Call for Church of Scotland to sell Israeli hotel
The Kirk’s continued ownership of the Scots Hotel in Tiberias, on the Sea of Galilee, was questioned, with a call to carry out a strategic review on the church’s involvement in it. Commissioner Joe Elliott said that it was “bizarre” that the Kirk should be in the business of running a five star hotel, that [...]
Lairds criticised for pocketing wind farm subsidies
The leader of the Scottish Government review of landownership yesterday pledged to examine ways of redistributing the cash wealthy lairds make from wind farms to benefit the less-advantaged. Alison Elliot, chair of the Land Reform Review Group (LRRG), said the issue would be investigated amid concerns that aristocrats are benefiting from the renewables revolution while [...]
The Protestant work ethic: Heaven knows I’m miserable now
“Hard work never killed anyone,” goes the joke, “but why take the chance?” For those possessed of the much-vaunted Protestant work ethic, however, it isn’t a joke; without work they are unhappier than those of other religions. Well-being levels among unemployed individuals are 40 per cent lower in Protestant societies than in other countries, according [...]
Oil firms urged to help ‘starving’
An Aberdeen pastor has urged the oil industry and local businesses to provide more training or handouts after being forced to open a food bank to help “starving” people. Barry Church, pastor of Seaton Community Church, is “horrified” by the poverty in the oil capital of Europe, particularly in the community of Seaton on the [...]
Salvation Army and YMCA face protests over workfare labour
Christian organisations including the Salvation Army and the YMCA are facing protests for participating in “workfare”. Under these government schemes, workers must work without pay or see their benefits withdrawn. Christianity Uncut, a network of Christians campaigning against the UK government’s cuts agenda, is writing to the charities to urge them to withdraw from the [...]
Scots angrier about tax avoidance than other British counterparts
New research published today reveals that a larger proportion of Scots feel angry about tax avoidance by multinational companies than their counterparts in the rest of Britain; and over two thirds of Scots want to see combating the practice – which they believe is morally wrong – a priority for governments, and made illegal. A [...]
Scottish Water staff help with Dundee church refurbishment
Staff at Scottish Water have stepped to help a charity which is looking to revive a famous Dundee church building. Eight employees gave up their time under Scottish Water’s Volunteering Programme to get involved in a number of projects to refurbish the St Francis Friary. Pictured: Jackie Foster, Garry Bertie, Lorraine Tasker, Dave Cumming, Adam [...]
Church of Scotland 'inspired current Islamic banking'
An Islamic Finance Council (IFC)executive board member in the United Kingdom, Omar Shaikh, has disclosed that the Church of Scotland actually inspired the current Islamic Banking system, writes Sunday Williams. Speaking while presenting a paper titled “Development of Islamic finance in the UK: Sharing experiences with the Central Bank of Nigeria”, the IFC Executive Board [...]
Minister advises against attending private firm's health clinics being held at her church
A Dundee minister has advised people not to attend a health screening clinic organised for her own church. life line screening The Rev Edith McMillan, minister at Douglas and Mid Craigie Parish Church, says a company calling themselves Life Line Screening are “preying on people’s anxieties” and are charging more than £100 for services which [...]
Big business targeted in anti-sectarianism drive
Civil servants and big businesses are to be targeted in an anti-sectarianism drive that will seek to address so-called “pin-striped bigotry”. Campaigners say it is vital to take the message of what is and what is not acceptable into the country’s corridors of power and commercial centres and to dismiss the idea that “Scotland’s shame” [...]
