Northern Ireland Church Leaders and the Loyal Orders

31st August 2012

An Open Letter to Rev Roy Patton and Archbishop Alan Harper from former MLA for South Antrim Norman Boyd,

As a long standing member of the Orange Order and Royal Black Perceptory who took part in the last Saturday of August Royal Black Perceptory parade on the traditional route in to Belfast City Centre I am disgusted and angry at your comments attacking the Loyal Orders and would ask you both the following questions;

1. Were either of you in attendance at last Saturday's Belfast parade ?

2. Did you bother to establish the facts and hear the views of the parade participants and the Protestant community who were in attendance ?

3. How many Royal Black Perceptory and band members did you contact to hear their views ?

4. Did you establish how many republicans were actually local residents and how many were bussed in to create agitation and trouble ?

5. Why did you not condemn attacks on the parade by republicans who threw missiles such as bottles of liquid ( probably urine ) which hit members of the Royal Black Perceptory and band members ?

6. Why did you not condemn the chanting of pro IRA slogans by republicans ?

7. Why are you both silent when members of the Loyal Orders and band members are continually attacked in Ardoyne and elsewhere by republicans?

8. Why are you both continually silent when the police are attacked by petrol bombs and gunfire and are injured on a regular basis by republicans in Ardoyne and elsewhere after our Loyal Order and Band Parades pass by peacefully ?

9. Why have you both been strangely silent over many years when hundreds of Orange Halls have been badly damaged or destroyed by republicans who continue to carry out these heinous hate crimes against the Protestant community ?

10. Why were you both silent when the Orange arch in Glengormley was attacked by republicans a few months ago ?

11. Why have you both not condemned the sustained nakedly sectarian hate campaign against the Loyal Orders orchestrated by IRA / Sinn Fein over many years ?

12. Do you both support the strategy of IRA / Sinn Fein to make North, West, South and East Belfast and other areas of Northern Ireland no go areas for the Loyal Orders and the Protestant community ?

13 Why do you not condemn the intolerance,hatred and sectarianism by republicans in places such as Ardoyne and Dungiven ?

As a former member of a Protestant Flute Band I fully understand the anger and frustration of our bands.

The reality is there is no true peace in Northern Ireland, only a corruption of democracy when civil and religious liberty has been replaced by appeasement to republican violence.

The truth is that there is a sustained campaign by republicans against the Protestant Reformed Faith and sadly many Protestant church leaders are too busy embracing republican terrorists rather than taking a stand for the Open Bible and for what our forefathers fought for and obtained at great sacrifice.

Instead of standing firm for the Protestant Reformed Faith you are simply puppets doing the propaganda work of republicans whose hatred of everything Protestant and British continues unabated every day.

The Protestant People have had enough and will not tolerate any further attacks on our Reformed Faith. I trust you will both have the courtesy of answering these questions publicly and apologise to the Loyal Orders, Band Members and the Protestant Community for your biased and deeply hurtful comments.

Regards,

Norman Boyd

Proud Loyal Order Member

Newtownabbey