The World Council of Churches' ninth assembly to be held in Brazil in 2006 will "strengthen the ecumenical fellowship and Christian commitment" of the participants, according to the international planning committee's moderator, Rev Norman Shanks of Govan Old Parish Church in Glasgow.
Source: Action of Churches Together in Scotland (ACTS) news.
posted at 7:56 PM

The Evangelical Alliance has issued a statement critical of evangelist Steve Chalke because of his latest book. It concludes: "We do not believe that penal substitutionary atonement can be rejected as it is rejected in The Lost Message of Jesus, and as Steve has persisted in rejecting it since. While affirming the many gifts which Steve has to offer, we urge him, as a much-loved brother in Christ, to reconsider both the substance and style of his recently expressed views on this matter."
Source: Evangelical Alliance news release.
posted at 7:51 PM

From Sunday 21st November every member of the Church of Scotland will be invited to join in a year long celebration of Church without Walls. The Church without Walls report, presented to the General Assembly in May 2001, encouraged the Church, at national, regional and local levels, to dream dreams about God's mission for the Church of Scotland. The report encouraged us to build a Church based on the Gospel and Christ's invitation to 'follow me'; a Church shaped by friendship; shaped by the locality in which we find ourselves and shaped by the gifts of the people of God.
Source: Church of Scotland news release.
posted at 7:45 PM

A digest of proceedings at the 2004 Assembly of the Baptist Union of Scotland is now online.
Source: Baptist Union of Scotland news.
posted at 7:42 PM

A church congregation in the Ardler area of Dundee is putting the finishing touches to a remarkable 14-month renovation project. Chalmers-Ardler Church has undergone a £65,000 facelift - with 90% of the work being carried out by church members.
Source: Dundee Evening Telegraph.
posted at 7:41 PM

The Catholic Church last night voiced its concerns that same-sex and unmarried couples may be allowed to adopt or foster children following a review of current laws. Peter Kearney, a Church spokesman, said: "All the evidence shows that the most secure, stable and supportive environment for children is provided by married, heterosexual parents."
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 5:49 PM

Church representatives have strongly criticised the findings of Dr Dean Hamer, director of the gene structure and regulation unit of the National Cancer Institute in America, which links a person's level of religious devotion to the existence of a so-called "god gene" in the body. Dr Hamer's research is published in the book The God Gene: How Faith is Hard-Wired into Our Genes. Dr Donald Bruce, director of the Church of Scotland's society, religious and technology project, said last night that Dr Hamer admitted to him at the Future of Life conference in California in February 2003 that the term "god gene" was primarily a stunt to boost sales. "Dr Hamer agreed the words 'god gene' as well as the book's title were misleading. I regard his claims as scientifically ridiculous. There is absolutely no such thing as a god gene. The whole point is that God makes himself available to all equally." Peter Kearney, a spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland, said: "Religion is not specifically restricted to one era, race or continent, and the fact that it is so all-encompassing and widespread tends to suggest it is not specifically related to our physical make-up."
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 5:47 PM

A visit to the Scots hotel in Tiberias, Israel, which reopened last week after a £9.5m renovation by its owners, the Church of Scotland. On a typical weekday last week the occupancy rate was only 25%. But the hotel fills up at weekends, and it hasn't even launched its planned website or marketing campaign.
Source: Sunday Times.
posted at 10:50 AM

Scottish Executive ministers have been accused of "institutionalised homophobia" after it emerged that they have delayed a flagship plan to improve sexual health following pressure by the Catholic Church.
Source: Scotland on Sunday.
posted at 10:45 AM

Credit card companies and financial institutions should be more transparent and sympathetic when dealing with customers struggling with debt, the new chair of Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) has said. Graham Blount, 53, has been a driving force within the Church of Scotland on debt issues. A minister with a law degree, he retains his position as the Scottish churches parliamentary officer while working as chair of CAS.
Source: Sunday Herald.
posted at 10:41 AM

People in Lochcarron have been horrified to learn that the Church of Scotland is considering demolishing the historic East Church, which Lochcarron Community Council has looked after for many.
Source: Ross-shire Journal.
posted at 6:22 PM

One of the Borders' most historic churches was lit up last week for the first time. The lights at the St Mary of Wedale Kirk in Stow were switched on by former postman and local historian, George Wood, and were dedicated by the Rev Catherine Buchan, minister of St Mary of Wedale, Stow and Heriot.
Source: Border Telegraph.
posted at 6:10 PM

Fifty adventure-seekers led by nun Sister Catherine have raised over £100,000 for St Andrew's Hospice in Airdrie through a sponsored trek along the stunning Machu Picchu trail in Peru.
Source: icLanarkshire - Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser.
posted at 6:09 PM

An Orange Lodge is threatening legal action against Fife Council for pulling the plug on a planned Remembrance Sunday march through Denbeath. The Council's decision was made on the basis that the march could not be properly policed. But the Methil lodge, East Fife Protestant Defenders, said Fife police knew about the parade six weeks ago and had approved it.
Source: Fife Now - East Fife Mail.
posted at 5:51 PM

A funding crisis could close a much used community hall in Fife. Burntisland Parish Church has spent over £80,000 on extensive repairs to its hall but now, with another £40,000 needed to make it suitable for disabled users, the Burntisland Development Trust has turned down a plea for help with funds.
Source: Fife Free Press.
posted at 5:48 PM

Dozens of men and women from Edinburgh are suffering abuse and torment in forced marriages, a report today reveals. It uncovered cases of rape, as well as physical and mental abuse, and said the problem will only get worse unless action is taken. The Council of British Pakistanis Scotland has accused the Scottish Executive and Edinburgh City Council of ignoring the issue.
Source: Edinburgh Evening News.
posted at 5:39 PM

Liberal Democrat MSP Jeremy Purvis will launch a consultation paper on assisted suicide by the end of the month with a view to introducing a member's Bill in the Scottish Parliament early next year. He welcomed comments by Dr Alison Elliot, Moderator of the Church of Scotland's General Assembly, supporting the call for a national debate on the issue.
Source: Edinburgh Evening News.
posted at 5:29 PM

Reality TV show millionaire Johnny Gibb has spoken of the horrors he witnessed at a refuge for 'untouchable' children in Southern India. Mr Gibb, an officer with Lothian and Borders Police, has spent much of the last year at the refuge in Andhra Pradesh, run by the charity Scottish Love in Action.
Source: Edinburgh Evening News.
posted at 7:30 PM

Dr Ruth Lawson has been ordained to the auxiliary ministry of the Church of Scotland at Caol Church, in Lochaber Presbytery.
Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal.
posted at 7:28 PM

Muslim leaders have attacked a multi-million-pound plan to build a pub just yards from Edinburgh's Central Mosque. Pub tycoon Kenny Waugh wants to redevelop a long vacant site at the corner of Nicolson Square and Nicolson Street into a style bar.
Source: Edinburgh Evening News.
posted at 6:50 PM

A much-loved regular worshipper at St John-at-Hampstead Parish Church in London, has been given a fond farewell by her fellow parishioners. Elizabeth Ryeburn-Gilchrist, who attended the church for more than 50 years, died last month aged 74. Ms Ryeburn-Gilchrist was born in Greenock and moved to Hampstead at the age of 22. She was devoted to the church and often took visitors on historical tours of the building.
Source: Ham and High - Wood and Vale Edition.
posted at 6:47 PM

Two boys segregated from fellow pupils for wearing Red Hand of Ulster badges were back in class today. Craig Gibbons, 14, and Thomas Stickland, 15, have agreed not to wear the badges - deemed "sectarian" by the school - in order to be allowed back into class at Tynecastle High School in the run up to their Standard Grade prelims. Edinburgh City Council's children and families services leader, Ewan Aitken, said: "I have backed the school on this and the combination that comes from wearing the Rangers badge, the Red Hand symbol and the Union Flag is an allusion to a brand of Protestant sectarianism that in my view is unacceptable." Thomas' father John Stickland, an unemployed window fitter, said: "We are constantly being told it is a multicultural society, but that seems to apply to every culture apart from the unionist culture. It is nonsense that we are not allowed to express our view."
Source: Edinburgh Evening News.
posted at 7:17 PM

The Church of Scotland is considering legal action against Scottish Water, claiming work carried out by its contractors almost caused St Francis-In-The-East in Bridgeton, Glasgow, to collapse. The church was forced to close while vital repairs were carried out and church-goers had to hold their services on a nearby five-a-side football court for 26 months. The quango has been accused of ignoring compensation claims from minister the Rev Howard Hudson, and the church has only been able to reopen because of a £200,000 loan from the Kirk.
Source: Evening Times, Glasgow.
posted at 7:09 PM

A ban on sending homeless children and pregnant women to downmarket bed and breakfasts is to be introduced next month. Communities Minister Malcolm Chisholm said today no child in Scotland should be housed in a B&B unless it was an emergency and only then in exceptional circumstances. Shelter and Church of Scotland moderator Dr Alison Elliot recently called for regulations that would ensure no child would spend this Christmas in B&B facilities.
Source: Evening Times, Glasgow.
posted at 7:08 PM

Dr Alison Elliot, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, preaches at a Remembrance Day service today beginning at 10.50am at the Scottish National War Memorial in Edinburgh. ['Released through the language of love and peace']
Source: Church of Scotland news release.
posted at 10:10 AM

A disgraced Kirk minister who faked qualifications to get a charity job has been dismissed by a Church of Scotland investigating commission. The Rev Callum O'Donnell, 46, was described yesterday as a Walter Mitty character who put together a bogus CV with a string of false qualifications to land a post helping victims of sexual abuse. Formerly based at Troon Old Parish church, he left the area five years ago after allegations over his close friendship with Sam McCrory, a convicted UDA terrorist. He subsequently worked for the Moira Anderson Foundation, at Dungavel detention centre in Lanarkshire, and for the Sandyford Initiative in Glasgow.
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 10:05 AM

A church minister is leaving his Moray pulpit to take up a call in Switzerland. The Rev Melvyn Wood, of Cullen and Deskford, will give his final service on November 28, before leaving for his new charge at the Church of Scotland, Lausanne.
Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal.
posted at 6:54 PM

Bashir Maan, the veteran politician and oft-time unofficial spokesman for the Muslim community in Glasgow and Scotland, is preparing a book about the relationship between Scotland and Islam. He says of present world tensions: "The persecution of the Palestinians has given terrorists the excuse for their excesses - actions which are not allowed in Islam. Islam teaches that if you kill one innocent person you kill the whole human race. Our Islamic human rights charter is stronger even than the United Nations version. It gives guarantees to the innocent and non-combatants of safety and security. It protects non-Islamic places of worship and protects priests and monks of other religions. I want to explain this in my book so that everyone in Scotland has the chance to have a better grasp of what Muslims here are thinking and to understand our way of looking at the world in these difficult days." Currently Scotland's representative on the Muslim Council of Great Britain, Bashir Maan has resigned from the Labour Party in protest over the war in Iraq, allowing his party membership to lapse after 30 years.
Source: The Herald, BBC Scotland News.
posted at 6:47 PM

Cameron Presbyterian Church of Cameron, North Carolina, will commemorate its 125th anniversary later this month. Former pastors have included Rev David Lunan from Cameron Presbyterian's sister church in Lhanbryde, Elgin, Scotland, in 1985. Mr Lunan is now clerk to Presbytery of Glasgow.
Source: The Pilot, Southern Pines, NC.
posted at 6:28 PM

An Episcopal priest who, along with his wife, was criticized by the church for being a leader of a local Druid society, has resigned from his church. Lay leaders at St James Episcopal Church in Downington, Pennsylvania, determined Friday that recent events would make it difficult for the Rev. William Melnyk "to continue effectively as the rector of the church," according to a letter distributed to parishioners Sunday. Melnyk then said he would resign, the letter said. [Some readers may be wondering why on earth stories about this controversy are appearing at Scottish Christian. The fragile explanation is that the Scottish and American Episcopal Churches are part of the Anglican Communion, which is titularly headed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, who in 2002 became an Eistedfodd druid ... which apparently doesn't make him a real druid; but it seemed interesting at the time, and I've started, so I'll finish... Ed.]
Source: Daily Local.
posted at 6:45 PM

Bereaved families are being urged to dedicate a light on a giant Christmas tree at St Vincent's Hospice in Paisley in memory of a loved one to help raise cash for cancer care. A ceremonial switch-on will take place on Sunday, December 5, with prayers from the hospice's Church of Scotland and Catholic Church chaplains.
Source: icRenfrewshire - Paisley Daily Express.
posted at 7:39 PM

Several hundred gathered to witness the unveiling of a cairn in Contalmaison, northern France, which commemorates the 16th Battalion of the Royal Scots. A memorial service was conducted by the Reverend Fiona Douglas, whose grandfather, Sergeant John Douglas, was in the 16th. An Edinburgh battalion, the 16th was raised in less than a fortnight by Sir George McCrae, thanks in part to the alacrity with which many Hearts players enlisted. The club were top of the league when war broke out in 1914, and could boast some of the best footballers playing the game anywhere. Four years later, there was barely a player left who had survived unscathed.
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 7:31 PM

The leader of the Catholic Church in Scotland, Cardinal Keith O'Brien, has accused politicians and the media of "undermining the morality of a generation". In a hard-hitting sermon delivered yesterday, Cardinal O'Brien said neither the political nor media elites reflected the values held by most Scots and risked casting young people "adrift on a sea of moral relativism, where an 'anything goes' philosophy prevails".
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 7:26 PM

The role of key "issues of conscience" in last week's American presidential election has echoes here. "George Bush won a momentous victory because of his firm commitment to upholding the Judeo-Christian heritage against Godless libertarianism," said Nuala Scarisbrick, a trustee of the UK anti-abortion group, LIFE. "When will it dawn on British politicians that being pro-life, pro-family, pro-marriage and pro-decency is a vote-winner? When will non-Catholic church leaders have the courage to join Catholic bishops in promoting the Gospel of Life? What happened in the USA last week has important lessons for a lot of people on this side of the Atlantic." The number of Christian church-goers, which has plummeted sharply since the 1960s, is bottoming out and several churches - mainly evangelicals - report steep increases, in inner-city areas and leafier retreats. "There are people joining our movement all the time," said Theresa Smith, of the Scottish Christian Alliance. "People are very exercised about things like the Sexual Health Strategy that the Scottish Executive are producing."
Source: Scotland on Sunday.
posted at 5:09 PM

The leader of Scotland's Catholic community will today signal the start of a moral battle with politicians by warning MSPs to take heed of the American reassertion of Christian values. At a mass due to be delivered in Portobello this morning Cardinal Keith O'Brien will claim voters will no longer tolerate ''political elites'' who ignore religious and moral beliefs.
Source: Sunday Herald.
posted at 5:03 PM

The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has called for a national debate on euthanasia. Dr Alison Elliot said: "I don't believe that God wills people to suffer ... There may be examples where the tension between life as a gift from God, and the belief that God does not want people to suffer becomes so unbearable that it leads to a re-examination of the question." The Church of Scotland officially opposes euthanasia, a position reached after a debate in 1994. Mike Judge, for the Christian Institute, said: "Euthanasia is very dangerous and we know from Holland that it puts pressure on the elderly. I don't think it's possible to square being a Christian with supporting it."
Source: Sunday Herald.
posted at 5:02 PM

Cardinal Keith O'Brien will tomorrow accuse Scotland's mass media and politicians of not reflecting the values held by most Scots. He will charge policymakers with "denying our young people the guidance and the tools they need to be able to make sound moral judgements about how they behave. We are casting them adrift on a sea of moral relativism, where an 'anything goes' philosophy prevails."
Source: Scottish Catholic Media Office news release.
posted at 3:39 PM

Two Chester County clergy members are under investigation by and may face discipline from the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania for their involvement in a druid society. William Melnyk's interest in Celtic heritage has been evident in events he's held, including a "Kirkin' O' the Tartans". His wife, Glyn Ruppe-Melnyk, described herself as a "nonconforming, high energy, old hippie".
Source: Daily Local.
posted at 3:26 PM

Bettyhill Public Hall was packed to the doors on Thursday night last week as the North Coast community, regardless of denomination, gathered to say goodbye to the Rev John Wilson, Church of Scotland minister to the charge of Altnaharra and Farr since his induction in August 1998. Mr Wilson previously served in Linlithgow, India, Ghana and East Lothian.
Source: Northern Times.
posted at 9:54 PM

The people of Comrie and St Fillans gathered in the White Church community centre last Friday evening to say their final farewells to the Reverend Peter Thomson who retired this week on his 63rd birthday as the minister for the charge of Comrie linked with Dundurn.
Source: icPerthshire - Strathearn Herald.
posted at 8:58 PM

Cardinal Keith Patrick O'Brien, leader of the Catholic Church in Scotland, made an emotional return to the Borders last week. He first came to the region in 1959 as a student priest at St Andrew's College, Drygrange.
Source: Border Telegraph.
posted at 8:54 PM

People in Auchmuty are fuming after Vodafone's controversial application for a mast in St Columba's Church tower was given the go-ahead despite almost 1,000 people signing a petition in opposition to the plan.
Source: Fife Now - Glenrothes Gazette.
posted at 8:49 PM

A severe shortage of Catholic priests has led to Sunday Mass being stopped at Crosshouse and Ayr hospitals.
Source: icAyrshire - Irvine Herald.
posted at 8:47 PM

This weekend sees the 10th anniversary of the National Lottery in the United Kingdom, but Keith Tondeur, national director of Credit Action and a member of the Evangelical Alliance Stewardship Forum comments: "The anniversary ... highlights a number of statistics that are perhaps forgotten in the hype of promises of big cash prizes. Statistics show that the poorer you are the higher percentage of your income is spent on lottery tickets. The same figures show that if you had bought the average number of lottery tickets since it started, you would have lost £2000."
Source: Evangelical Alliance news release.
posted at 8:40 PM

The Salvation Army is consulting staff about cuts and redundancies to plug a £9.6-million gap in its funds. All 6000 of its staff and officers have been told of the crisis, and discussions are under way in the Army's London headquarters and its regional offices. The talks, which will go on over the next three weeks, also cover the possible sale of Salvation Army property.
Source: Church of England Newspaper.
posted at 8:34 PM

Bob Wylie tells how the charity Glasgow the Caring City is helping Ntwasahlobo Primary School in the township of Khayelitsha in South Africa. Rev Neil Galbraith of Cathcart Old Parish Church is chief executive of the organisation, which works mainly by recycling surplus goods from here to places of need elsewhere. "Of course we are in the resurrection business," he says. "That applies mainly to souls, but we're not opposed to the resurrection of computers, desks, cupboards, fire engines ... you name it." Wylie concludes: "Then came the girls' choir. I looked at them as their voices soared into the blue sky and thought: 'Maybe Neil Galbraith is right ... maybe there is a God.'"
Source: The Herald.
posted at 8:18 PM

November's engagements diary for Dr Alison Elliot, Moderator of the Church of Scotland's General Assembly, includes meeting Zambian HIV/AIDS activist Mr Winstone Zulu, preaching at the Remembrance Day service at the Scottish War Memorial in Edinburgh, touring of Faslane naval base, and chairing the discussion at a 'On the Wings of a Dove' worldwide churches' campaign event aimed at overcoming violence against women and children.
Source: Church of Scotland news release.
posted at 5:59 PM

Polish war veterans in their 80s are leaving Sunday morning Mass at St Simon's Church in Partick, Glasgow, to find they've been hit with £30 parking tickets. Last year double yellow lines were painted outside at Partick Cross as part of new traffic control measures in the area. Parish priest Father Willie Slavin said parishioners intended to object but were advised informally that restrictions would not be enforced during services. However, worshippers who left a recent Mass at what is known as the Polish Church, found 12 cars had been 'booked'.
Source: Evening Times, Glasgow.
posted at 5:41 PM

Donald Findlay, the QC and former Rangers vice-chairman, has been consulted by Gilbert Deya, 52, a self-styled archbishop who is wanted in Kenya under suspicion of running a child smuggling ring.
Source: The Herald.
posted at 5:38 PM

George Kerevan on the American presidential election result: "Here in Scotland, where the mainstream view is anti-Bush, the instant reaction will be to dismiss this [non-coastal] other America as redneck, racist, bigoted, gun-loving and ignorant. But hold a mirror to thyself: the part of America that doggedly voted Republican on Tuesday is its ethnic Scottish-Ulster heartland. These are the descendants of the lowland yeoman folk who colonised Virginia in the 17th century, then crossed the Appalachian Mountains to open up the frontier in the 18th, joined by the refugees from the Govan slums in the 19th. They brought with them a Celtic tribalism, a small-farmer self-reliance and a rationalist Presbyterian morality based on the Good Book."
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 5:22 PM

The Ay family, who spent a record time in Dungavel detention centre in Scotland, have been granted asylum in Germany. A court is understood to have allowed the Kurdish family indefinite leave to remain on humanitarian grounds. While in Dungavel, church and union leaders, cross-party politicians, and children's charities condemned their detention, arguing that it breached international laws.
Source: The Herald.
posted at 5:11 PM

The Ay family, who spent a record time in Dungavel detention centre in Scotland, have been granted asylum in Germany. A court is understood to have allowed the Kurdish family indefinite leave to remain on humanitarian grounds. While in Dungavel, church and union leaders, cross-party politicians, and children's charities condemned their detention, arguing that it breached international laws.
Source: The Herald.
posted at 5:11 PM

The newly restored St Sophia's Roman Catholic Church in Galston, Ayrshire, was re-dedicated last Sunday, October 31. Saint Sophia's, a striking red brick Byzantine-style church built by the third Marquis of Bute and completed in 1886, closed in 1999 after a section of the roof collapsed.
Source: Scottish Catholic Media Office news release.
posted at 11:53 PM

The Evangelical Alliance has welcomed concessions announced by the government during second reading of the Gambling Bill. The main concessions relate to casino development and planning issues, together with a promise that serious research on gambling addiction will be undertaken before the Bill becomes law.
Source: Evangelical Alliance news release.
posted at 11:48 PM

Lord Provost Liz Cameron and Mario Conti, the Archbishop of Glasgow, co-hosted an event celebrating the contribution of Glasgow's Italian community to the city.
Source: Evening Times, Glasgow.
posted at 11:45 PM

Lord Provost Liz Cameron and Mario Conti, the Archbishop of Glasgow, co-hosted an event celebrating the contribution of Glasgow's Italian community to the city.
Source: Evening Times, Glasgow.
posted at 11:44 PM

Ministers have come under pressure to stop American billionaire Sheldon G Adelson, owner of the Las Vegas Sands empire, from bankrolling Rangers' plans to build a casino resort on the doorstep of Ibrox, amid concerns over his "horrific" working practices. Andrew Dismore, Labour MP for Hendon, told ministers during the second reading of the Gambling Bill: "He has been involved in repeated conflicts with governmental and regulatory agencies. Earlier this year, the Nevada Gaming Commission imposed a $1m (fine) on Venetian casino, which he owns, for rigging contests and violating other Nevada gaming regulations. He is in ongoing litigation with the United States Equal Employment opportunity Commission over issues dating back to 1999."
Source: The Herald.
posted at 9:46 AM

MSPs have defied ministers by deciding to hold a debate on alleged child abuse in Scotland's residential homes dating back to the 1940s. Only a month ago, Education Minister Peter Peacock ruled out a public inquiry and refused to make an apology to the victims on behalf of the state. More than 1,000 people have so far come forward to say they suffered physical or mental abuse in Scotland's homes. The full parliamentary debate is to be held on Wednesday, 1 December.
Source: BBC Scotland News.
posted at 10:30 AM

Three north-east women will fly out to the Middle East this weekend to take part in a 240-mile Bible Lands Bike Ride. Stalwart cyclists Evelyn Cook from Methlick, Elspeth McLean of Newmachar and Anne-Marie Coleman from Inverurie, will face temperatures in the 80cs as they tackle gruelling mountain and desert tracks. Proceeds from the effort will go to the Nazareth Hospital complex, supported by Edinburgh charity EMMS, which treats people of all religions and ages in the strife-torn area.
Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal.
posted at 10:30 AM

Feature on corporate ethics including profiles of related organisations, ranging from government sponsored initiatives to get business on board, to church-founded investment groups like the Ethical Investment Research Service.
posted at 10:29 AM

Obituary of accountant Douglas Laing, former elder and treasurer of Rhu Church of Scotland and member of the board of managers of Hillhead Baptist Church in Glasgow, who worked with Scouts and charities; born April 22, 1930, died October 14, 2004.
Source: The Herald.
posted at 10:28 AM

Two officers attached to the FBI are in Kenya to investigate the "miracle babies" saga. Top on their agenda is to investigate some of 'Archbishop' Gilbert Deya's investments in Kenya since he settled in the UK. Deya is using Scotland as a base to appeal against extradition on child trafficking charges.
Source: The Standard, Nairobi.
posted at 10:47 PM

Four candidates have been short-listed for the post of Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld & Dunblane, in the Scottish Episcopal Church, which became vacant in July when Bishop Michael Henley retired after nine years' service.
Source: Scottish Episcopal Church news release, Diocese of Glasgow & Galloway.
posted at 2:07 PM

The public is deeply divided over the Government's controversial Gambling Bill, according to a new poll. The YouGov poll for The Daily Telegraph found no clear consensus on the merits of the Bill, which gets its second reading in the Commons today. But 29% said they were inclined to oppose it, while 17% said they "strongly" opposed it. There was clear concern that the Bill's provisions will increase the incidence of problem gambling. Some 70% said there would be more people addicted to gambling than at present as a consequence of the Bill. In a letter to the Telegraph, the Rt Rev Tom Butler, the Bishop of Southwark, Commissioner Shaw Clifton, Territorial Commander of The Salvation Army, Dr Alison Elliot, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Rev Will Morrey, President of the Methodist Conference, and the Most Rev Peter Smith, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Cardiff, expressed anxiety.
Source: The Scotsman/PA News.
posted at 9:08 AM

Unholy Orders, which screens on SBS Television on Thursday 4 November at 8.30pm in the Storyline Australia timeslot, is an arresting documentary about a group of people fighting back against the Catholic nuns who abused and silenced them as children. It focuses on Cath Yeomans, now living in Australia, who at 84 is the oldest claimant. She and her sisters spent ten years in an institution run by the Sisters of Nazareth in Glasgow.
Source: Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), Australia.
posted at 8:41 AM

An un-named spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland reacted angrily to the Scottish Greens' decision last night to back moves to scrap state funding for denominational schools. The Catholic church hit out at the plan last night, saying it would also lead to the closure of Scotland's only Jewish school in Newlands, Glasgow. A spokesman said: 'A state-enforced one size fits all system has been tried before - the Soviet Union did it, Yugoslavia and Romania did it, Pol Pot tried it in Cambodia and they have been total failures. Scotland is a religiously and ethnically diverse country and that diversity should be reflected in our education system.'
Source: Daily Record.
posted at 8:25 AM

Coffee lovers with a conscience are raising their cups to a fair-trade venture set to open in London tomorrow - with a little help from a Glasgow company. Oxfam hopes the Progreso Café in Covent Garden will be the first in a chain across the UK, set up in a joint venture with three coffee co-operatives in Ethiopia, Honduras and Indonesia. Oxfam and the Glasgow coffee roasting company, Matthew Algie, are investing £50,000 each in the project, with the charity retaining a 50 per cent stake in the stand-alone operation. A further 25 per cent stake will be held in trust for projects involving other coffee growers.
Source: The Scotsman.
posted at 8:22 AM

A Herald leader article backs the Catholic Church in the debate over denominational schools and the Green Party's new policy of integration. "Denominational schooling did not create bigotry and sectarianism. These scars on modern Scotland predate Catholic schools. If the schools did not produce bigotry, why should their abolition end it? ...At the opening of the party conference on Saturday, Shiona Baird, the North East Scotland MSP, called on members to reach out to a wider audience. Advocating a policy of educational intolerance that has no justification or basis in fact is a strange way to go about that. Unless the Greens ditch it they will never make the breakthrough they desire."
Source: The Herald.
posted at 8:18 AM

A Greater Glasgow NHS pilot scheme allowing community pharmacists to prescribe contraception to schoolgirls without parental consent provoked anger yesterday. Peter Kearney, spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland, called the project "reckless and dangerous", and said it would promote promiscuity. He said: "Greater Glasgow already has one of the worst teenage pregnancy rates in Scotland. Also, this policy completely pre-empts the executive's sexual health strategy and gives the green light to sexual promiscuity on the part of young children, leaving aside the question of the illegality of underage sex." Salah Beltagui, Scottish chair of the Muslim Association of Great Britain, condemned the project. He said: "The root of the problem needs to be tackled with a change of tack and more emphasis on the moral framework of society rather than on simple biology and mechanics."
Source: The Herald.
posted at 8:13 AM

The Scottish Green party's conference yesterday voted in favour of integrating Catholic schools into the non-denominational sector. A spokesman for the Catholic Church said last night that the debate showed "staggering ignorance". He added: "Scotland is a multi-faith, multi-ethnic society. It is a pity the Greens do not want to see that diversity reflected in our education system. Bearing in mind that 95% of Catholic parents send their children to Catholic schools, which is their right, this can only be seen as a denial of their rights."
Source: The Herald.
posted at 8:09 AM