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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In this resolution The United Church of Canada called for an immediate and total ban on all advertising of alcohol and tobacco products.
WHEREAS South Africa continues to exercise stringent apartheid measures and supports racist policies in Rhodesia, Namibia and the Portuguese African Territories: BE IT RESOLVED that this General Council through the appropriate Departments of Divisions:
WHEREAS the apartheid policy of South Africa deprives a large majority of its people of economic, political and social freedoms solely on the basis of skin colour; and WHEREAS the white racist government of Rhodesia is moving rapidly toward a South African type of apartheid; and WHEREAS Portugal received NATO aid, enabling her forcibly to subjugate indigenous Africans; and WHEREAS the ambivalence of Canadian foreign policy at present allows a small fraction of trade to weigh more heavily than our attention to Christian principles of human justice, thereby lowering our credibility with those independent African nations whom we support verbally in the UN;
BE IT RESOLVED THAT this General Council 1 COMMEND the enabling action of the federal government and the action of provinces making provision for medicare plans in accordance with this legislation; 2 REQUEST all other provinces to seek to bring similar plans into being as soon as is practical.
COMMEND those provinces which have established a comprehensive health services plan and urge those provinces which do not yet have such a plan to provide one as quickly as possible;
Attitude of the Church to the Traffic: The phrase “hostility to the traffic” was used by the 6th General Council, and in the Record of Proceedings of the 8th, 9th, and 13th General Councils there is reference to “the uncompromising hostility” of the United Church to the beverage alcohol business. Similar positions have been taken by other churches in both Canada and the United States.
IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THIS General Council: 1. RE-ENDORSE the principle of a National Health Insurance Plan; 2. COMMEND the Province of Saskatchewan for steps being taken to implement such a program on the provincial level; and 3. URGE the federal government in cooperation with the medical, dental, pharmaceutical and related professions to establish a comprehensive national health insurance program.
BE IT RESOLVED THAT this council expresses its considered opinions regarding National Health Insurance as follows: 1 COMMEND the federal, provincial and municipal governments’ concern for progress made to date in providing more adequate health services, increasing the number of hospital beds and in related ways improving preventive, diagnostic, remedial and other forms of medical and surgical care and treatment.
