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Secularism
UK News

Shop owner sent Bible after deciding to open on Sunday

Leona Rawlinson received a letter from a local Day One group saying the day is for rest and worship.

The 40 year old owner of at Tweed Tastic in Stornoway claimed she has been harassed by 'extremists'.

Rev Greg MacDonald is a Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) minister and member of Day One, which was once known as The Lord's Day Observance Society.

He told Premier News Hour the shop opening on Sunday is a major disappointment.

He said: "That's always something that grieves us and upsets us, and it does so not because we want to cause any offence to anyone but because we'd far rather they came to hear the wonderful message of the Gospel."

Rev MacDonald said major chains such as Tesco, Boots and Superdrug all close on Sundays on the islands so he is disappointed that a local business has chosen to open.

He said the Outer Hebrides had held on to Christian traditions for longer than the rest of the UK and warned that without a rest day on Sunday, people would be too busy to hear the Gospel.

He told Premier: "That's the sadness you see so much across the country. When the Sunday goes, a special day, the day of worship and peace, sadly people tend to find their lives too busy to hear the Gospel."

Rev MacDonald also said that he believes the business would flourish far better if it was only six days a week.

However, Western Isles Secular Society said in a statement:  "Leona's is not the first business to be harassed in this cowardly manner and it probably won't be the last.

"This kind of shameful behaviour is typical of a small and hardcore group of fundamentalists."

In response to claims that Rawlinson has been harassed an intimated, Rev MacDonald said it was "flamboyant language" and untrue.

Premier has contacted Tweed Tastic for its side of the story, but hasn't heard back.

Listen to Rev Greg MacDonald speaking with Premier's Tola Mbakwe here:

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