Church and Society
Council |
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HEALTH AND SOCIAL ISSUES
The Church and Society Council is currently working
on investigations and responses into a range of central
issues in society today including gambling and alternatives
to custody. We will bring you information on these studies
as soon as possible and we would be pleased to hear
your responses to these issues.
Other issues currently covered in more depth on this
page include:
Addictions
Support Minimum Pricing for Alcohol:campaign resources
Gambling
Join the NHS Organ Donor Register
Improving health and nutrition
of Scotland's children
Growing up in Scotland Today
a RIGHT blether: national consultation
Adoption and fostering
Forced Marriage
Euthanasia
End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill
Petition against decriminalising assisted suicide
Living and Dying Well
Care not Killing
What Can I Do? Guide to volunteering with prisoners and families
Scotland's Choice: Discussion Starter on the Prisons Commission Report
Alternatives to Custody
Prisoner's Week resources
Credit Crunch resources
Poverty Choices, Dr Murdo Macdonald
Discussion starters: Poverty and Consumerism
Just Church Programme: worship and discussion material about justice
Get Fair Campaign
Fair trade and fair food resources: reports, discussion leaflet and school workshop
Poverty and Homelessness Action Week
Fuel Poverty
Welfare Reform
Addictions
| Download the 'Addictions' Report to the 2009 General Assembly here: |
[.pdf]
(89KB) |
Download the Council's response to the Scottish Government's
discussion paper: 'Changing Scotland’s relationship with alcohol'.
Download the response:
Click on this link to read the discussion paper:Changing Scotland's relationship with alcohol
Click on this link to read the Scottish Government's national drugs strategy: The Road to Recovery: A New Approach to Tackling Scotland's Drug Problem
For practical support please follow these links:
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Crossreach
Addiction Services
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Alcoholics Anonymous |
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This is a course for parents and other carers to help prevent children becoming involved with drugs and excessive alcohol use. |
| It is available to local congregations, who can have someone trained to deliver the course to people within their own parish and community. Follow this link for information: How to drugproof your kids |
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Gambling
The Church and Society Council was given the following
deliverance from the 2005 General Assembly:
"Instruct the Church and Society Council to
take forward the on-going work of Social Responsibility
in relation to gambling, in particular to maintain
a watching brief on the progress of the Gambling Bill,
to respond appropriately and address key issues such
as the internet and other interactive forms of gambling."
A sub group was set up to look at the issues involved
and gathered evidence on interactive TV, internet
gambling, sports sponsorship, stock market and super
casinos. The group brought reports to the 2007 and 2008 General Assemblies.
Against the odds...? is a new publication from the Methodist Church and The Salvation Army about the Gambling Act 2005, Christian approaches to gambling issues, and what you can do about gambling related problems.
Download this publication here:
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Join the NHS Organ Donor Register
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Today more than 9,000 people in the UK need an organ transplant that could |
save or dramatically improve their life. Most are waiting for a kidney, others for a heart, lung or liver transplant. But less than 3,000 transplants are carried out each year.
To find out more and join the donor register follow this link:www.uktransplant.org.uk
Organ donation is one of the ways in which Christians can serve, as this article on faith leaders' statements shows: www.news.bbc.co.uk
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Improving health and
nutrition of Scotland's children
Download the council's response to the Scottish Government's
proposals for a Schools' (Nutrition and Health Promotion)
(Scotland) Bill.
Download the response:
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Growing up in Scotland Today
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This report emphasises the need for the church to work in partnership with politicians and other agencies to inprove conditions for children and young people in Scotland. Topics covered include crime and anti-social behaviour, vulnerable and marginalised |
children, health, child poverty and exploitation.The full report will be discussed by the General Assembly in May.
| Download the 'Growing up in Scotland Today' Report to the 2009 General Assembly here: |
[.pdf]
(157KB) |
| Download a summary of the report here: |
[.pdf]
(1.4MB) |
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a RIGHT blether
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a RIGHT blether is the Children’s Commissioner’s exciting national consultation to make sure children and young people’s opinions about what is needed to improve and safeguard the quality of their lives are heard and acted upon by key decision makers. |
| To find out more about how you could support children and young people to be involved visit: www.arightblether.co.uk |
Adoption and fostering
Adoption and Fostering are ways in which many can help in the bringing up of children. Naturally this is not to be undertaken lightly but for those who are called to this it is a significant contribution that they can make. Below are some links to help you think about the possibilities and some pointers as to how to start the process.
British Association for Adoption and Fostering
Bardardo's: Fostering and Adoption
Download the council's response to the Scottish Government's
consultation on Safe and Secure
Homes for our Most Vulnerable Children below.
Download the
consultation response:
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Forced Marriage
Follow this link to read the Scottish Government's consultation on
Forced Marriage: A Civil Remedy?
Download the council's response to this consultation:
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Euthanasia
This is a subject of continuing controversy and debate, with deeply and passionately held opinions on all sides of any argument. The position of the Church however remains that, while the relief of suffering is an obligation, the artificial ending of life is unacceptable.
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The Council has produced an update for the earlier Board of Social Responsibility publication on Euthanasia.
Contact the Church and Society office to obtain copies of the original book or the supplement. |
Phone: 0131 225 5722
You can also download these documents below:
Discussion Starter: End of Life Issues
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End of Life Issues: A Christian perspective
This is a leaflet to be used as a discussion starter for groups.
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| Download it here: |
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End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill
This Bill was introduced to the Scottish Parliament
on 20 January 2010. Follow this link to read it: End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill.
| Download the response to the call for evidence on the above Bill prepared by the Methodist Church in Scotland, Salvation Army and Church of Scotland (May 2010): |
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| Download the 'End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill' supplementary report to the 2010 General Assembly here: |
[.pdf]
(44KB) |
This Private Member's Bill was introduced by Independent MSP Margo MacDonald. She consulted on the initial proposal of the bill, known as the End of Life Choices (Scotland) Bill, in early 2009.
| Download the Council's response to the consultation for the proposed Bill (February 09): |
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| Download a letter sent by the Council to MSPs asking them to oppose the Bill (April 09): |
[.pdf]
(11KB) |
The above responses can be used as a basis for your own letter to your MSPs.
Find contact details for your MSPs by clicking here: www.scottish.parliament.uk
SCPO Briefing Paper: End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill
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Petition against decriminalising assisted suicide
This declares: "We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to retain the
law that makes it a criminal offence to assist another person to commit
suicide".
To sign this petition please follow this link: Petition
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Living and Dying Well
| Download the 'End of Life Issues ' Report to the 2009 General Assembly here: |
[.pdf]
(114KB) |
Follow this link to read the Scottish Government's report: Living and Dying Well: A National Action Plan for Palliative and End of Life Care in Scotland.
Follow this link to read the Scottish Government's consultation: Proposed Palliative Care (Scotland) Bill
Download the council's response to this consultation:
Care not Killing
The General Assembly has consistently stated that: "the
Christian recognises no right to dispose of his own life
even although he may regard those who commit or may attempt
to commit suicide with compassion and understanding rather
than condemnation". The Church has frequently stressed
its opposition to various attempts to introduce legislation
to permit euthanasia, even under strictly controlled circumstances
as incompatible with Christianity.
The Church has associated itself with the Care not
Killing organisation whose stated aims are:
- Promoting more and better palliative care
- Ensuring that existing laws against
euthanasia and assisted suicide are not
weakened or repealed during the lifetime of the
current Parliament
- Influencing the balance of public opinion further
against any weakening of the law.
You can see more information about this campaign by
visiting the web site at www.carenotkilling.org.uk
Please note this link will take you out of the Church
of Scotland website and open a new browser window.
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What Can I Do?
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'What can I do?' is the title of a new booklet which gives you lots of information about how you can volunteer to support prisoners, ex-offenders and their families. It includes information about befriending, play work, helping in prison visitor centres and much more. |
To obtain free copies phone: 0131 240 2276.
Scotland's Choice: Discussion Starter on the Prisons Commission Report
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The way imprisonment is used in Scotland is not working. Nearly 1 in 6 of prisoners have been to prison on more than 10 previous occasions.
This document is a short summary of the Prisons Commission Report and includes discussion questions for presbyteries, kirk sessions and congregations. |
The Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Bill passed Stage 3 of the parliamentary process on 30 June 2010.
Follow this link to read a briefing paper about it from the Scottish Churches Parliamentary Office: SCPO briefing
Alternatives to Custody
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Prisons are bulging, despite crime falling, yet no-one seems able to break the cycle that sees more and more Scots imprisoned. Does the church have any answers? |
This booklet includes: A summary of the report, a personal story (told at the General Assembly), worship material and two Bible studies. Download the booklet:
Download the 'What's the Alternative?' report to the 2007 General Assembly here:
Prisoner's Week Resources
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Although Prisoner's Week takes place at a specific time, you may find useful information, discussion and worship material from this website: Prisoner's Week Scotland. |
The topic for this year is 'Dreams for our Children'.
You can watch a webcast of a special 'Prisoner's Week Question Time' and a short interview with the chaplain and governor of HM Young Offenders Institution Polmont by following this link: Question Time video
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Poverty Choices
Dr Murdo Macdonald reflects on the difficult decisions faced by the poor.
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Discussion starters: Poverty and Consumerism
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How can congregations respond to poverty in their community? This leaflet gives inspiring examples of work being done throughout Scotland. |
| Download the leaflet here: |
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10 steps to Christian Ethical Consumerism: use this as a discussion starter to help make shopping choices which reflect our concern for others. |
| Download the leaflet here: |
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Get Fair Campaign
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Over the past two decades the UK has become richer – but not fairer. It’s now the fifth richest country in the world – yet the gap between rich and poor continues to grow. |
The Church of Scotland is a coalition member of the Get Fair Campaign. It's aim is to eradicate UK poverty – and we need you to get involved. Visit the Get fair website: www.getfair.org.uk to find out how you can make a difference.
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Poverty and Homelessness Action Week
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29 January – 6 February 2011
Who counts in society? Who does the counting?
Who decides who is included and who is excluded?
Who has a voice? Whom do we value and why?
Who counts in God’s eyes?
Follow this link to learn more about resources and action ideas: Poverty and Homelessness Action Week |
Fuel Poverty
Download this submission to the Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum stating the views of the Church of Scotland.
Welfare Reform
Download the response to the Green Paper 'No one written off: reforming welfare to reward responsibility'.
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