Churches Together in Britain and Ireland

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:

Church and Society graphic 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 link to external website

Briefings

Dignitas Personae - Vatican document on bioethics:
Catholic Church in England and Wales link to external website

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

List of resources on stem cell research from CARE link to external website

News

18 April 2013 
Catholic Church urges support for 'One of Us' human embryo campaign link to external website

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

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

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Church and Society graphic Child protection

News

The vulnerable should be world Anglican priority, says international safeguarding grouplink to external website

Catholic Church

National Catholic Safeguarding Commission link to external website

Cumberlege Commission site link to external website with links to the report

Church of England

November 2010
Latest updated edition of child protection policy published link to external website

Protocol for review of past child protection cases link to external website

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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Church and Society graphic Equality

Equality Bill

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

Church of England - statement from Bishops link to external website

Methodist Church FAQ (PDF) link to external website

Quakers welcome government move on civil partnerships link to external website
   

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 link to external website

Church and Society graphicFaith communities and community cohesion

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

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Church and Society graphic 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 link to external website

Methodist Church

Methodist Church's current position on gambling link to external website

Salvation Army

Against the Odds? - Joint publication with the Methodist Church link to external website

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Church and Society graphic 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) link to external website 


Church of Scotland

Human trafficking and Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games (PDF)  link to external website


Salvation Army

What the Salvation Army link to external website 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 link to external website

   
Stop the Traffik

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

Stop the Traffik link to external website


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 link to external website


Churches Regional Commission for Yorkshire and Humberside

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

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Church and Society graphic Law and Order


Alcohol

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

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 link to external website  

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

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

Knife crime

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


Hate crime

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

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

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

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

Provention of terrorism and protection of civil rights and liberties 
Church of England position papers and statements link to external website
 

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Church and Society graphicLife issues
 

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

5 January 2012
Church of England statement on report of Commission for Assisted Dying link to external website

7 September 2010
Scottish Episcopal Church College of Bishops submission on the End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill link to external website
  
20 November 2009

Response to the Director of Public Prosecutions' Consultation on the interim policy for prosecutors on assisted suicide link to external website

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

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Church and Society graphic Mental Capacity Act, Living Wills and Assisted Dying

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

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Church and Society graphic 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 link to external website

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 link to external 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 link to external website

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 link to external website

July 2012

Church argues for Just War ethics in drone attacks
Methodist Church link to external website

June 2011

Military drones are unwelcome in Wales says Union of Welsh Independents
Union of Welsh Independents link to external website

Campaign Against the Arms Trade

The Campaign Against the Arms Trade has a Christian Network link to external website 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 link to external website.

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 link to external website 

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 link to external website

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 link to external website

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

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

29 June 2009
Bishops' Conference of Scotland:
Cardinal calls Trident "immoral" link to external website

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

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Church and Society graphicPolitics


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 link to external website
Speeches and articles by current and past Lords Spiritual on religion and politics link to external website

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 link to external website

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Church and Society graphicPoverty & Debt


See our separate web pages within our section looking at the economic crisis:

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Church and Society graphic Prostitution

National Christian Alliance on Prostitution (NCAP) link to external website

(NCAP) has launched a Good Practice Guide for local community projects and organisations supporting individuals involved in prostitution.

Church and Society graphicWelfare

  
Methodist Church

31 January 2012
Church leaders say benefit cap will make UK a darker, less humane place for us all link to external website 

Illustration showing paper people holding hands

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