The Scottish Government has launched a new campaign targeting Christians in an effort to tackle “hate crime” in Scotland.

The ‘Letters from Scotland’ campaign, produced in partnership with Police Scotland, include letters to bigots, transphobes, and homophobes and urge citisens to report any “religious hate” they may see or hear.

One poster reads:

Dear bigots, division seems to be what you believe in. We don’t want your religious hate on our buses, on our streets and in our communities. We don’t want you spreading your intolerance. Or making people’s lives a misery because of their religious dress. You may not have faith in respect and love, but we do. That’s why if we see or hear your hate, we’re reporting you. End of sermon. Yours, Scotland.

Chief Superintendent John McKenzie said, “Police Scotland treats all hate-related crimes and incidents as a priority.”

“It is recognised that hate-related crimes and incidents pose a significant threat to victims, their friends, families and wider communities, and the potential impact of such crimes cannot be underestimated.

“We continue to work tirelessly to ensure we respond to all reports of hate crime and I would encourage anyone who has been a victim of, or witnessed, a hate crime to report it.”

Another more concise poster reads:

Dear BIGOTS, you can’t spread your religious hate here. End of sermon.

Hate crime. Report it to stop it.

The authorities know they’d have very little support establishing blatant blasphemy laws. They know there’s no virtue in shutting down free speech. That’s why the idea of ‘hate speech’ was invented.

‘Hate crimes’ simply provide a way of silencing you opponent and claiming the moral high ground in doing so. They don’t even need to form a rational response – they simply accuse you of a hate crime and the debate is over.

It’s the grown up equivalent of the schoolyard bully who couldn’t fight with words and wit, so he used fists and threats of violence instead.

But, dear Scotland, think for a moment of the precedents this sets. A government that can tell Christians what they can or cannot believe and teach, could just as easily turn on you.

You might applaud the authorities for taking away a man’s right to say something you don’t like because it works in your favour today, but who’s to say the government will be on your side tomorrow?

And by then, thanks to your naive support, the authorities will be well-experienced in silencing their opponents.