Modern Scotland has no room for Jesus, according to the next moderator of the Free Church of Scotland.
In his Christmas address, the Rev David Robertson paralleled the birth of Jesus with life in the present day, and accused atheists in the guise of secularists of attempting to remove all traces of Christianity from society.
He said it was pointless for Christians to have faith if it did not affect their motivation in the workplace or community.
Mr Robertson, who takes on the role of moderator in May, said: “At every nativity one of the facts that is put across is that ‘there was no room at the inn’ for baby Jesus.
“It strikes me as a suitable metaphor for how much of Scotland will celebrate his birth this year.
“Some will have no room for Jesus because they are too busy watching TV, feeding themselves or getting whatever presents they can.
“The glitz, consumerism and greed leave little place for Jesus. And yet still people struggle to find satisfaction.
“Others want to exclude Christ from Christmas in order to be ‘inclusive’.
“But ‘Winterville’ or ‘season’s greetings’ is not the real problem.
“No, the real problem are the atheists and agnostics who, under the guise of ‘secularism’, want to remove all trace of Christianity from society.”