It turns out Vice President J.D. Vance was right all along.
He warned that Scotland’s abortion buffer zone law could be used to criminalize prayer—even inside one’s own home. For that, he was mocked and accused of spreading “misinformation.” But now, the very lawmaker behind the bill is admitting that, yes, under certain circumstances, private prayer at home could indeed be illegal.
Gillian Mackay, the Member of Scottish Parliament responsible for pushing the law, initially dismissed Vance’s concerns. But as reported by “Christian Today,” when pressed, she conceded that a person praying by a window in their own home could fall foul of the law, depending “on who’s passing [by] the window.”
In other words, the government now gets to decide whether your prayer inside your own home is acceptable, based on the perception of others.
This is exactly the kind of authoritarian overreach that Vance tried to warn the world about.
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The buffer zone law was supposed to prevent harassment outside abortion clinics, but it goes much further. The legislation prohibits causing perceived distress, attempting to influence a woman’s decision or even engaging in silent prayer near these facilities.
And it doesn’t stop at clinic doors. Scottish citizens living within these zones have received government letters warning that “activities in a private place (such as a house) … could be an offence if they can be seen or heard within the Zone and are done intentionally or recklessly.”
Let’s be clear: this is an assault on religious freedom, and it is disproportionately targeting Christians. What else would you call it when someone can be fined or arrested for simply praying near a window? Lois McLatchie Miller, a Scottish spokesperson for the Christian organization ADF International, put it plainly:
“Clearly, the ‘buffer zones’ law is fundamentally flawed when it comes to undermining basic freedoms of speech, thought and religion. We all stand firmly against harassment, which has been illegal for many years — but the law goes much too far in preventing people from praying, or holding consensual conversations, in large public areas of Scotland.
“Gillian Mackay confirmed that ‘performative’ prayer could be a crime, ‘depending on who is passing by the window.’ The accusation of prayer being ‘performative’ rather than genuine lies in the eye of the beholder. Who are the police to doubt the genuineness of somebody’s faith, based on where they are located, and the position of their hands?
“JD Vance was right to raise concerns — this law is an illiberal travesty.”
This is no longer just theoretical. The law is already being enforced in shocking ways.
A grandmother, Rose Doherty, was arrested in February for simply holding a sign that read, “Coercion is a crime, here to talk, if you want.” Her supposed crime? Standing in a buffer zone and offering to talk to anyone who wished to. She was not shouting, intimidating or blocking access—just making herself available.
Doherty herself stated, “I didn’t breach the buffer zone—I didn’t harass, intimidate or even seek to influence anyone. I simply stood there, available to speak with love and compassion.” And for that, she was handcuffed and taken away.
This is exactly the kind of dystopian crackdown on religious freedom that Vice President Vance predicted.
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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
