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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That the Executive of the General Council make the following Statement on Anti-Semitism: In the face of the recent upsurge of attacks against Jewish people and property in Canada and around the world, The United Church of Canada reiterates its absolute condemnation of all acts of antisemitism.
Energy is integral to God's creation. Sources ranging from fossil fuels to the sun are transformed into the physical energy used by human societies. Nutritional elements combine with water and air to give our bodies the biological energy to maintain life. Our relationships with God, the natural world, and other people provide us with the spiritual energy to thrive.
That the General Council receive the reports, petitions and resolutions listed on the INFO 22 page, with the addition of Resolution #94 and Petition #136 and the deletion of Petition #139, as listed on the Changes page, and take the actions contained therein. Dale Wiggins thanked Virginia Coleman for meeting the request of Saskatchewan Conference Commissioners to provide a replacement accountability report, re-inserting several sentences that had been deleted. nuclear, nuclear energy
Whereas climate change has been identified as a priority environmental issue by the 33rd and 34th General Councils of The United Church of Canada and by the World Council of Churches (January 1994 Central Committee); and
Having heard Petitions 128 & 130, and noted and given careful consideration to the following concerns: a) economic consequences of a phase down of the nuclear industry b) the loss of technology development and necessary materials in the area of nuclear medicine; c) support for the idea of a public review; and
Having given careful consideration to the comment expressed that a ban on the production of land mines would remove a significant defensive weapon from members of the Canadian Armed Forces in any future war;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the 36th General Council: a) urge the Government of Canada to support "the initiation and conclusion by the year 2000 of an international convention that will set out a binding timetable for the abolition of all nuclear weapons" (from the Abolition 2000 petition); b) urge the Government of Canada to cease all activities determined to be of questionable legality by the July 8, 1996 ruling of the International Court of Justice, including, but not limited to:
1. Humanitarian intervention and civil war Three years after the formal end of the Cold War, the major nuclear powers have agreed that they will not use nuclear weapons against each other. Still, roughly 50,000 nuclear weapons remain. In addition, 82 armed conflicts are underway in 60 locations. Thirty-five are full-blown civil wars, clustered in 5 major hot spots in the world: (i) Southern and south-central Africa; (ii) the Horn of Africa; (iii) the Middle East, south-eastern Europe and the central Asian republics of the former USSR; (iv) south-east Asia; and (v) the Andes. People who have escaped these wars have become our neighbours in many of the major cities of Canada.
Having considered that not all persons, including dairy farmers, are opposed to the use of the bovine growth hormone known as Bovine Somatotropin (BST); and, WHEREAS the motion proposes action that is in keeping with the ongoing work of The United Church of Canada; and WHEREAS the voice of the Church will serve to balance the presentation made to the government by agribusiness interests; BE IT RESOLVED THAT the 35th General Council of The United Church of Canada:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the 35th General Council 1. express its support for a negotiated peace settlement between Israel and the peoples in the occupied territories of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip; 2. express this support to the government of Israel and to those negotiating on behalf of the Palestinian peoples, encouraging them to use all peaceful methods possible.
