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
- Child protection
- Equality
- Faith communities and community cohesion
- Gambling
- Human Trafficking and Sexual Slavery
- Law and order
- Life issues
- Mental Capacity Act, Living Wills and Assisted Dying
- Nuclear Weapons and the Arms Trade
- Politics
- Poverty & Debt
- Prostitution
- Welfare
Abortion and embryo research
Briefings
Dignitas Personae - Vatican document on bioethics:
Catholic Church in England and Wales 
Briefings from the Catholic Church on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill:
Briefings and podcast
Briefing on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology bill from the Scottish Bishops for parishes:
Bishops warn of "scientific opportunism" behind embryo legislation
Briefing on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology bill from CARE
The Passion for Life campaign draws together many 'pro-life' groups and aims to raise awareness of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (HFE) Bill. On the website is useful information about the bill and its timetable through Parliament.
7 October 2010
Statement by the Catholic Bishops of Northern Ireland on the ‘First All-Ireland Conference on Abortion and Clinical Practice'
22 October 2007
Briefing paper on Abortion (PDF) prepared by the Joint Public Issues Team of the Baptist, Methodist and United Reformed Churches.
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
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
Gambling
Fruitless campaign
The Methodist Church, The Church of England, The Salvation Army, The Church of Scotland, The Baptist Union of Great Britain, The United Reformed Church, Quaker Action on Alcohol and Drugs, the Evangelical Alliance and Care have joined together in the Fruitless campaign
Church of England
Church encourages Government warning to gambling industry
Methodist Church
Methodists call for the gambling industry to support problem gamblers
Methodist delight at decision to drop the supercasino
A quarter of a million problem gamblers is too many (Word)
Against the Odds (PDF) - a joint Methodist Church/Salvation Army publication
Salvation Army
Response to Government decision against the introduction of a supercasino
Response to the Prevalence of Gambling Survey - 19 September 2007
Salvation Army position statement on gambling.
Human Trafficking and Sexual Slavery
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
CHASTE
Churches were encouraged to mark 17 May as Not for Sale Sunday, organised by Churches Alert to Sex Trafficking across Europe (CHASTE) .
Salvation Army
What the Salvation Army is doing globally.
A feature on human trafficking and what can be done about it, with further links.
United Reformed Church
Article on trafficking.
Methodist Church
Social Action project on the trafficking of women and girls in Europe.
Church of Scotland
Human trafficking resource pack .
Churches Regional Commission for Yorkshire and Humberside
"Look and see our disgrace!" A briefing paper on Human Trafficking, Nov 2007 (PDF)
Law and Order
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"
9 June 2009
The Baptist Union of Great Britain and Ascension Trust organised a Bite the Bullet event , for 4 July 2009, exploring the cause of knife and gun crime.
5 July 2008
Archbishop Calls For Church To Reach Out on Knife Crime
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:
Catholic Church in England and Wales
Church of England
Church of England responses to Government proposal to extend the detention of terrorist suspects without charge to more than 28 days
MPs briefed on Church of England's position on 42 day detention and the Counter Terrorism Bill
Government needs better case to extend detention of terrorist suspects
General Synod motion on Detention without Charge, passed in February 2008
Life issues
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
14 July 2009
Catholic Church calls for compassion for suicide victims and their families
30 June 2009
Bishops' Conference response to GMC consultation on end of life care
Mental Capacity Act, Living Wills and Assisted Dying
The Mental Capacity Act came into force on 1st October 2007.
The Catholic Church in England and Wales has a booklet The Mental Capacity Act and ‘Living Wills': A Practical Guide for Catholics . There are also some study days relating to the Act.
United Reformed Church report and study guide on Assisted Dying (PDF)
Comment by Archbishop Peter Smith on assisted suicide amendments to the Coroners and Justice Bill
Nuclear Weapons and the Arms Trade
Nuclear weapons
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)
Position of the Methodist Church on nuclear non-proliferation
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 .
29 June 2011
Military drones are unwelcome in Wales says Union of Welsh Independents
Union of Welsh Independents
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
21 September 2010
The Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church have welcomed the Liberal Democrats decision to hold a debate on Trident renewal following grassroots pressure.
Baptist Union of Great Britain
28 May 2010
Churches disappointed by weak commitments on nuclear disarmament
Baptist Union of Great Britain
5 March 2010
Welsh church leaders join campaign for nuclear weapon ban:
The Church in Wales
29 Sep 2009
Methodist Church, United Reformed Church and Baptist Union of Great Britain:
Brown's Trident plans 'feeble and ineffective'
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"
18 March 2009
Methodist Church welcomes Prime Minister's commitment to nuclear disarmament
29 May 2008
World Council of Churches:
Churches applaud cluster munitions agreement, expect more states to join
Politics
News
Churches Vote Website for Scottish Parliamentary elections
All the information you need to be informed about voting in the elections to the Scottish Parliament on 5 May 2011. Explore the issues, find out what the parties are saying and how to question your candidates. Regularly updated information about the policies of each main party and links to a variety of Christian opinion to encourage even greater involvement by Scottish Christians in social action and public affairs. www.churchesvote.org
22 March 2011
Faithworks Debating Democracy Campaign
Faithworks is offering £500 to churches and networks who would like to run a hustings or event to help their local community engage in the upcoming referendum on the Alternative Vote.
Faithworks
15 June 2010
Archbishop of Canterbury's Sermon at Service for the New Parliament
Full text of sermon, plus photos and audio
1 June 2010
Network of churches and groups working to hold local MPs accountable
One of the keys to restoring faith in democracy is ensuring that MPs elected at the General Election are held to account for what they do on our behalf in Parliament. Church Action on Poverty is establishing an MP Accountability Network which will have the potential to help keep poverty on the agenda at Westminster. You can sign up online as well as download an MP Accountability Network guide.
Church Action on Poverty
29 October 2009
Methodist Church, United Reformed Church and Baptist Union of Great Britain:
Backing for Christians who get a ‘rough ride' in politics
Poverty & Debt
See our separate web pages within our section looking at the economic crisis:
Prostitution
National Christian Alliance on Prostitution (NCAP)
(NCAP) has launched a Good Practice Guide for local community projects and organisations supporting individuals involved in prostitution.
Welfare
Methodist Church
Church calls for welfare with dignity
Methodists have expressed concern for lone parents and people receiving incapacity benefits following the publication of the Welfare Reform White Paper.
Methodist news
Church of England
Press release:
Von Hügel Institute: Government ‘moral without a compass' says report into Church and Welfare
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Read what the churches are saying and doing about the current financial crisis and global recession