Fact-checking JD Vance: Yes, the Scottish gov’t has criminalized praying at home

(LifeSiteNews) — This is John-Henry Westen for LifeSiteNews bringing you breaking news from Munich, Germany, where U.S. Vice President JD Vance delivered a speech that is blowing up the internet. He called out European restrictions on free speech to their faces!

But he said something hard to believe. In addition to calling out England for fining people for praying silently outside abortion facilities, he said that, in Scotland, people could be charged even for praying in their homes! That sounds insane and beyond even the most woke restrictions imaginable. 

There’s no way that can be true, or can it? Well the local newspapers seemed to think so. First, here is a headline from the major paper there, the Telegraph: “Praying at home may be illegal under Scots abortion law.”

And here is the Christian Post with a similar headline: “Praying at home may be criminal offense in Scotland under new law.”

But let’s not just trust the newspapers, let’s look at the law itself, and can we find that letter from police warning locals? 

As to the law, in November 2023, Scotland passed legislation allowing local governments to create “buffer zones” around abortion centers or hospitals where they abort children. The law went into effect September 24, 2024 and the zone goes 200 meters in every direction around the boundaries of the abortion facilities.

Direct from the Scottish government:

But surely private, silent prayer is not reckless, right? WRONG.

Check this out:

OK, so the law is nuts, but wait, we’ve not seen anything yet about JD Vance’s most startling claim about people being in trouble with the law for praying in their homes.

So let’s go back to the legislation:

REMEMBER THAT RECKLESSNESS IN THE LAW IS DEFINED AS INCLUDING SILENT PRAYER VIGILS!!! 

OK, so Vance’s remarks that seemed so unbelievable check out so far. But what about his claim that there was a letter sent to residences within the boundaries warning them of possible infringement and telling them to report their neighbors? Well LifeSite got a copy of the letter to show you. Have a look: 

Wow, and Vance didn’t even mention that fines for offences are up to an unlimited amount, and the government warns of 10,000 pounds, or about $13k. 

So what is the Verdict? 

JD Vance, the vice president of the United States, was absolutely correct! He was awesome in his calling out the anti-freedom, anti-Christian trend of the Europeans to their faces and he did it with a bit of humour thrown in. Watch this. 

For LifeSiteNews, this is John-Henry Westen, and may God bless you all.

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John-Henry is the co-founder, CEO and editor-in-chief of LifeSiteNews.com. He and his wife Dianne have eight children and they live in the Ottawa Valley in Ontario, Canada.

He has spoken at conferences and retreats, and appeared on radio and television throughout the world. John-Henry founded the Rome Life Forum, an annual strategy meeting for life, faith and family leaders worldwide. He is a board member of the John Paul II Academy for Human Life and the Family. He is a consultant to Canada’s largest pro-life organization Campaign Life Coalition, and serves on the executive of the Ontario branch of the organization. He has run three times for political office in the province of Ontario representing the Family Coalition Party.

John-Henry earned an MA from the University of Toronto in School and Child Clinical Psychology and an Honours BA from York University in Psychology.