Church and Society
Council |
 |
NEWS AND EVENTS
In our news section you
can find out more about:
 |
Open the February enews in a new window by clicking here:February enews |
Past monthly newsletters
Drop Haiti's Debt Campaign
Support Minimum Pricing for Alcohol
Watch a video of a special Prisoner's Week Question Time
Resources from the annual conference
Watch video clips of our conference: Open Church and Society You Tube Channel in a new window
Communication Survey
Write to your MSPs: End of Life Bill
Complain about the bias in news coverage about 'end of life' issues
Recent Press Releases
Grants available for environmental projects
Our events section contains
information about:
Building Home, Building Hope: Day conference, Edinburgh
Poverty and Homelessness Action Week
Beauty for Ashes: Training day for churches to support vulnerable children and families
Jesus in the City 2010
Banking on Justice: Churches Investing for a Fairer Future. Day conference, Edinburgh
Christians in Science Conference, Edinburgh
SRT@40:Do we need to naturalise religion? Lecture, Edinburgh
SRT@40: Science Stories for children, Edinburgh
SRT@40: God, Science and Global Warming, Lecture, Edinburgh
SRT@40: Helping the church engage with ethical issues in science. Day conference, Edinburgh
Public lectures on Science and Religion
The Age of Stupid: Climate Change film with Pete Posthlethwaite
Text-based information on this page is available to download
below in Word [.doc], rich text [.rtf] and text only [.txt]
formats. Flyers and image heavy publications are available
in [.pdf] and [.txt] formats.
 |
In order to view [.pdf] files you
need Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can obtain it for
free by
clicking here. |
Please note that all external links on this page will
take you out of the Church of Scotland website and open
a new browser window.
Drop Haiti's Debt Campaign
 |
Christian Aid is responding to the disaster in Haiti with emergency aid. But we need to help Haiti in the long term as well as the short term. We are now |
calling on the UK to lead the world in giving Haiti a fighting chance for the future by cancelling its international debt in full. Sign our petition and we will present your call to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling.
Click here to find the petition
[top of page]
Support Minimum Pricing for Alcohol
The Scottish Parliament is currently considering new legislation that contains far reaching proposals about the sale of alcohol. Some of them, especially the proposal to introduce a minimum price for a unit of alcohol, are in line with principles supported by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. This proposal has attracted opposition from the Scotch Whisky Association as well as the main political parties. The Church and Society Council has produced campaign materials to support the minimum pricing proposals. These materials contain:
information on the Alcohol Bill
the political debate
the evidence to justify the proposals
sample letters
The Scottish Churches Parliamentary Office has produced a more comprehensive briefing about the Bill which is available to download by following this link:
SCPO briefing
Communication Survey
To help us to be more effective in our communication with you please take 5 minutes to fill in our survey:Communication Survey
Write to your MSPs: End of Life Bill
The consultation for Margo MacDonald's proposed End of Life Choices (Scotland) Bill has ended, and the proposal has gathered sufficient signatures from MSPs to proceed to the bill drafting stage prior to the introduction of the Bill to the Scottish Parliament.
You can read the consultation document by clicking here:The Proposed End of Life Choices (Scotland) Bill.
You can read the response by the Church of Scotland here: Response to the consultation
A summary of consultation responses can be seen here:responses
You can read a letter sent by the Church and Society Council to MSPs asking them to oppose to this bill here: Letter to MSPs
This could 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
Petition opposing the legalisation of 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
Complain about the bias in news coverage about 'end of life' issues
The BBC has been accused of pushing the 'right-to-die' agenda by giving hours of airtime and leading news bulletins to the opinions of campaigners and publishing the results of opinion polls in a selective way.
Please complain to the BBC about the bias of the coverage, and about the way that the views of disabled people in particular have been marginalised in a debate which affects them so personally.
Go to: www.bbc.co.uk/complaints
Alternatively phone them on 03700 100 222 or write to BBC Complaints, PO Box 1922, Glasgow G2 3WT
[top of page]
News Updates 2009
If you would like to receive the news updates by e-mail please send an e-mail to:
Irene Crosthwaite
[top of page]
Recent Press Releases
Click on this link to read recent press releases:Newsroom
[top of page]
Grants available for environmental projects
 |
Grants of £50 and £250 are available to groups of volunteers who are carrying out local conservation/environmental projects or who are improving biodiversity in Scotland. |
This project, by CSV Action Earth 2009, will run till the end of July. Although this year's grants are now allocated, find out more about future grants by following this link:
www.actionearth.org.uk
[top of page]
Events
|
Building Home, Building Hope
Day conference exploring the theology of home
30 January, 10am to 4pm
Martin Hall,
New College, Mound Place, Edinburgh
Information about the programme and booking: Building Home Building Hope Conference
[top of page]
Poverty and Homelessness Action Week
 |
30 January to 7 February 2010
Enough for all |
"There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses
sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold." Act 4:35
Find more information and free worship resources here:www.actionweek.org.uk
[top of page]
Beauty for Ashes: Training day for churches to support vulnerable children and families
 |
This training and information day run by Scripture Union Scotland aims to equip and inspire churches to be safe, loving communities for hurting children and their families.
Glasgow 20 February
Dundee 27 February |
For more information and to book, follow this link: www.suscotland.org.uk
[top of page]
12 to 14 March
An inspiring weekend event in Belfast where anyone with a passion to live, work and share the good news of Jesus in urban areas can meet together. Topics include: justice, identitiy, mission, reconciliation, healing. Find out more and book by following this link:www.jitc.org.uk
[top of page]
Banking on Justice: Churches Investing for a Fairer Future
This day conference will help church organisations and individuals make a practical response to the current situation and to the question 'How can I be a good steward of my money?'
Thursday 18 March 2010
St George's West Church, Edinburgh
| Download the conference programme here: |
|
| Download the conference poster here: |
|
| Download a booking form here: |
|
|
[top of page]
'Giving an Answer - Living Faith
in the World of Science'
March 20, 2010 Edinburgh
Follow this link to find out more information: www.cis.org.uk
[top of page]
Sponsored lecture by Lluis Oviedo and part of the conference of the European Society for the Study of Science and Theology (ESSSAT)
10 April, 10am, Pollock Halls, Edinburgh University
For more information and to book, contact: Dr Murdo Macdonald
[top of page]
Stories of scientific and engineering breakthroughs are mixed with imagination. For 7 to 11 year olds.
15 April, 2 to 4pm, Scottish Storytelling Centre, High Street, Edinburgh
For more information and to book, contact: Dr Murdo Macdonald
[top of page]
Sponsored lecture by Sir John Houghton, former co-chair of the International Panel on Climate Change.
15 April, 6 to 7pm, Edinburgh University School on Informatics
For more information and to book, contact: Dr Murdo Macdonald
[top of page]
 |
Day conference marking 40 years of the Society, Religion and Technology Project
Saturday 1 May 2010, 10am to 4pm
City Chambers, Edinburgh
£10 registration: lunch and refreshments included
Contributors include: Prof John Wyatt, Ian Hore-Lacy, Dr David Pullinger |
| For more information and to book contact: Dr Murdo Macdonald |
[top of page]
Public Lectures on Science and Religion
These free lectures are part of the programme of James Gregory lectures which take place in St. Andrews University at 5.15pm. Follow this link to find out more details:
www.jamesgregory.org
18 February 2010:
David Wilkinson 'God and the Big Bang.'
29 April 2010:
Bill Newsome 'The Mind - Brain or Spirit?'
[top of page]
The Age of Stupid: Climate Change film with Pete Posthlethwaite
 |
Oscar-nominated Pete Postlethwaite stars as a man living alone in the devasted world of |
2055 as he looks back and asks: 'Why didn't we stop climate change when we could?'
Find out more about the film: The Age of Stupid
Find out how to arrange your own screening: Arrange a screening
[top of page]
|
|
|
