Churches Together in Britain and Ireland

church and public issues

current issues

The churches undertake work relating to a broad range of political, social and ethical issues. Here are some of the current topical issues, with details below:

Abortion and embryo research

Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 received Royal Assent on 13 November 2008.
Full details of the bill are on the Department of Health website

Briefings

Dignitas Personae - Vatican document on bioethics:
Catholic Church in England and Wales

Briefing on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology bill from the Scottish Bishops for parishes:
Bishops warn of "scientific opportunism" behind embryo legislation

List of resources on stem cell research from CARE

News

18 April 2013
Catholic Church urges support for 'One of Us' human embryo campaign

11 October 2012
Bishop Noel Treanor's response to the news of the opening of the Marie Stopes Clinic in Belfast

22 October 2007
Briefing paper on Abortion (PDF) prepared by the Joint Public Issues Team of the Baptist, Methodist and United Reformed Churches.

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Child protection

News

The vulnerable should be world Anglican priority, says international safeguarding group

Catholic Church

National Catholic Safeguarding Commission

Cumberlege Commission site with links to the report

Church of England

November 2010
Latest updated edition of child protection policy published

Protocol for review of past child protection cases

Churches Together in britain and Ireland

Time for Action
Sexual abuse, the churches and a new dawn for survivors

The 2002 report to Churches Together in Britain and Ireland of the group established to examine issues of sexual abuse. More

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Equality

Equality Bill

This bill was published on 27 April 2009. For more details see:
Government Equalities Office

Church of England - statement from Bishops

Methodist Church FAQ (PDF)

Quakers welcome government move on civil partnerships

Equality and Human Rights Commission

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which began operating in October 2007, undertook a consultation on its equality scheme, which is about how it will promote equality in everything it does. The results are now available:
EHRC website .

Faith communities and community cohesion

12 September 2008
Archbishop of York urges Government to recognise contribution of faith groups to community cohesion

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Gambling

Church of England

The Church of England is committed to working alongside people who are affected by gambling and is also active in making appropriate submissions on Government legislation. More

Methodist Church

Methodist Church's current position on gambling

Salvation Army

Against the Odds? - Joint publication with the Methodist Church

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Human Trafficking and Sexual Slavery

Scottish ecumenical Anti-Human Trafficking Group

Created by God, treated like slaves: human trafficking in Scotland
A training event for local church activists on the churches'
strategy against human trafficking, 17 November 20102, Edinburgh
ACTS (PDF)

Church of Scotland

Human trafficking and Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games (PDF)

Salvation Army

What the Salvation Army is doing.

Hope for Justice

An anti human trafficking organisation working to uncover and abolish the hidden crime of modern-day slavery, which is looking to partner with churches.

Hope for Justice

Stop the Traffik

Charity founded by Steve Chalke who has become a United Nations Special Advisor on Community Action Against Trafficking.

Stop the Traffik

Gathering Voices: A Journey of Prayer

An initiative aiming to gather a network of voices, young and old, to intercede into the injustice of prostitution and human trafficking, running up to the 2012 Olympics. A free resource pack is available to download.
Website

Churches Regional Commission for Yorkshire and Humberside

"Look and see our disgrace!" A briefing paper on Human Trafficking, Nov 2007 (PDF)

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Law and Order

Alcohol

26 March 2012
Cautious welcome from the churches for Government action on alcohol pricing
Church of England

3 February 2012
A coalition of national Churches and charities has written to the Prime Minister asking him to introduce a minimum unit price on all alcohol sold in Britain.
Baptist Union of Great Britain

The Measure for Measure campaign asks people to write to their MPs on the issue:
Joint Public Issues Team

5 December 2008
The Church in Wales launched a joint campaign with the Police to curb binge drinking, called Alcohol Pledge Wales

Knife crime

Church response to social disorder linked to gangs, drugs, guns and knives published by Churches Together in England "Who is My Neighbour"

Hate crime

November 2012
Catholic Church in Scotland responds to Religious Hate Crime statistics

10 October 2012
Archbishop's statement to mark the beginning of Hate Crime Awareness Week

Religious Hatred and Religious Offence
29 January 2008
James Callaghan Memorial lecture by the Archbishop of Canterbury

Incitement to hatred on grounds of sexual orientation
Responses:
Church of England and Catholic Church in England and Wales

Provention of terrorism and protection of civil rights and liberties
Church of England position papers and statements

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Life issues

3 July 2012
Catholic Church in England and Wales comment on the draft Assisted Dying Bill Consultation

5 January 2012
Church of England statement on report of Commission for Assisted Dying

7 September 2010
Scottish Episcopal Church College of Bishops submission on the End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill

20 November 2009
Response to the Director of Public Prosecutions' Consultation on the interim policy for prosecutors on assisted suicide

30 June 2009
Bishops' Conference response to GMC consultation on end of life care

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Mental Capacity Act, Living Wills and Assisted Dying

The Mental Capacity Act came into force on 1^st October 2007.

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Nuclear Weapons, drones and the Arms Trade

Nuclear weapons

Better Off Without Trident
Campaign by the Methodist Church, the Baptist Union of Great Britain and the United Reformed Church which calls on the Government not to spend £26 billion of tax payers' money on replacing the country's nuclear submarines.
Baptist Union of Great Britain

Now is the Time
Campaign calling for a nuclear weapons convention that would make the possession of nuclear weapons illegal and a new treaty to ensure that all fissile material is brought under international control. Supported by the Baptist Union of Great Britain, Catholic Church of England and Wales, the Church of England, the Church of Scotland, the Church in Wales, the Methodist Church, the Religious Society of Friends and the United Reformed Church.
Now is the Time website

Churches Together in Britain and Ireland produced a briefing in 2006 to add to the public debate on the future of the UK nuclear weapons programme. It does not promote a particular position or seek to represent the views of all member churches.
Trident: UK nuclear weapons at a crossroads (PDF)

Drones

November 2012

Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT) of the Methodist Church, The United Reformed Church and the Baptist Union of Great Britain has voiced support for a parliamentary inquiry into the use of drones.
The Methodist Church in Britain

October 2012

The Methodist Church, the United Reformed Church and the Baptist Union of Great Britain have called on the Foreign Secretary to distance the UK Government from the United States Government's practice of using missiles to target individuals suspected of involvement in terrorism.
Methodist Church in Britain

July 2012

Church argues for Just War ethics in drone attacks
Methodist Church

June 2011

Military drones are unwelcome in Wales says Union of Welsh Independents
Union of Welsh Independents

Campaign Against the Arms Trade

The Campaign Against the Arms Trade has a Christian Network formed in 1989 to bring to the attention of national churches and Christian organisations, the immorality of the arms trade. CAAT holds regular events and meetings .

News

15 February 2012
"UK would be £55 billion better off without Trident" say the Methodist Church, the Baptist Union of Great Britain and the United Reformed Church.
Baptist Union of Great Britain

19 May 2011
Leaders from The Methodist Church, The Baptist Union and the United Reformed Church say the Government's backing of a new nuclear weapons system was "unaffordable, immoral and strategically unwise".
Baptist Union of Great Britain

5 October 2010
The Union of Welsh Independent Churches calls on the coalition government to face economic reality and cut back on unnecessary defence expenditure and abandon weapons schemes, such as the update to Trident.
Union of Welsh Independents

5 March 2010
Welsh church leaders join campaign for nuclear weapon ban:
The Church in Wales

24 July 2009
Scottish Episcopal Church:
Government urged to reconsider its decision to proceed with a Trident replacement

29 June 2009
Bishops' Conference of Scotland:
Cardinal calls Trident "immoral"

29 May 2008
World Council of Churches:
Churches applaud cluster munitions agreement, expect more states to join

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Politics

The Church of England is represented in Parliament in several ways with the 26 most senior English archbishops and bishops sitting in the House of Lords as 'Lords Spiritual'.
The Church of England in Parliament
Speeches and articles by current and past Lords Spiritual on religion and politics

The Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT) of the Baptist, Methodist and United Reformed Church look at issues relating to politics and the Church.
Joint Public Issues Team

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