Blow for Scottish nationalists as UK court rejects independence vote bid

[Emrys]

12. I probably wouldn't call it that to her face!

I should probably also examine my own prejudices and attitudes to that minority but significant religion, but wry fun-poking at it is part of wider Scottish culture, from Whisky Galore, to guys like the old Highlander my wife and I talked to, to old jokes like the kirk minister's apocryphal insistence, "Can't have sex, it might lead to dancing!"

While up north of Ullapool (this would be about 20 years ago), we found that the land in certain glens had been feued by the Church, so Sabbath observance was part of the law of the land in some respects, including opening hours and fishing permits. I wanted to flyfish on a Sunday. I didn't want to offend anyone or risk bother, and I could have done without it for a day, for sure, but we didn't have much time up there, so asking around, we discovered a restaurant/pub in the next parallel glen that wasn't on Church land, and was open on Sunday and allowed fishing on its nextdoor loch.

Then there's the old Emo Philips shaggy dog tale (not set in Scotland, but that might have been its origin):

Once I saw this guy on a bridge about to jump. I said, "Don’t do it!"

He said, "Nobody loves me."

I said, "God loves you. Do you believe in God?"

He said, "Yes."

I said, "Are you a Christian or a Jew?"

He said, "A Christian."

I said, "Me, too! Protestant or Catholic?"

He said, "Protestant."

I said, "Me, too! What denomination?"

He said, "Baptist."

I said, "Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?"

He said, "Northern Baptist."

I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?"

He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist."

I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?"

He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region."

I said, "Me, too!"

"Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?"

He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912."

I said, "Die, heathen!" and I pushed him over.

Maybe I really do need to go off and examine my soul and prejudices, huh?