of church and state; to turn from sin and trust in Him for salvation; and to give Him the worship he is due. “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to His name!” Psalm 96:8.