I REFER to the letter of the Executive Officer Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland, published in the Greenock telegraph on Friday July 12th.

The National Church in Scotland is The Church of Scotland who are Presbyterians. Judging by the banners etc on Orange Parades, the Orange Order appear to be devotees of King William 3, King Billy as they say. 

King William, under his 'Test Act', persecuted all religious denomination in Ireland other than The Church of Ireland, an arm of The Church of England who claim themselves to be Catholic. In particular, he persecuted Presbyterians causing them in the 1700's to emigrate in their thousands to America. He also sanctioned the Glen Coe Massacre. In America these Presbyterians sided with the Americans in the War of Independence and defeated the British at The Battle of Kings Mountain and General Washington said that they were the backbone of his army.  Their descendants today, although still Protestant, are very anti anything British.

The Orange Order, as we know it today, only came into being after the Irish Civil War 1922/23. Over 200 years after King William.

Perhaps, in the light of today, the Executive Officers could clearly clarify what he means by his claim that the Orange Order is 'positively Protestant' and clarify what is the purpose of the Orange Parades?

Of course there is the right to exercise public expression. No-one disputes that, and it is of course the right of all.

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