a) Paisley is NOT a Northern Irish Presbyterian. He founded his own church - the Free Presbyterian Church, which regards the ‘official’ presbyterian Church in Ireland (the Presbyterian Church in Ireland) as terribly liberal, and as problematic as Catholicism. It is a pet hate of the PCI (a conservative, but very good and decent bunch of people) to be equated with Paisley.
“Presbyterian” can refer to a number of denominations. I understand why the phrase “Northern Irish Presbyterian” could be understood as a reference to the PCI, but that was not what I meant. However, if the wikipedia article is correct, then you’re at least partially right–Paisley appears to have been a Baptist by origin and never to have been a member of a Presbyterian church before founding the Free Presbyterians. Still, he identifies himself as a Presbyterian, so I stand by my characterization until someone can give me evidence that his churches are governed by non-Presbyterian methods or that he rejects infant baptism (church government and baptism are the two most obvious ways in which Calvinistic Baptists differ from Presbyterians).
Paisley did not train, nor was he ever ordained a presbyterian minister.
If wikipedia is correct, he did attend a “Reformed Presbyterian” seminary for a year. He was apparently ordained by members of several different denominations but wikipedia doesn’t say which ones.
Thanks for clarifying my overly broad characterization. He does appear to be more marginally related to Presbyterianism than I had realized (I had always assumed that he split from the PCI).
b) He does NOT have his own paramilitary force. Officially he has always denied paramilitary linkages. He does, I’ve no doubt, have linkages, and does, I’m sure, exert a fair degree of influence. But if fairness to the man, I don’t think he’d ever advocate the murder of innocents. Not that he’s any saint but it’s unfair to make those kind of claims if they’re not substantiated.
Fair enough. I should not have made that claim, since I am unsure of my sources. I was told by my parents and grandparents as a child that some reporter had allegedly been blindfolded and taken by Paisley up to the moors and shown an armed force waiting to do Paisley’s bidding. I ought to have questioned this story more thoroughly! (BTW, the story would have dated from the 70s, which is when my folks had more ties with Northern Ireland. A Northern Irish policeman lived in our house in England for several years after surviving an IRA ambush, and a farmer of our acquaintance–whose house I remember visiting–was blown up by a bomb while checking his fences. I actually lived in Northern Ireland for a few months in the winter of 1980-81, when I was six years old, but I have not been back since.)
Finally, I was not claiming that he would advocate the murder of innocents–one can of course engage in paramilitary action without killing noncombatants, though it’s hard to do this in practice!
I appreciate your concern for truth and accuracy.
Edwin
