Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Official Report 985KB pdf

Time for Reflection

Good afternoon. Our first item of business is time for reflection, and our time for reflection leader is Mr John Howieson, who is a celebrant of the Humanist Society Scotland from the Isle of Skye, and he will lead it in Gaelic. Interpretation facilities are available, so members who want to listen should plug in their headphones, on channel 1. With that introduction, I pass to Mr Howieson.

Feasgar math, a chàirdean, agus taing mhòr airson cuireadh a thoirt dhomh an t-àm cnuasachaidh a tha seo a dhèanamh.

’S e daonnaire a tha annam, is mi nam bhall de Chomann Daonnairean na h-Alba, còmhla ri mu cheithir mìle deug duine eile air feadh na dùthcha. ’S e neach-fèille daonnachais a tha annam cuideachd, agus mar sin bidh mi a’ dèanamh phòsaidhean, thìodhlacaidhean agus ainmeachaidhean às leth dhaonnairean eile. Bidh daonnairean a’ creidsinn dà phrìomh rud: sa chiad àite gum bu choir dhuinn ar n-earbsa a chur ann an reusanachadh; agus san dàrna àite gun tàinig mac-an-duine gu bith tro mhean-fhàs. Dìreach mar a thachair le ar càirdean as dlùithe, na h-apaichean mòra, thàrmaich dà thaobh annainn—an taobh farpaiseach fòirneartach, agus an taobh sìtheil gaolach, le comasan co-obrachaidh.

’S ann a’ sìor-fhàs a tha àireamh nan daoine a bhios a’ creidsinn an aon rud. Mar eisimpleir, ann an dà mhìle ’s a seachd deug—a’ bhliadhna mu dheireadh a chaidh figearan dha leithid fhoillseachadh—rinn luchd-fèille daonnachais faisg air dà-dheug sa cheud de na pòsaidhean a thachair ann an Alba.

Agus abair dùthaich airson pòsaidh! Mar neach-fèille stèidhichte air an Eilean Sgitheanach, tha mi fhìn air an t-snaidhm a chur ann an cuid de na h-àitichean as brèagha san t-saoghal—aig bonn a’ Chuilthinn, ri taobh Bodach an Stòir, ann an caistealan agus air cladaichean, fon uisge agus fon ghrèin agus leis a’ ghaoith a’ sèideadh.

Air cuspair na gaoithe, seo an dàn “Ceithir Gaothan na h-Albann”, a sgrìobh am bàrd Deòrsa Mac Iain Deòrsa mu na bha an dùthaich àlainn againn a’ ciallachadh dhàsan:

M’ oiteag cheòlmhor chaoin teachd deiseil nam bheitheach Samhraidh i,
mo stoirm chuain le dìle cur still ’s gach alltan domh,
a’ ghaoth tuath le cathadh sneachda nì dreachmhor beanntan domh,
a’ ghaoth tha ’g iomain m’ fhaloisg earraich ri leathad ghleanntaichean.

Duilleach an t-Samhraidh, tuil an Dàmhair, na cuithean ’s an àrdghaoth Earraich i;
dùrd na coille, bùirich eas, ùire an t-sneachda ’s an fhaloisg i. ...

Fad na bliadhna, rè gach ràithe, gach là ’s gach ciaradh feasgair dhomh,
is i Alba nan Gall ’s nan Gàidheal is gàire, is blàths, is beatha dhomh.

Mòran taing airson èisteachd. A-nis, tha mi a’ guidhe dhuibh deagh dheasbad, deagh reusanachadh agus deagh cho-obrachadh às leth ar dùthcha—Alba nan Gall is nan Gàidheal. Latha math dhuibh uile.

Following is the simultaneous interpretation:

Good afternoon friends. Many thanks for inviting me to do this time for reflection.

I am a humanist and a member of the Scottish Humanist Society, along with about 14,000 others throughout the country. I am also a humanist celebrant and, as such, perform weddings, funerals and naming ceremonies for other humanists.

Humanists believe in two main principles: that we should trust in reason, and that humanity came into being through evolution. Just as happened with our closest relatives, the great apes, two sides of our nature developed—the competitive, violent side and the peaceful, loving and co-operative side.

The number of people who hold such views is constantly rising. For example, in 2017, the most recent year for which figures are available, humanist celebrants conducted nearly 12 per cent of all weddings in Scotland. What a country for a wedding it is. As a celebrant who is based on the Isle of Skye, I have tied the knot for others in some of the most beautiful places in the world: at the foot of the Cuillin; beside the Old Man of Storr; in castles and on beaches; in rain, sun and blowing wind.

Talking of the wind, I will read the poem, “The Four Winds of Scotland”, by the poet George Campbell Hay, about what this beautiful country meant to him.

My melodious, gentle breeze blowing from southward in my Summer birchwood is she;
my ocean storm, with downpour sending in headlong spate each burn for me;
the north wind with driving snow that makes beautiful the hills for me;
the wind that drives my Springtime muirburn up the slopes of glens is she.

The leaves of Summer, the spate of Autumn, the snowdrifts and the high Spring wind is she;
the sough of the woodland, the roaring of waterfalls, the freshness of the snow and the heather ablaze is she; ...

All year long, each season through, each day and each fall of dusk for me,
it is Scotland, Highland and Lowland, that is laughter and warmth and life for me.

Many thanks for listening. I wish you a good debate, good reasoning and good co-operation for the sake of our country, Scotland—Highland and Lowland. Good day to you all.

Tapadh leibh. Thank you.