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joint
public issues newsletter 3
JOINT PUBLIC ISSUES
TEAM
Newsletter
3. February 2007
COMMISSION ON INTEGRATION AND COHESION
The Baptist Union of Great Britain, The
Methodist Church and United Reformed Church have made a joint
submission to the Government's Commission on Integration and
Cohesion. This followed a consultation by the three denominations in
which people were invited to share their experiences and views on
what makes for a harmonious society in which all people can
flourish, and what faith communities, local authorities and
government can do to bring this about. To see the full submission
and recommendations visit
www.jointpublicissuesteam.org.uk
or ring Alice Lundsten on 020 7467 5248.
SEXUAL ORIENTATION
REGULATIONS
Regulations will be
introduced very soon for England, Scotland and Wales that make it
illegal to discriminate against someone on the grounds of sexual
orientation in the provision of goods and services. A number of
religious groups organised protests at similar regulations for
Northern Ireland which were introduced earlier. Opponents fear that
the regulations will restrict their ability to act according to
their beliefs, preventing commercial enterprises such as hotels from
refusing homosexual customers. The Catholic Church sought exemption
from the regulations with regard to its adoption agencies. The
Baptist and Methodist Churches responded to the Government’s
original Getting Equal consultation in June 2006. The Methodist
response is on their website:
www.methodist.org.uk or ring Alice
Lundsten on 020 7467 5248 for a copy. The Baptist response is
available on request from Graham Sparkes at Baptist House (01235
517728; gsparkes@baptist.org.uk). The Joint Public Issues Team has
prepared a factual briefing on the current position (see
www.jointpublicissues.org.uk
ASSISTED DYING
The United Reformed
Church is currently debating the issue of assisted dying for the
terminally ill. Church members have been encouraged to respond to a
questionnaire; in some cases local congregations and districts have
held meetings to discuss the issue. The 120 responses received to
date suggest there is very little support for legislation that would
empower medical staff to intervene in ways which deliberately seek
to assist a patient to die. However, there is a strong feeling that
there is a time to die and there are circumstances in which it would
be wrong to continue to provide treatment designed to prolong life,
regardless of cost. There is also a strong view that good quality
palliative care needs to be more uniformly available and that
medical staff need more training in this discipline. Recommendations
regarding Church policy will go to the URC General Assembly, meeting
in Manchester in July. The Report, together with a study guide, will
then be available to churches. More details from Wendy Cooper on 020
7916 8632.
POST OFFICE
REORGANISATION
The Department for
Trade and Industry is currently consulting on the reorganisation of
the Post Office network (deadline 4 March 2007). This has been
widely reported in the media as a preamble to massive closures of
rural post offices, with warnings of the effects this could have on
community and village life. See
www.dti.gov.uk/consultations/page36024.html.
Graham Jones (Methodist-URC Rural Consultant) is undertaking
conversations with the Post Office and with the Church of England to
investigate options for churches to accommodate Post Office
facilities.
VOTES FOR PRISONERS
A response to a government consultation of
whether convicted prisoners should be given the right to vote, is
being prepared on behalf of the Churches. The URC Church and Society
committee has approved the idea that, in principle, they should,
because it is a basic human right and because it would encourage a
sense of civic responsibility, among people who often feel
marginalised and have a poorly developed sense of responsibility.
The consultation is by the Department for Constitutional Affairs.
See
www.dca.org.uk More details
regarding the Churches’ response, from Stuart Dew on 020 7916 8632.
POLITICAL EXTREMISM
The Methodist Church has produced draft
guidelines for churches in areas which are represented by
councillors from extreme political parties. Ministers and lay people
can experience difficult issues around offering pastoral support to
these councillors, being asked to rent out rooms, and being invited
to co-operate in community campaigns. The guidelines draw on
statements made by the Churches on the incompatibility of the
promotion of racism and religious intolerance with our Churches'
social witness, biblical teaching and understanding of the love of
God for all people. The Methodist Church is seeking responses by the
middle of March to these draft guidelines which will then be made
available to all churches. To see the proposals and comment on them
visit
www.jointpublicissuesteam.org.uk,
email
politicalaffairs@methodistchurch.org.uk
or write to NM31 Consultation, Methodist Church House, 25 Marylebone
Road, London NW1 5JR.
GAMBLING AND THE SUPER-CASINO
ANNOUNCEMENT
Niall Cooper, Co-ordinator of
Manchester-based Church Action on Poverty, condemned the decision to
locate the UK’s first super-casino in the city as ‘a threat to
worsen the city’s already poor record on debt and child poverty’
www.church-poverty.org.uk The Methodist
Church and Salvation Army have challenged the Government and the
gambling industry to ensure proper monitoring and evaluation of the
social and economic impacts.
PROTEST AGAINST
TRIDENT REPLACEMENT - Saturday 24 February
Demonstration in London
organised by Stop the War Coalition, CND and the British Muslim
Initiative, starting at 12 noon from Speaker’s Corner, ending with a
rally in Trafalgar Square. For further details visit
www.stopwar.org.uk . Prior to the
march, there will be a service for Christians of all traditions at
10.30 am at Hinde Street Methodist Church, London W1U 2QJ (10
minutes walk from Speaker’s Corner). For further details visit
www.jointpublicissues.org.uk
SET ALL FREE
Worship resources for
use on 25 March, 200 years to the day that the Abolition of the
Slave Trade Act was passed, are available to download from
www.setallfree.net (select ‘resources’
> worship materials). Also included are prayers and reflections to
use on other dates through the year. Go to the ‘What’s on’ section
to register your event and/or find out what’s happening in your
area. Look out for a major focus in the media, and commemorative
postage stamps, featuring six of the abolitionists, to be issued on
22 March.
JUSTSHARE DEBATES
1.05-1.55 pm at St
Mary-le-Bow Church, Cheapside, London EC2V 6AU: Tuesday 27
February - ‘Global Poverty: the Empire Strikes
Back’ - examining the root causes of poverty in the world
today; speakers: Wilf Wilde (political economist and author), and
Andrew Britton (former director, National Institute of Economic and
Social Research). Tuesday 6 March - ‘Treasure in
Clay Jars: the Church and Her Money’ - The Church of
England’s approach to investment and the ethics that surround it;
speakers: Eve Poole (academic) and Neville White, (Manager of SRI
funds CCLA and secretary to the CofE Ethical Investment Advisory
Group). JustShare is a coalition of churches and agencies.
www.justshare.org.uk
LIFESTYLES - One person’s lifestyle:
another person’s life
Ecumenical World
Development Consultation, 21-23 March at The Hayes Conference
Centre, Swanwick, Derbyshire. Places are still available for this
conference focusing on concern for natural resources, use of wealth
and attitudes to growth and wealth, and how we respond practically
through personal lifestyle choices, campaigning, theological
reflection and worship. For details/booking form contact
Alison
Blick: 020 7691 9867; or download
booking form from
www.ecocongregation.org/englandandwales
/downloads/LifestylesEWDC.pdf
CONTACT
THE JOINT PUBLIC ISSUES
TEAM newsletter is distributed through existing denominational
mailing lists. If you are reading a copy that someone else has given
you, and you would like to be added to the mailing, or if you have
any other queries, contact
Wendy
Cooper tel. 020 7916 8632.
86 Tavistock Place,
London WC1H 9RT.
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