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CARE for Scotland is now on FacebookKeep up to date, tell us what you think, have conversations with other CARE for Scotland supporters.
Help build our on-line community by signing-on to ‘like’ our page at http://www.facebook.com/careforscotland.
Free Church of Scotland minister David Robertson has written an intriguing and persuasive open letter to President Obama following the President’s recent affirmation of same-sex marriage. Read the letter here.
Resources on MarriageAs the arguments continue about the redefinition of marriage, don’t forget the articles, information and statistics that can be found at www.care.org.uk/marriagescotland.
Scottish Order of Christian UnityCARE for Scotland is now stocking and selling the books previously published by the Scottish Order of Christian Unity.
Click here for information on all the titles available.
Elections to your local council are being held on 3rd May. Councils spend over £11 billion each year and employ around 230,000 people.They are responsible for delivering vital services such as education and social work.
If you meet any of your candidates over the next few weeks, here are a few questions you may like to ask them:
CareConfidential runs a network of 150 crisis pregnancy advice centres around the UK.
If you would like to know more about this ministry, perhaps with a view to becoming involved, you can attend the Scottish conference being held in Kilmarnock on Saturday, 12th May.
For full details of the conference, click here and to find out more about CareConfidential, click here.
- Sign the Scotland for Marriage petition online and encourage friends and family to do so too. Over 17,000 people have already signed, but we need many more
- Respond to the consultation by Margo MacDonald MSP on a new bill on assisted suicide. You can advice on how to respond here.
See the Events page on the CARE for Scotland web site to keep up to date with what’s happening around Scotland.
People in Scotland are supportive of the established definition of marriage. This clear message came out of a public poll recently conducted by Scotland for Marriage.
This contradicts oft-repeated assertions to the contrary by those in favour of redefining marriage who believe that public opinion is with them.
In an interesting dilemma for the Scottish Government the poll also showed that for every voter who would be more likely to vote for independence if same-sex marriage were introduced, more than five would be less likely to vote for independence.
The main headlines of the poll can be viewed here.
Things you can do to support marriage in Scotland:
Margo MacDonald MSP recently issued a consultation on her second attempt to introduce a bill to the Scottish Parliament which would legalise assisted suicide in Scotland.
CARE for Scotland’s briefing and guidance on the consultation is now available.
In summary, our advice to anyone responding to the consultation is to merely say that you do not agree with assisted suicide; we suggest that you do not get involved with the many questions she asks about how the process should be administered.
Please do respond to the consultation, which can be viewed here.
CARE’s bi-annual publications, Catalyst magazine and Challenge, the Scottish newsletter, will be mailed out to supporters later this week. Look out for them dropping through your letterbox within the next few days.
See the Events page on the CARE for Scotland web site to keep up to date with what’s happening around Scotland.
Despite the crushing defeat of her previous bill in Parliament in December 2010, MSP Margo MacDonald has launched a consultation on a second attempt to introduce assisted suicide into Scottish law.
CARE for Scotland will again be working with our partners in the Care Not Killing coalition to oppose any attempt to legalise assisted suicide.
This consultation follows closely on from the publication of the report from the Commission set up by Lord Falconer – a supposedly independent examination of the issue of assisted suicide and euthanasia. However many organisations, including the British Medical Association, declined to submit evidence because the heavily pro-euthanasia views of most of the members of the Commission raised doubt about its objectivity. (see http://www.carenotkilling.org.uk/?show=977)
Thank you if you responded to the Scottish Government’s consultation on same-sex marriage. Even if you took part in the consultation, please also sign up to the Scotland for Marriage on-line petition (http://scotlandformarriage.org) so that you can be kept informed about future developments in this on-going campaign. You can also get petition forms from the CARE for Scotland office to gather additional signatures from your church.
Scotland for Marriage has been set up by a number of Christian organisations, including CARE for Scotland, to campaign positively to retain the current definition of marriage.
CARE for Scotland is pleased to have taken over the distribution of a selection of books and booklets previously published by the Scottish Order of Christian Unity, an inter-denominational organisation dedicated to maintaining and promoting Christian values in Scottish life. These include publications by Professor Tom Torrance and Howard Taylor and are on issues likely to be of key interest to CARE supporters.
Click here for details.
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde – the largest healthcare organisation in Scotland – is looking for two new members to join its board. You need not come from a medical background to apply. The successful applicants will be expected to play a central role in guiding the strategies which address the health priorities and health care needs of the resident population.
If you are in a leadership position in church life, or in another sector of Scottish society, do consider attending the Canongate Kirk on 30th November for a time of unity before God praying for the church in Scotland and for the nation as a whole. The event is supported by a wide range of Christian organisations and agencies.
Click here to read a letter of invitation.
There is less than a month until the False Intimacy day conference which aims to equip church leaders and others involved in pastoral care to reach out to those struggling with internet pornography. If you plan to attend, please book your place now. Or if you think your minister or pastor would be interested in attending, you can direct him or her to the web site here for full information.
Cumbernauld, next Saturday, 12th November
An imaginative programme has been arranged for this women’s conference – enouraging and motivating teaching with opportunities for relaxing, reflecting and sharing fellowship. Full details at www.hopeconference.org.uk
If any women recipient of this e-mail would like to attend the conference and, in return for having their conference fee (£25) paid, be willing to staff a CARE stall during break periods, please contact Bill Baird on 0141 332 7212 / bill.baird@care.org.uk.
False Intimacy is a conference and training day to equip church leaders and others involved in pastoral care to be able to offer effective support to anyone struggling with a dependence on internet pornography.
Full details here.
You may be aware that the Scottish Government has launched a public consultation on proposals to legalise same-sex marriage and to allow civil partnership ceremonies to be held in churches.
CARE for Scotland believes that these proposals are detrimental to the established definition of marriage and we are encouraging supporters to respond to the consultation.
Briefing and advice will be posted out over the next few days. If you are not on our postal mailing list and would like to receiving the briefing, please e-mail cfs@care.org.uk.
Leadership Programme Induction, September 2011
The closing date for the September 2012 entry to the CARE Leadership Programme is very soon – Tuesday 15th November. The Programme offers an unrivalled opportunity to young Christians to experience politics from the inside and to develop an understanding of how their faith is relevant in the public square.
If you know a young person with an interest in public affairs who is just about to graduate or has recently graduated, please do alert them to the Leadership Programme.
Full information on the Programme here.
Today, the Scottish government launched its consultation on redefining marriage to include same-sex relationships and to allow civil partnership ceremonies to be conducted on religious premises. CARE and the Evangelical Alliance have responded by calling on the Scottish Government to maintain the established societal definition of marriage which has universally stood the test of time.
Dr Gordon Macdonald, parliamentary officer at CARE for Scotland, said: “Marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman and not two people of the same sex. It provides the best context for raising children and contributes to social cohesion. The Scottish government is making a grave mistake by seeking to redefine marriage.”
Rev Dr Fred Drummond, Scotland director of the Evangelical Alliance, stated: “Marriage is the bedrock of a stable society, allowing children to be produced and raised by a committed mother and father. Marriage is God-ordained and overwhelming sociological evidence points to the benefits of marriage for children in terms of emotional security, educational achievement, health and other life prospects. Marriage has already been undermined in our society and the consequences are easy to identify. At this time of social fragmentation and instability, any attempts to redefine the traditional value of marriage will further damage the well-being of our society.”
The overwhelming majority of the population know very well what marriage is and what it isn’t. CARE and the Evangelical Alliance call on the Scottish government to acknowledge the widespread concerns throughout Scotland over any attempts by government to redefine marriage at the behest of a tiny minority for largely political reasons but which will have massive consequences for society as a whole.
The deadline to submit evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committee on the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Bill is rapidly approaching. CARE encourages supporters to email the Committee in order to ask the Scottish Parliament to ensure that religious liberty and freedom of speech are protected before the deadline of 26 August.
Further information on the Bill from CARE can be found here and details of how to submit a response can be found here and here.
The Bill seeks to criminalise comments or conduct which are deemed to be likely to cause public disorder if they relate not only to religious issues, but also to a wide range of other protected characteristics including sexual orientation. The Bill proposes also to criminalise all communication (except unrecorded speech) which is deemed to be threatening of violence.
Although CARE supports the aim of the Bill to tackle abusive and threatening behaviour and communications, we have concerns that the Bill may unreasonably restrict freedom of speech and religious liberty, perhaps criminalising the distribution of tracts or street preaching if associated with a football game. We are concerned also that the Bill may make quoting some verses of Scripture a criminal offence.
Prayer: Please pray that this Bill would be effective in stopping sectarian violence in Scotland. Pray too that there would be no curtailment of religious liberty and freedom of speech.
You will recall that Care Not Killing is the alliance which did much to mobilise opinion last year against the End of Life Assistance Bill.
Care Not Killing invites all CARE for Scotland supporters to one of two receptions being held in Edinburgh on Monday 12th September, and in the Glasgow area on Tuesday 13th September.
Speakers from CNK will present an update on current issues relating to assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Places at both receptions are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis so please reply as soon as possible.
You can view an invitation to the receptions by clicking here.
CARE is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales (No 3481417) Registered as a Charity in England and Wales (No: 1066963) and in Scotland (SC038911) Registered office: 53 Romney Street, London, SW1P 3RF.
