Rev Dr John S Ross, Moderator Designate of the Free Church of Scotland, has appealed to Christians to vote with integrity at next week's Scottish Parliamentary elections.

Preaching in Inverness last Sunday, Dr Ross, said that Christians must not fail to exercise their right to vote, but added that many were unsure of which candidate to vote for because political parties failed to reflect moral values important to Christians.

"Never have I been asked so often, by so many people, for guidance concerning whom to vote for than I have in recent days."

Preaching from the book of Proverbs 14.34, 'Righteousness exalts a nation', Dr Ross said that righteousness could be summed up in the words of the prophet Micah telling Christians to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God.

"Righteousness is clearly the most exacting measure and searching test which we can apply to the candidates, polices and programmes of the parties standing for election. Christians must ask if those seeking their vote pass the righteousness test," he said.

Commenting on the Labour Party, he said, "I have to ask myself if I could vote for a party which refused to make any accommodation to the Christian conscience in the recent Sexual Orientation Regulations legislation, yet whose leader celebrated their passing into law by attending a fundraising dinner put on by Stonewall, at which £230,000 was raised to support gay activism?"

He also questioned the possibility of voting SNP after one of its married MPs admitted to indecent sexual behaviour with two teenagere girls.

The Moderator Designate concluded: "It is not that we want to be unrealistic, we do not naively expect political parties to be whiter than white. And it is true, that by God's common grace, even immoral men have sometimes promoted sound policies and governed wisely.

"But when you are poised with your pencil in hand ready to put your cross on the ballot paper, ask yourself which candidate is most likely to own God's Word, revere his day, recognise his holiness, promote his justice, show his compassion, seek his help and rely on his guidance and, perhaps, help to pull Scotland back from the brink of secularism and godlessness."