This Library contains documents from all recent United Church governance meetings, including General Council and its Executive. It will also soon include “Our Beliefs Explained” official policy documents dating back several decades. If you can't find something you think should be included, contact gcbusiness@united-church.ca.
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AN ALTERNATE LOGISTICS ARRANGEMENT: As an alternate arrangement to that discussed under the previous three headings, an arrangement of production might be worked out with an organization such as Kairos where each interested denomination would give a guarantee of purchasing a certain number of copies of the materials.
Commanded as Christians to “beat our swords into ploughshares, and our spears into pruning hooks” and that “nations shall not learn war any more” (Isaiah 2:2-4); Further commanded to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us (Luke 6:27); Understanding that the safety and security of persons is the goal of national and international security efforts;
Commanded as Christians to love our neighbours and our enemies and to be good stewards of the Earth; Noting that the International Court of Justice in its Advisory Opinion of July 8, 1996, reviewed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and decided unanimously that there exists an obligation on states to pursue in good faith and bring to a conclusion negotiation leading to nuclear disarmament; Concerned that the world’s states have failed to begin negotiation for the elimination of the 20,000 nuclear weapons in their possession; Further concerned to note recent decisions by the U.S. Government to develop smaller nuclear weapons which could make nuclear weapons more useable and allow them to be portrayed as being militarily and morally equal to conventional (non-nuclear) weapons;
We are called to live with respect in creation, taking care that our actions do not seriously harm the greater web of life of which humans are a part. The precautionary principle is an important practical way of embodying this attitude of respect. Because of this: Systems for approving, regulating, and monitoring Genetically Modified foods should clearly embody and practice the precautionary principle.
WHEREAS Canada produces 35% of the world’s uranium, some 27 million pounds in 2001 (CNSC Annual Report, 2001, p.22) and needs to be proportionally accountable for the hazards and by-products of the industry; and WHEREAS Canada has accumulated 37,854 tonnes of high level nuclear waste from reactors (CNSC Annual Report, 2001, p. 21), which is lethal for thousands of years, and which, after 60 years, scientists still do not know how to dispose of safely; and WHEREAS AECL spent $700 million dollars over 15 years to develop a deep rock Disposal Plan, and a Scientific Review Group found various assumptions and procedures of the plan to be problematic, and the Seaborn Panel spent 8 years and $8 million dollars to find the Proposal not socially acceptable, with 99 deficiencies to be further addressed, and then the Government of Canada in December of 2002 legislated the whole issue back to the producers to solve; and WHEREAS the Government of Canada has been financially propping up the industry, spending $58 million dollars each year from parliamentary appropriations to operate CNSC (Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission), and since 1951 has awarded the industry some $60 billion dollars in subsidies, plus export loans of $600 million dollars to China, and $329 million dollars to Romania; (E-mail of article in Ottawa Citizen, June 21/01, by Dave Martin, researcher for the Sierra Club); and WHEREAS Canada has a Protocol with the IAEA in Vienna (International Atomic Energy Agency) that its uranium will not be used for nuclear weapons, but each year exports 11 million pounds of uranium yellowcake to the USA, which, when processed, is labeled as “US Material”, (Dr. Donald Lee, Report of the Joint federal-Provincial Panel, 1997, Cumulative Observations, p. 25.), (BriarPatch, May 1993, p. 190); and
Those involved in research, writing and producing an Educational Document "Water! Water! Water!" for use throughout The United Church of Canada by its members and others.
As followers of Jesus we are called to live in peace (2 Corinthians 13:11). We believe that the Hebrews Scriptures tell us to be peacemakers (Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:3). WHEREAS The United Church of Canada has long history of involvement in social justice, WHEREAS The Ottawa Presbytery passed motions in December 2002
That the 38th General Council receive the following resolutions and petitions and take the actions contained therein: Petitions 64, 65, 68, 76, and 90.
That, having heard Petition #42, the 38th General Council request the United Nations through UNESCO: 1. to declare that heritage seeds are protected as a world heritage; 2. to take the necessary steps to invalidate all patents on such seeds; 3. to see that reparation is made for harm caused by such patents to the peoples whose seeds have been pirated.
Viable alternatives exist to xenotransplantation - both in the immediate and long-term - that could more effectively address the shortage of organs and tissues for transplant with significantly fewer risks and costs Keywords: Organ Transplants, Xenotransplantation, Organ Donation
