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Belfast Telegraph
04-05-2025
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Sunday shopping in Belfast ‘an attack on Christian and family values', say Free Presbyterians
On Thursday evening, Belfast City Council agreed plans for the scheme, which will allow shops to open from 10am on Sundays during the six-week pilot period. An amendment to the plans asking for the issue to go back to committee, supported by the DUP, SDLP, Green Party, UUP and TUV failed. The plans were backed by Sinn Fein and Alliance. As things stand, larger shops in Belfast can only open from 1pm to 6pm, while smaller stores have more flexibility. The Convenor of the Government and Morals Committee of the Free Presbyterian Church, Rev Gordon Dane said: 'It is another attack on the Christian and family values of the nation. 'Not only would it be a breaking of the fourth commandment but if this was to go ahead it would be another instance of the undermining of the family in our society. 'God gave the Sabbath not only as a time of worship but as a time of rest and it has been one time in the week when families can be together. 'The undermining of family has been of immense harm in our society. God has set the family as the bedrock of society and it is no coincidence that it is family that has been a prime target of those who wish to undermine the Christian ethos of society. But this undermining of family has done untold harm on many levels.' Proponents of the scheme claim that extended Sunday shopping in Belfast would be a boost for visitors and tourists, as the city centre is 'dead' on Sunday mornings. But the church founded by former DUP leader and first minister Ian Paisley pointed out that Liam English of shopworkers' union USDAW has said that if this proposal goes ahead shop workers, 'family time is going to be given up'. The Church – which last year opposed local football matches being played on Sundays – said that when Sunday shopping was originally brought in there were assurances that they would not be open when Church morning services were on. Now the proposal is for shops to be open from 10am. Many countries restrict Sunday trading, they said. 'In Germany, most retail stores are generally closed on Sundays and public holidays due to the Ladenschlussgesetz, or 'Shop Closing Law'. Stores in Poland can only open on a few Sundays in the year. In France, most shops are generally closed on Sundays, with exceptions for small food stores and those in tourist areas.' They concluded: 'The Free Presbyterian Church is calling on the Councillors of Belfast City Council to oppose this detrimental move. There is plenty of time to shop from Monday to Saturday. Do not forsake the commandment of God that has been given for man's benefit for a few more hours of shopping.'
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Free Presbyterian Church holds Irish language event
Languages, including Irish, are "a gift of God to communicate and to make connections with people". That is according to the Reverend Kyle Paisley, the son of the late First Minister Ian Paisley. Mr Paisley spoke to BBC News NI at an event organised by a Free Presbyterian Church on the history of the Presbyterian Church and the Irish language. He said his late father would have been "deeply interested" and would have attended. The event, called Preispitéirigh agus an Ghaeilge, was held at Farranshane House in Antrim's Rathenrawe estate. It included a talk on the history of the bible and Presbyterians in the Irish language by Dr John Duffy and an exhibition of bibles printed in Irish. Preispitéirigh agus an Ghaeilge was organised by the Pastor of Antrim Free Presbyterian Church, the Reverend Paul Thompson. He said the event was the "the fruit of a lot of work that's been going on behind the scenes in our community". "There's a deep intersection between Presbyterianism and the Irish language," Mr Thompson told BBC News NI. "I think there's a great ignorance over the role of Presbyterians. "From a Christian Pastor, we're seeing young people embrace this as something that's part of their past, their heritage. "It's creating that environment for people to look back at their history," he said. "For myself and others in there tonight, it's been a journey looking at history and realising just how much of the past belongs to us. "It's nothing to be afraid of, it's a great bridge builder. "We're not asking anybody to give up their identity, but just to enjoy the rich Presbyterian heritage which is a massive part of this island." A crowd of around 100 people attended Preispitéirigh agus an Ghaeilge, including the historian and former Sinn Féin Mayor of Belfast Tom Hartley, DUP founding member Wallace Thompson and Sinn Féin MLA Declan Kearney. Mr Paisley, who is now a Free Presbyterian minister in England, said the event was "a time of learning, and I have a lot to learn about it". "You don't get anywhere by ignoring history, and you don't get anywhere certainly by ignoring religious history," Mr Paisley said. "That's the purpose of tonight's meeting, to highlight something that is often forgotten in the midst of arguments over other things. "People may tend to think that the Irish language belonged to one section of a community at a time, as opposed to another section, but there was an interest in it in Presbyterian and in Protestant circles, certainly way back then. "We lose nothing by acknowledging that and we may learn some practical lessons for today," he said. Mr Paisley added: "I think it was Nelson Mandela that said: 'If you speak to a man in a language that he understands you'll reach his head, but if you speak to him in his language you'll reach his heart'.'" Presbyterians were among those who kept the Irish language alive in the 18th and 19th centuries. According to the Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland, some churches still proclaim themselves part of Eaglais Phreispiteireach in Eirinn (The Presbyterian Church in Ireland). The Reverend Dr Henry Cooke, a famous Presbyterian minister from the 19th century, evangelised in Irish and required students for the ministry to go to classes in the language. Alastair Bonar had brought a display of historic bibles in the Irish language to the event, some of which dated back to 1685. "The Old Testament was translated by a man called William Bedell, who was an English puritan," he said. "He was the Church of Ireland bishop of Kilmore in County Cavan. "He was the man who, painstakingly, along with a team of other scribes translated the Old Testament into the Irish language. "And a man William O'Donnell, he spent a long period of time translating the New Testament into the Irish language. "And then in the early 1800s a complete copy of the two testaments together was published and that is the Bible that is commonly used today." Mr Bonar said that William Bedell "wanted the people to have the Bible in their own language". He said that "a lot of people wouldn't realise the depth of history in the Presbyterian Church concerning the Irish language". "I can think of one example of a Presbyterian Minister in the Bushmills area who preached every week in the Irish language to his congregation."
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Free Presbyterian Church holds Irish language event
Languages, including Irish, are "a gift of God to communicate and to make connections with people". That is according to the Reverend Kyle Paisley, the son of the late First Minister Ian Paisley. Mr Paisley spoke to BBC News NI at an event organised by a Free Presbyterian Church on the history of the Presbyterian Church and the Irish language. He said his late father would have been "deeply interested" and would have attended. The event, called Preispitéirigh agus an Ghaeilge, was held at Farranshane House in Antrim's Rathenrawe estate. It included a talk on the history of the bible and Presbyterians in the Irish language by Dr John Duffy and an exhibition of bibles printed in Irish. Preispitéirigh agus an Ghaeilge was organised by the Pastor of Antrim Free Presbyterian Church, the Reverend Paul Thompson. He said the event was the "the fruit of a lot of work that's been going on behind the scenes in our community". "There's a deep intersection between Presbyterianism and the Irish language," Mr Thompson told BBC News NI. "I think there's a great ignorance over the role of Presbyterians. "From a Christian Pastor, we're seeing young people embrace this as something that's part of their past, their heritage. "It's creating that environment for people to look back at their history," he said. "For myself and others in there tonight, it's been a journey looking at history and realising just how much of the past belongs to us. "It's nothing to be afraid of, it's a great bridge builder. "We're not asking anybody to give up their identity, but just to enjoy the rich Presbyterian heritage which is a massive part of this island." A crowd of around 100 people attended Preispitéirigh agus an Ghaeilge, including the historian and former Sinn Féin Mayor of Belfast Tom Hartley, DUP founding member Wallace Thompson and Sinn Féin MLA Declan Kearney. Mr Paisley, who is now a Free Presbyterian minister in England, said the event was "a time of learning, and I have a lot to learn about it". "You don't get anywhere by ignoring history, and you don't get anywhere certainly by ignoring religious history," Mr Paisley said. "That's the purpose of tonight's meeting, to highlight something that is often forgotten in the midst of arguments over other things. "People may tend to think that the Irish language belonged to one section of a community at a time, as opposed to another section, but there was an interest in it in Presbyterian and in Protestant circles, certainly way back then. "We lose nothing by acknowledging that and we may learn some practical lessons for today," he said. Mr Paisley added: "I think it was Nelson Mandela that said: 'If you speak to a man in a language that he understands you'll reach his head, but if you speak to him in his language you'll reach his heart'.'" Presbyterians were among those who kept the Irish language alive in the 18th and 19th centuries. According to the Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland, some churches still proclaim themselves part of Eaglais Phreispiteireach in Eirinn (The Presbyterian Church in Ireland). The Reverend Dr Henry Cooke, a famous Presbyterian minister from the 19th century, evangelised in Irish and required students for the ministry to go to classes in the language. Alastair Bonar had brought a display of historic bibles in the Irish language to the event, some of which dated back to 1685. "The Old Testament was translated by a man called William Bedell, who was an English puritan," he said. "He was the Church of Ireland bishop of Kilmore in County Cavan. "He was the man who, painstakingly, along with a team of other scribes translated the Old Testament into the Irish language. "And a man William O'Donnell, he spent a long period of time translating the New Testament into the Irish language. "And then in the early 1800s a complete copy of the two testaments together was published and that is the Bible that is commonly used today." Mr Bonar said that William Bedell "wanted the people to have the Bible in their own language". He said that "a lot of people wouldn't realise the depth of history in the Presbyterian Church concerning the Irish language". "I can think of one example of a Presbyterian Minister in the Bushmills area who preached every week in the Irish language to his congregation."
BBC News
17-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Antrim: Free Presbyterian Church holds Irish language event
Languages, including Irish, are "a gift of God to communicate and to make connections with people".That is according to the Reverend Kyle Paisley, the son of the late First Minister Ian Paisley spoke to BBC News NI at an event organised by a Free Presbyterian Church on the history of the Presbyterian Church and the Irish said his late father would have been "deeply interested" and would have attended. The event, called Preispitéirigh agus an Ghaeilge, was held at Farranshane House in Antrim's Rathenrawe included a talk on the history of the bible and Presbyterians in the Irish language by Dr John Duffy and an exhibition of bibles printed in Irish. Embrace 'their heritage' Preispitéirigh agus an Ghaeilge was organised by the Pastor of Antrim Free Presbyterian Church, the Reverend Paul said the event was the "the fruit of a lot of work that's been going on behind the scenes in our community"."There's a deep intersection between Presbyterianism and the Irish language," Mr Thompson told BBC News NI."I think there's a great ignorance over the role of Presbyterians."From a Christian Pastor, we're seeing young people embrace this as something that's part of their past, their heritage."It's creating that environment for people to look back at their history," he said."For myself and others in there tonight, it's been a journey looking at history and realising just how much of the past belongs to us."It's nothing to be afraid of, it's a great bridge builder."We're not asking anybody to give up their identity, but just to enjoy the rich Presbyterian heritage which is a massive part of this island." 'May learn some practical lessons' A crowd of around 100 people attended Preispitéirigh agus an Ghaeilge, including the historian and former Sinn Féin Mayor of Belfast Tom Hartley, DUP founding member Wallace Thompson and Sinn Féin MLA Declan Paisley, who is now a Free Presbyterian minister in England, said the event was "a time of learning, and I have a lot to learn about it"."You don't get anywhere by ignoring history, and you don't get anywhere certainly by ignoring religious history," Mr Paisley said."That's the purpose of tonight's meeting, to highlight something that is often forgotten in the midst of arguments over other things."People may tend to think that the Irish language belonged to one section of a community at a time, as opposed to another section, but there was an interest in it in Presbyterian and in Protestant circles, certainly way back then."We lose nothing by acknowledging that and we may learn some practical lessons for today," he said. Mr Paisley added: "I think it was Nelson Mandela that said: 'If you speak to a man in a language that he understands you'll reach his head, but if you speak to him in his language you'll reach his heart'.'"Presbyterians were among those who kept the Irish language alive in the 18th and 19th to the Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland, some churches still proclaim themselves part of Eaglais Phreispiteireach in Eirinn (The Presbyterian Church in Ireland).The Reverend Dr Henry Cooke, a famous Presbyterian minister from the 19th century, evangelised in Irish and required students for the ministry to go to classes in the language. 'Depth of history' Alastair Bonar had brought a display of historic bibles in the Irish language to the event, some of which dated back to 1685."The Old Testament was translated by a man called William Bedell, who was an English puritan," he said."He was the Church of Ireland bishop of Kilmore in County Cavan."He was the man who, painstakingly, along with a team of other scribes translated the Old Testament into the Irish language."And a man William O'Donnell, he spent a long period of time translating the New Testament into the Irish language."And then in the early 1800s a complete copy of the two testaments together was published and that is the Bible that is commonly used today."Mr Bonar said that William Bedell "wanted the people to have the Bible in their own language".He said that "a lot of people wouldn't realise the depth of history in the Presbyterian Church concerning the Irish language"."I can think of one example of a Presbyterian Minister in the Bushmills area who preached every week in the Irish language to his congregation."
