My apologies to all, not wanting to offend anyone...
What bothers me, and Spizz points it out, "
It is of course not EVERY Protestant" , it grates me that one can tar all the Mason's and Protestants with one brush, it also grates me that one would look for someone to blame....
Here's my history for those of you that might wish to know a bit...
My late father was Protestant, from Kelvinhaugh in Glasgow, My mother was Catholic, from Leven, my father at the time was one of the youngest elders in the Kirk of Scotland, he was also a Mason , just like his father. When my father first took my mother home to meet the family, My grandfather was highly upset, really upset that his son wanted to get engaged to a Catholic, the rest of the clan were not that impressed either. They got married and due to two reason, religion and lack of work emigrated to SA.
As the years rolled on and my parents kept returning for visits, my Grandfather grew to love my mother and actually at the end the two were awesome friends.
When we were born, our parents never forced either of their religion apon us, for obvious reasons, it was up to us to decide when we were older. To this day, much to great horrors to local folks, in particular the Afrikaaners from the NGK, out three kids have not been baptised, this they can decide for themselves.
My father always claimed to be a Gers supporter but in actual fact unbeknown to most he supported the Third Lanark when they were still around.
Often in our discussions about sectarian violence in Glasgow, I would tell him that us out here in Africa we found it very strange how they were fighting over religion back in Scotland,"Well,", he said,"Back in Scotland, we find it strange how you are fighting over skin colour out here..." My father was eccentric, I am sure that is where my genes are from, Born blue, Mason, church going, married to a Catholic, Sang songs like the Sash, but ironically in his folk playing music days, knew a lot of Irish rebel songs.
Out in our mining town in the middle of the Namibian desert, an even stranger thing was happening, we had a very large number of Scottish and Irish expats working here, and the funny thing being in the pubs and house parties they all got on like a house on fire, often friends for life..... in fact it was strange that if they had been back in Scotland, they would not be sitting together, but out here, they had a common bond....
In my town in my youth, a good friend of my dad's was an Irishman from the North, he had to get out of Belfast quickly as he was wanted by the police for doing some terrible deed, this Catholic was my dad's mate.... hiding away in a remote corner of the world... he eventually returned to Belfast about a decade ago...... my other friend of dad's . well he was in the B specials in NI, it was strange to sit at a braai with these men, singing folk music, drinking, out here, religion was the least of their worries..
As a kid, at a braai, I once snuck up to the IRA chap, as kids do I pointed a plastic toy gun at him, the guy went of the rails almost put me through the fence..... seem's like he had seen some terrible things...
As for the Mason's, at the local Lodge in my town, one of the most dedicated Mason's was a Catholic... religion mattered not out here....
Oh! My dad's family back in Glasgow, they saw violence between the Rangers and Celtic, one of my dad's cousins,was killed after a match, put an axe through his head..... So I am in now way a fan of this bigotry, find it real sad that people of a great nation like Scotland should be divided because of religion..... if only they could see past it....
Well, that's my rant of my chest....... all I am saying, you cannot tar everyone with the same brush, my parents did'nt!
.
