Walkout threatened at Primates' meeting
Conservative Anglican church group GAFCON has said some Primates may walk out of the Anglican Communion Primates' meeting, over the issue of same-sex marriage. The Scottish Episcopal Church will be asked to repent for its decision to let clergy conduct same-sex weddings last June. The Archbishops of Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda refused to attend a recent Anglican Primates' meeting over what they deem to be a weak stance in the Church on the issue of sexuality. Meanwhile on 5 October Justin Welby said that a ban on Scottish Anglicans taking part in some votes and holding certain offices ‘will be followed through’, after a meeting where anger and disappointment were expressed. The ban would involve exclusion from debate on doctrine and from chairing Anglican Communion committees. Archbishop Welby said that no vote was taken against the Scottish Anglicans by the Primates, but there was a ‘consensus’.
Gynaecologists back decriminalising abortion
The senior council of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has voted for the decriminalisation of abortion, despite protests that there should have been a members’ ballot on this. Decriminalising abortion would remove moral standards for abortion practice from national legislation, trivialise legitimate moral concerns, and portray abortion as morally neutral. It would no longer be possible to ban dangerous DIY and sex-discriminating abortions. There might be regulations, but without legislation what makes those regulations anywhere close to enforceable? If abortion is viewed merely as a form of contraception, that would promote sexual irresponsibility. Additionally, decriminalisation could see some doctors come under fire for refusing to carry out abortions, which would be a further injustice. It also would run contrary to the Hippocratic Oath, taken by all those entering the medical profession.
Mental health campaign welcomed
Christian Vision for Men (CVM) has welcomed a new campaign by the mental health organisation Time to Change, which urges men to support their friends if they suspect they're suffering from mental health issues. The 'In Your Corner' campaign asks men to be more open and supportive of their friends. A national survey of over 3,000 men found that 86% would feel comfortable supporting a friend who has a mental health problem. The research also highlighted that men who wouldn't feel comfortable in such circumstances hold these common beliefs: ‘I wouldn't know how to support them’ (58%); ‘I don't know anything or much about mental health, so wouldn't be much help’ (34%); ‘I'd probably say the wrong thing and make it worse’ (34%). CVM’s Jeremy Geake said that any form of connecting such as texting a friend or meeting for coffee is valuable in helping to tackle mental health issues.
Scotland bans fracking
A decision by the Scottish government to ban fracking has been welcomed by the Church of Scotland. Church leaders said the vast majority of congregations oppose this controversial practice. They have now called for more opportunities to exploit greener energy sources, like wind. Adrian Shaw, the Church of Scotland's climate change officer said the Church is against fracking ‘primarily because of a need to build a low carbon economy’, adding, ‘Continuing dependence on fossil fuels, coal, and gas delays a low-carbon economy.’ He also said that the Church believes in the potential for Scotland to be fully green. ‘Our resources for wind power, hydropower, and tidal power are enormous here.’
