Scotland gave us some great protestants

[SirKnight1788]

I am a man from Ulster and was delighted to discover whilst over in Scotland a large Orange Society in fact it impressed me very much.

It is good to see that Scotland maintains the great presbyterian zeal that it always had. Scotland is not bigoted in fact it is quite the opposite. If its bigotry your after I suggest you go to Iran and there I think you will find that biggotry exsists in its most blatent form.

Scotland has given the world some of the finist protestants such as john knox and calvin.

[ANDY-J2]

Calvin was French.I agree with your views on the Orange order as I think it's right that Scottish protestants should show their solidarity with the protestant community of Ulster and celebrate our shared history.

[Scottish_Republican]

The Orange Order is not Presbyterian in origin. In fact, presbys weren't even allowed to join during the 18th century.

[SirKnight1788]

I ment that it was good to see that Scotland still has a firce Protetant Community that is still full of presbyterian zeal.

The fact is the order unites all Protestants of all donominations under the one banner.

I am also proud of the fact that the order is so well maintained in Scotland along with its sister organisation the Royal Black Institution.

For example last August I came over for the relief of Derry Royal Black Parade in Killwinning and was delighted to see so many spectators out watching and supporting the parade. It reminded me very much of the Belfast 12th.

[Scottish_Republican]

The OOs dirty laundry should be aired in public. The vast majority of its present members are of Presbyterian origins, yet when it started out it was anti-Presbyterian and pro-Anglican (the semi-Catholic Church of Ireland with Bishops and Cathedrals etc).

The Orange Order are a bunch of hypocrites on any number of other scores. After all they protest about RC images of Mary, and veneration of saints, and pagan infiltration of the RC church (which did happen), and yet they venerate a Dutch invader whom few of them know about on picture after picture, and also use non-Christian Masonic symbolism. In fact there are good arguments to say that Freemasonry and Christianity are incompatible.

William was also a HOMOSEXUAL, who could barely speak English, and was sponsored by the Pope. Funny how we rarely hear about that... it kind of ruins his macho image.

[ANDY-J2]

Just to put the record straight,the Orange order aren't hypocrites and their main raison d'etre is not to campaign against Roman catholicism or religious symbolism however for a minority of its members who are bigots such things may be an issue.It is a protestant fraternity with members worldwide and its purpose is to ensure by peaceful political means the celebration of a shared heritage of which Scots and Northern Irish protestants should be proud.It is commited to maintaining civil rights and religious freedom and that commitment to religious freedom for all regardless of their beliefs is one of the tenets on which the order is founded.They also commemorate the many thousands of innocent members of the Northern Irish protestant community who were murdered by the IRA during the troubles.

[Scottish_Republican]

They certainly are hypocrites. How long were Presbyterians banned from it? At least a century.

"It is a protestant fraternity with members worldwide and its purpose is to ensure by peaceful political means the celebration of a shared heritage"

Aye, and the BNP claims to be "fighting anti-white racism" rather than what everybody knows they get up to.

Face it, the Orangemen are a bunch of neanderthals, whose main pleasure is to blow flutes, bang drums, and generally rile up people under the banner of "Protestantism", while dressed up like Mr Benn or the man on the flour packets.

"They also commemorate the many thousands of innocent members of the Northern Irish protestant community who were murdered by the IRA during the troubles."

What about all the other people killed by the IRA, or the UDA etc?