Paisley attacked for Dana praise

Politics

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

By Noel McAdam

A senior Free Presbyterian Minister has launched a new attack on outgoing Moderator Ian Paisley over his praise for singer-turned-politician Dana.

The Rev Ivan Foster said the DUP leader's description of Dana as a " woman of great faith" was further evidence of the "alarming and sad changes" since devolution returned.

First Minister Mr Paisley, who has agreed to stand down as Moderator of the Church in January after 50 years, did not want to make any comment on Mr Foster's remarks.

And a spokesman for the party was not immediately available for comment last night.

On his Burning Bush website, Mr Foster quoted a Belfast Telegraph report on the Stormont launch of Dana's autobiography, All Kinds of Everything, which was hosted by Mr Paisley.

Mr Foster, a former close ally of Mr Paisley's, said the article "makes very sad reading for all faithful Christians. To commend the faith of this woman and also her book is not in keeping with the doctrines of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

"The faith of Dana is that of a faithful Roman Catholic and doubtless her book will be commending the teaching of that religious body to its readers.

He said: "To speak of someone who believes the doctrines of Rome as a 'person of great faith' is to suggest that she has embraced the true faith as set forth in the Word of God. That is most certainly not so."

Mr Foster added that on his own website Mr Paisley "rightly refutes" the teachings of Rome as unscriptural and is "at variance" with his own teachings when he commends the faith of Dana.

"Furthermore, he is at variance with the doctrinal basis of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster when he commends Dana's faith.

"The Westminster Confession of Faith, which every Free Presbyterian minister signs in conjunction with our own Articles of Faith, repudiates the cardinal teachings of Rome as unscriptural.

"That such a statement should have been made by Dr Paisley and the necessity for such a statement as this to be issued is but further evidence of the alarming and sad changes that the emergence of the Stormont coalition has initiated."

At the reception Mr Paisley said when Dana had been asked why she had wanted him to launch her book she had answered it was because they are both " people of conviction".