Creationist politician John Mason complains trans people ‘override science’
Nicola Sturgeon, John Mason and Alex Salmond are pictured in 2008 (ED Jones/AFP/Getty)
Scottish National Party politician John Mason, who called for Young Earth creationism to be taught in schools as an alternate theory to evolution, has complained that transgender people “override science.”
Mason, a member of the Scottish Parliament, hit out after a Scottish government consultation found broad support among Scots for reforms to gender recognition laws to permit transgender people to more easily gain recognition as their legal gender.
The Scottish National Party’s Nicola Sturgeon. John Mason and Alex Salmond are pictured in 2008. (ED Jones/AFP/Getty )
The SNP MSP penned a letter to the Scottish Herald criticising the reforms, claiming: “Does science have anything to say about this? Is there an objective test as to who is male and who is female? Or is this a subjective question and science should have no involvement?
“It does seem to me that normally science can tell at birth whether a human being or an animal is male or female. Are we trying to override science by saying it is possible for males to become females and females to become males?”
John Mason claimed schools should teach about creationism
Mason’s recent commitment to science comes after he authored a motion in 2015 that claimed evolution was not “proven” and called for Young Earth creationism to be taught in schools as an alternative theory.
The MSP penned a motion in the Scottish Parliament that said science can “neither prove or disprove” the belief that “God created the world in six days,” or the belief that “the world came about without anyone creating it.”
Mason’s motion called for children to be taught about creationism alongside evolution in schools, adding that “children in Scotland’s schools should be aware of all of these different belief systems.”
Mason told the Scottish Herald at the time: “I also believe that Jesus could turn water in to wine; even if a scientific study of that wine showed that it was years old.
“These are the beliefs of Christians, Muslims and Jews and as far as I am concerned they cannot be proved or disproved by science.”
His comments were seized upon by scientists, who patiently explained that carbon dating shows that the world is millions of years old, not 6000 as Young Earth creationists believe.
John Mason opposes LGBT+ rights
Mason is also an opponent of same-sex marriage
He wrote for Christians Together in 2013: “It is widely known that I am a member of Easterhouse Baptist Church. I believe that the Bible is the word of God and its teachings are God’s direction as to how I should live my life.
“The Bible’s teaching is that a follower of Jesus should not have a sexual relationship with someone of the same sex.”
Mason continued: “On this specific point of same-sex sexual relationships, I see the key teaching of the Bible as being not to have the relationship at all. I see it as very much secondary whether the relationship is called a civil partnership, marriage, or anything else.”
John Mason MSP
He added: “As someone seeking to follow Jesus Christ, I can say that I am clear that people following Him should not be in same-sex marriages.”
Earlier this year, Mason was the only MSP to voice opposition to a law extending pardons to men with historical gay sex convictions.
Mason compared the law to an apology for the “Roman occupation.”
The MSP was previously accused of attempting to derail the country’s same-sex marriage legislation in 2014 by tabling a series of last-minute amendments.
His amendments sought to give immunity from discrimination laws to people who ‘object’ to gay people marrying.
Although his beliefs have been branded “nasty” by party colleagues, the SNP has taken little action against Mason.
The MSP for Glasgow Shettleston was re-elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2016 with 56 percent of the vote.
