Sunday ferries to Harris

[SkyeHibs]

Cal mac are operating their first every Sunday service to Harris this week and there is very significant opposition in the islands to the breaking of the sabbath.

Who is right, Cal mac in offering a service or those defending their culture and way of life?

[gun ainm]

Cal Mac
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there is also btw a significant amount of support in the islands for the sailing (and not just from white settlers) - those sabbatarians are pretty vocal but I'd be suprised if there was anything like a majority against the ferry service. I think a poll done in 2000 (which is the only one ever conducted) had more than 2/3 in favour of sunday sailings to Lewis and Harris (IIRC)

[wee 162]

Originally Posted by theselkie

Cal Mac
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there is also btw a significant amount of support in the islands for the sailing (and not just from white settlers) - those sabbatarians are pretty vocal but I'd be suprised if there was anything like a majority against the ferry service. I think a poll done in 2000 (which is the only one ever conducted) had more than 2/3 in favour of sunday sailings to Lewis and Harris (IIRC)

What percentage of people on Harris & Lewis are wee frees dude (assuming that it is them who in the main are the biggest opposition to Sunday stuff)?

Things like this get on my tits tbh. I've no problem with people wanting to observe the sabbath if that's their honest religious belief, and I also don't think that someone should be forced to work on whatever their sabbath day is if that is part of their religion, but why should their lifestyle have to impact on others who do not share those beliefs?

It's the same with churches organising opposition to gay rights, abortion etc. They feel these things are wrong, but they shouldn't be dictating anything to those who do not share those beliefs. Evangelise, and turn people into christians, buddhists, muslims, jews, sikhs, or hindus all you want so they don't do the things you disagree with, but don't try to impose your own will on those who disagree with you.

And yes this viewpoint is motivated because you can hardly get a pint anywhere in Scotland before 12:30pm on a Sunday
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[Northern Ireland Hibby]

Originally Posted by LanarkHibs

Cal mac are operating their first every Sunday service to Harris this week and there is very significant opposition in the islands to the breaking of the sabbath.

Who is right, Cal mac in offering a service or those defending their culture and way of life?

I grew up in a town with a fairly high number of Free Ps BUT a much, much higher number of people of other religions.

Surely the days when one single church can dictate over others have gone. I say run the ferries - the Free Ps have no right to rule over the lives of others by making their decisions for them.

[gun ainm]

Originally Posted by wee 162

What percentage of people on Harris & Lewis are wee frees dude (assuming that it is them who in the main are the biggest opposition to Sunday stuff)?

Things like this get on my tits tbh. I've no problem with people wanting to observe the sabbath if that's their honest religious belief, and I also don't think that someone should be forced to work on whatever their sabbath day is if that is part of their religion, but why should their lifestyle have to impact on others who do not share those beliefs?

It's the same with churches organising opposition to gay rights, abortion etc. They feel these things are wrong, but they shouldn't be dictating anything to those who do not share those beliefs. Evangelise, and turn people into christians, buddhists, muslims, jews, sikhs, or hindus all you want so they don't do the things you disagree with, but don't try to impose your own will on those who disagree with you.

And yes this viewpoint is motivated because you can hardly get a pint anywhere in Scotland before 12:30pm on a Sunday
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not sure to be honest - in my experience its not just the Free Presby church that is strict sabbatarian also in that bracket come the free church and the free church continuing - my impression is that it is the free church that is the largest denomination here. Certainly compared to many other parts of the country there is a pretty high percentage of the population that go to church regularly but to my mind its not the majority and numbers are dropping as elsewhere.

am interested myself so might ask around on numbers and percentages....

am in total agreement with your stance based on pub opening times - i missed the first 20 mins of the game on sunday waiting for the pub to open although obviously i might have been better off if i'd missed the whole damned show.
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[Smurf]

Let freedom reign..
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[SkyeHibs]

Originally Posted by theselkie

not sure to be honest - in my experience its not just the Free Presby church that is strict sabbatarian also in that bracket come the free church and the free church continuing - my impression is that it is the free church that is the largest denomination here. Certainly compared to many other parts of the country there is a pretty high percentage of the population that go to church regularly but to my mind its not the majority and numbers are dropping as elsewhere.

am interested myself so might ask around on numbers and percentages....

am in total agreement with your stance based on pub opening times - i missed the first 20 mins of the game on sunday waiting for the pub to open although obviously i might have been better off if i'd missed the whole damned show.
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I do not know the numbers here on Skye either but I do know the church's are packed out on a Sunday. Funny enough Sunday morning can be about the busiest time on the roads as folk travel to their various different church's.

A few months ago I did take my boat out on a Sunday.........Let's just say it did not go down well.

[Bartok]

In the far north and west sabbatarianism is still alive and well, and whether or no we like it the church remains very influential there. It used to be like that all over Scotland, and not so long ago either. I have a Scotland For Fishing guide dated 1966 that shows that fishing on Sunday was allowed practically nowhere in the country. Today it's only in the Western Isles that it is still taboo.

[Smurf]

Originally Posted by LanarkHibs

A few months ago I did take my boat out on a Sunday.........Let's just say it did not go down well.

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Don't let anyone stop you doing what you want to do.

[SkyeHibs]

Originally Posted by Smurf

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Don't let anyone stop you doing what you want to do.

Jeez oh not up here Kenny. Oddly enough I get on well with the locals and the incomers. I guess it helps that Ann's family came from here. It is very easy to offend folk. One of the problems is that often the incomers do not understand the locals who as a rule are very understated. You have to read between the lines in a way that is not typical anywhere else I have been.

[wee 162]

Originally Posted by LanarkHibs

Jeez oh not up here Kenny. Oddly enough I get on well with the locals and the incomers. I guess it helps that Ann's family came from here. It is very easy to offend folk. One of the problems is that often the incomers do not understand the locals who as a rule are very understated. You have to read between the lines in a way that is not typical anywhere else I have been.

No shit?
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Any chance that the locals make any effort to understand the incomers LH? Integration does not mean "do what he feck we do, or we're going to fall out".

This is not specifically slating people from the islands btw. Same thing in Edinburgh (/any city in the world).

[SkyeHibs]

Originally Posted by wee 162

No shit?
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Any chance that the locals make any effort to understand the incomers LH? Integration does not mean "do what he feck we do, or we're going to fall out".

This is not specifically slating people from the islands btw. Same thing in Edinburgh (/any city in the world).

It's a big issue wee 162. The locals tend to be reserved, just the way that it has always been. A clear lack of self-confidence which I guess is a Scottish thing. As a result when folk come in it is easy for them to takeover things which can either be because they desire it or simply they do not realise they are doing so. It can go too far. The post office here in Glendale will not supply The Scotsman. As a result I have to drive 10 miles to Dunvegan to get the papers and I do not frequent the post office in Glendale. Many of the locals are so minded. At to this the issue of language. This was a Gaelic speaking area, indeed Ann's grandmother who came from Waternish could barely speak English. As a rule the incomers make no attempt to learn the language and as a result people tend to speak in English rather than risk offending the non Gaelic speakers. End result the language falls from daily use. Remember the incomers chose to come to this place knowing that it was a Gaelic speaking area.

I have just scratched the surface with this but you get the picture.

There is one thing that has happened here in the last few weeks which is typically Island. We live half a mile from a beautiful little harbour at Loch Poolitel. For years the local fishermen have not paid harbour dues............The council never sought to collect dues.........Five weeks ago the council arrived to dismantle the peer claiming it was unsafe. Now this was a harbour used by local fisherman and fisherman from the Western Isles etc. End result the fisherman have to go elsewhere and what was a thriving local harbour is no more. If it was not so important it would be comical. The council still claim as no one was paying dues it could not have been used while everyone here knows differently.............Straight out of Whisky Galore!