faith and practice

No fence-sitting allowed
The popular metaphor used by Christians of ‘sheep’ and ‘shepherd’ can mislead. We are called to use our brains as well as our hearts in practising the faith. God has enough sheep to deal with.

A number of key issues challenge Christians as they do everyone else. Rather than accept the party line (or no line at all) we believe we should consider our position in the light of reason and faith. So get thinking! Issues include:

  • environmental issues - sustainability, pollution and the right use of the creation ('why are we harming our planet?')
  • equality and diversity: questions of gender, discrimination, racism and other hatreds ('why is it hard to see the value of one another?')
  • the impact of globalisation and multinationals on local communities ('why is it that the bigger things are, the less human they seem to be?')
  • health care: funding, access and equality and inequalities in health care
  • the ethics and impact of advertising
  • the care of children and young people
  • is the modern economic system (banking, free trade and the assumed emphasis on having and consuming) as good as we can manage? Find out more about Christian thinking on monetary justice.

  • the abuse and misuse of power, not least by ourselves

Possibly useful links
The following sites may be useful in getting other views and considering your own position. Some are strongly partisan. They are offered here as sources of opinion and argument to help you consider your own position (listing does not imply approval or endorsement by St James’ PCC. As in all serious endeavours, exploration is at your own risk)

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Global Issues That Affect Everyone
Friends of the Earth  Christian ecology Workface
Transition Towns (UK) - how individual towns
can make a difference

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY
The Equality Trust
UK Equal Opportunities Commission
Institute of Race Relations | Challenging racism

SEXUALITY & CHRISTIAN FAITH
Lesbian & Gay Christian Movement
Canadian site exploring religious tolerance
Changing Attitudes  Accepting Evangelicals

GLOBALISATION
Christian Aid briefing on Globalisation
Tax Justice Network

DEMOCRACY AND CITIZENSHIP
UK Government portal
we have found it difficult to locate good internet resources on this issue - please suggest any you know of - thanks

FOOD PRODUCTION/CONSUMPTION
Animal use in food production
Agriculture and theology project

HEALTH EQUALITIES
AND INEQUALITIES
World Health Organisation  King’s Fund
International Journal for Equity in Health

SHARING WHAT WE HAVE:
PEACE & JUSTICE
Christian Aid  Cafod  Oxfam
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent
Amos Trust

BANKING, CONSUMING & USURY
Christian Council for Monetary Justice
Usury

GET THINKING & CHANGING
- general sites
Pressureworks - Pressureworks is a website for a generation that’s tired of being lied to. Packed with ironic comment, black humour and savage indignation, Pressureworks is about being active - mentally, politically, creatively (that’s what it says...)

  

The perfect soul rejoices more in the differences among people than it would in seeing them all walk in the same way, saying, 'Thanks be to thee, Eternal Father, that Thou hast many mansions in Thy house.
Catherine of Sienna

Let us pray that all living beings realise that they are all brothers and sisters, and nourished from the same source of life. Let us pray that we ourselves cease to be the cause of suffering to each other.
The Venerable Thich Nhat Hahn
The very best and utmost attainment in this life is to remain still and let God act and speak in thee.
Meister Eckhart

And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said: The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! Or, lo there! For, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Gospel according to St Luke

Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Collect for Aid
Against all Perils
Book of Common Prayer 1662

“It belongs to the very substance of nonviolence never to destroy or damage another person's feeling of self worth, even an opponent's. We all need, constantly, an advance of trust and affirmation.” Bernard Häring

"Why do we people in churches seem like cheerful, brainless tourists on a packaged tour of the Absolute? … On the whole, I do not find Christians, outside the catacombs, sufficiently sensible of conditions. Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does not one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies' straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares: they should lash us to our pews." Annie Dillard