Never perceiving

Mark 4:9-13

Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the
parables. He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to
you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that,
" 'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'"

Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will
you understand any parable?

---
Jesus was quoting Isaiah 6:9,10.

Was he also alluding to the Isaiah 7:13,14 prophesy that follows:

Then Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try
the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the
Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will
give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Another Possible Islamic Theocratic Democracy....

People seem worried about another possible Islamic Theocratic Democracy in the world. We already have one in Iran. I have a few of questions:

Is it possible to have a theocracy and a Democracy? A Theocracy is run by God (or a religion's understanding of God); A democracy simply follows the tide of popular opinion - whichever way that happens to be blowing in an election year.

Is an Islamic Regime worse than a Secular-atheistic one? Both thrust their viewpoints on the rest of us. Each group lobbies for special concessions in education, entertainment, parliament, and business?

Should we not be fighting to replace our own governmental system with a Christian Theocracy?

responses: ramsay@havelock-viha.com

queries in responses to the following article in the Globe and Mail (January 27) Hamas Victory: Bracing for an Islamic revival - http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060127.HAMASCOLOUR27/TPStory

Che Quote

Ernesto Che Guevara: "Only aiming for power can we transform the world."

This is something for revolutionary Christian activists to remember...

(The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always
necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)

low-cost laptops for the poor

The gap between the rich and the poor has been growing. Theorists are saying that the world is moving towards a knowledge-based economy. It is great that the Lord is using people to "give children in developing countries access to the knowledge and educational tools that could lift them out of poverty."

Whole article:

 

UN agency to back project distributing sturdy, low-cost laptops in poor countries - (26 January 2006)

Aiming to give poor communities access to the benefits of information technology, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has announced plans to support an innovative project which aims to put cheap and energy-efficient laptop computers in the hands of the world's most disadvantaged students.

The innovative $100 laptop project, designed to give children in developing countries access to the knowledge and educational tools that could lift them out of poverty, will take a step closer to realization on Saturday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

There, UNDP Administrator Kemal Dervis and Nicholas Negroponte, Chairman of One Laptop per Child, (OLPC), the non-profit organization set up to oversee the $100 Laptop project, will sign an agreement on working together with local and international partners to deliver the new technology to targeted schools in the least developed countries.

The $100 laptop is an inexpensive, robust computer, with open-source software, very low power consumption, and the capacity to be powered by hand cranking. It was unveiled at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Tunisia last November.

On that occasion, Secretary-General Kofi Annan called the laptops an "impressive technical achievement" and said they were able to do almost everything that larger, more expensive computers could do, unlocking the "magic with each child, within each scientist, scholar or plain citizen-in-the-making."

(The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)

General-Elect (from armybarmy)

This is taken directly from the www.armybarmy.com  blog for today:

Media coverage
According to google this is the first international coverage of the high council election: http://www.stanet.ch/apd/news/1007.html

Clifton on hiring practices (from Feb. 04 blog):
____
(picking up a discussion on hiring from HORIZONS...)

The answer: It is totally different. A Christian could share our mission to win the world for Jesus, possess the same vision for the Kingdom of God on earth, and fight to fulfil the mission with the same values of the Kingdom that we possess. Atheists, homosexuals, and non-Christian religious believers cannot.

The solution to the dilemma many readers have is provided in real life by Commissioner Shaw Clifton. In WHO ARE THESE SALVATIONISTS he describes how he determined to hire only Christians to work with The Salvation Army in people-oriented positions (they did differentiate between grant and nongrant positions - roughly, between government-funded and other positions). He did this in the bureaucratic nightmare that is the United States, so it is definitely possible in many other territories. All it takes is the will of those in leadership. I believe that our leaders have that will, and I look forward to their brave new initiatives to aid us in our struggle to win the whole world for Jesus.
____

General-Elect

Our New General-Elect is Commissioner Shaw Clifton of the UK and Ireland

 

You may view the announcement at this URL:   http://www1.salvationarmy.org/ihq/HC-webcast.html

Poor Urban Children at Risk

Poor urban children 'at greater risk'
CBC.ca

As for air pollution, the report said children living in poor urban neighbourhoods are most likely to develop asthma and other breathing problems.

"Lower-income inner-city populations are at greater risk of developing asthma because of sub-optimal levels of care and control, and because they may have higher exposures [to pollutants]," the report said.

The main culprits are ground-level ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and lead.

"Children are uniquely susceptible and vulnerable to environmental risks - and those risks don't respect boundaries," Herb Gray, Canadian chair of the International Joint Commission of Canada and the United States, said in a statement as the report was released.

Whole article: http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/01/27/asthma-report060127.html
Entire report: http://www.cec.org/files/PDF/POLLUTANTS/CEH-Indicators-fin_en.pdf

General_Elect of the Salvation Army

Our New General-Elect is Commissioner Shaw Clifton of the UK and Ireland

You may view the announcement at this URL: http://www1.salvationarmy.org/ihq/HC-webcast.html

Adage and Unya

'Canadian socialism owes as much to Methodism as to Marxism.'

P. Unya: "Marxism is socialism without God; US [and Canadian*] Capitalism is
Mammon worship in the name of God."

* [] mine.

(The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always
necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)

More Amos

The Lord punished Gaza, Tyre, Edom, the Ammonites, and Moab for military
aggression or for cooperation (being members of a 'coalition of the
willing', if you like) with a militarily aggressive nation.

The Lord, through Amos, then says (3:2) "You only have I known of all the
families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities."
Are not those who claim HIS name even MORE deserving of HIS justice? Where
do we sit as a people? What do we deserve?

(The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always
necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)

Amos 3:2

Amos chapter 3 opens with "Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against
you". I find it very interesting that, even in the context of listing the
punishments of all the surrounding nations, that did not have the favoured
status of Israel in the Lord's eyes, Amos states the following in verse 2,
"you only have I known of all the families of the earth; THEREFORE I will
punish you for all your iniquities." It does bring to mind a verse of two of
the NT, but it still makes me wonder, are not Aram, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, and
the Ammonites all being punished for their iniquities? So what does that
mean for Israel? Why "therefore"? Do they have an extra special punishment
awaiting them?

Freedom from sins

Food for Prayer:
Google to censor content in China

Last Updated Wed, 25 Jan 2006 11:37:20 EST
CBC News

U.S. online search engine Google will adhere to Beijing's censorship
policies and limit certain search results in China to get broader access to
the large market.

Full story:
http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/01/25/google-china060125.html

So why don't we stop people from looking up 'child pornography' or 'how to
build a bomb' in this country? What's more important: setting people free
from things such as these or so-called 'freedom of expression' and
'unfettered capitalism'? ...an honest enough question, don't you think?

(The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always
necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)

Prayer for Integrity

Our Government's credibility has been rightfully questioned over the past
year. Please pray for the integrity of the Canadian government. The ruling
on the Grewal case has just come down and the judge said of the Conservative
who had the full support of Stephen Harper, "whether [he] genuinely sought
an inducement to change his vote or whether he just acted the part in an
attempt to entrap Mr. Dosanjh, his actions were, in either case, extremely
inappropriate"

The Justice went on to say that "The facts of this case have clearly not
enhanced the public's confidence and trust in the integrity of the House of
Commons and its members," in a statement accompanying the report; "indeed, I
believe the public's trust and confidence has been weakened. I would hope
that all members of the newly elected 39th Parliament will consider this
carefully."

It is not an encouraging sign that the results of this case were hushed up
until the Conservative government's election was secured - but our prayer
can change things - SO PRAY FOR THE GOVERNMENT AND OUR LEADERS THAT THEY
WILL SERVE GOD AND DO IT FAITHFULLY! Also, find out who your MP or MLA is
and pray for them too...political sermon over (-:

(The opinions expressed here are at most - but not always necessarily - the
opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)

The names...

Say a prayer and make your best guess - who do you think that the LORD has
chosen?
The Nominees for General are...

Commissioner M. Christine MacMillan (Canada and Bermuda)Canadian
Commissioner Hasse Kjellgren (Sweden and Latvia)Swedish
Commissioner Carl Lydholm (Norway, Iceland and the Faeroes) Danish
Commissioner Israel L. Gaither (IHQ) american
Commissioner Shaw Clifton (UK and Eire) British

In addition to the above names, the following officers were also nominated
but declined to accept nomination:
Commissioner Linda Bond (Canadian) and Commissioner Phillip Needham

Today we start looking at Amos!

Today we will look at Amos Chapter 1 at the Weston Wednesday group.

fruits for us

Galatians 5:22-23 (NRSV) "by contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and
self-control. There is no law against such things."

Wood and Hay

From the Sentire

 

Happy Robert Burns Day.

Happy Robert Burns Day.

Here is a link to an English 'translation' of some of his stuff:
http://www.robertburns.org/inenglish/

To a Haggis

(Haggis is a wholesome savoury pudding, a mixture of mutton and offal. It is
boiled and presented at table in a sheep's stomach)

All hail your honest rounded face,
Great chieftain of the pudding race;
Above them all you take your place,
Beef, tripe, or lamb:
You're worthy of a grace
As long as my arm.

The groaning trencher there you fill,
Your sides are like a distant hill
Your pin would help to mend a mill,
In time of need,
While through your pores the dews distil,
Like amber bead.

His knife the rustic goodman wipes,
To cut you through with all his might,
Revealing your gushing entrails bright,
Like any ditch;
And then, what a glorious sight,
Warm, welcome, rich.

Then plate for plate they stretch and strive,
Devil take the hindmost, on they drive,
Till all the bloated stomachs by and by,
Are tight as drums.
The rustic goodman with a sigh,
His thanks he hums.

Let them that o'er his French ragout,
Or hotchpotch fit only for a sow,
Or fricassee that'll make you spew,
And with no wonder;
Look down with sneering scornful view,
On such a dinner.

Poor devil, see him eat his trash,
As feckless as a withered rush,
His spindly legs and good whip-lash,
His little feet
Through floods or over fields to dash,
O how unfit.

But, mark the rustic, haggis-fed;
The trembling earth resounds his tread,
Grasp in his ample hands a flail
He'll make it whistle,
Stout legs and arms that never fail,
Proud as the thistle.

You powers that make mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill of fare.
Old Scotland wants no stinking ware,
That slops in dishes;
But if you grant her grateful prayer,
Give her a haggis.

for more works in the original: http://www.robertburns.org/works/

Happy Robert Burns Day

From the BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4644064.stm
A manuscript of a Robert Burns poem which had been ripped apart has been put
back together in time for his birthday celebrations.

The two pages of manuscript for "Holy Willie's Prayer" were separated - for
unknown reasons - in the 19th Century.

One half was stored in Burns' House in Dumfries, which bought the other part
from a private collector late last year at a total cost of about £6,000.

They have been reunited in a new frame to be displayed at the house.

Alf Hannay, chairman of Dumfries and Galloway Burns Trust, said: "When you
have a manuscript and the two pieces have been apart for so many years it is
like bringing Burns back into Dumfries itself."

In the poem itself Burns attacks the hypocrisy of Willie Fisher - a drinking
and womanising kirk elder from Mauchline in Ayrshire - who complained that
Burns' friend Gavin Hamilton had breached God's law by having men working on
the Sabbath.

Personal touch

It was election day. I knocked on the doors of those who said they were
going to vote as well as the others to remind them that today was the day.
They replied: "I don't have time;, "I don't know where it is"; "I'm too
busy" - so I gave them directions or a ride (I made 3 trips). Most of the
people here wound up going to vote in the end...

This reminds me a lot of ministry...

A warning from the NY Times

In covering the Tory minority victory, the New York Times described Harper
as a "free-market economist who expressed strong support for Washington at
the time of the American-led invasion of Iraq."

Alone

Okay. I guess that I am alone in voting for the candidate rather than the
party. The experienced incumbent who has done an excellent job in politics
around here for a long time(he is, btw, not a member of my preferred party
in this election contest) went down to a person who has almost no political
experience and plays video games for a living (I'm not sure if he lives in
his parents basement or not)

(The opinions expressed in here are at most - but not always necessarily -
the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)

Congratulations

Congratulations Canada on electing another minority government.
Congratulations Canadians, Jack Layton and the NDP on greatly increasing
your presence in the House of Commons. Hopefully there is enough of a
federalist presence (between the NDP and the Liberals) to keep Canada
together.

Remember that God places our leaders in place for various reasons. Pray for
mercy and grace for Canada.

(The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always
necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)

Bill Blaikie

"The Lordship of Jesus, the Gospel, for the Christian, is both political and
existential good news. Existentially, we are to be set free from whatever
demons are destroying our personal life or our families, whether it be
anger, despair, desire, pride, substance abuse or whatever. Politically, we
are to be set free from -- and work to set our world free from -- the
demons, the idols that sanction ways of organizing human life that stand in
the way of God's intention for creation and for humanity. (And those) that
stand in the way of justice and treating all humans for what they really
are, not commodities, or units of productivity, but God's children and image
bearers of God."

Bill Blaikie, NDP MP, is a church minister who ran a Winnipeg inner city
mission before entering politics, Blaikie is an articulate defender of both
the Christian faith and the social gospel.

more on Blakie from this source:
http://www.christianity.ca/frame.html?http://www.canadianchristianity.com/cg
i-bin/na.cgi?nationalupdates/060112faith

Michael

An Old Adage..

'Canadian socialism owes as much to Methodism as to Marxism.' - Prof. John
Redekop, TWU.

Christ's existence challenged

Hey, you might want to pray over this one..

Christ's existence challenged / Italian atheist takes priest to court over claim

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1137799507246&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154&t=TS_Home

ROME-Lawyers for a small-town parish priest have been ordered to appear in court next week after the Roman Catholic cleric was accused of unlawfully asserting what many people take for granted: that Jesus Christ existed.

The Rev. Enrico Righi was named in a 2002 complaint by Luigi Cascioli after Righi wrote in a parish bulletin that Jesus did indeed exist, and was born of a couple named Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem and lived in Nazareth.

Cascioli, a lifelong atheist, claims Righi - his boyhood schoolmate - violated two Italian laws by making the assertion: so-called "abuse of popular belief" in which someone fraudulently deceives people; and "impersonation" in which someone gains by attributing a false name to someone.

Cascioli says that for 2,000 years the Roman Catholic Church has been deceiving people by furthering the fable that Christ existed, and says the church has been gaining financially by impersonating as Christ someone by the name of John of Gamala, the son of Judas from Gamala.

He also asserts the Gospels - the most frequently cited testimony of Jesus' existence - are inconsistent, full of errors and biased, and that other written evidence from the time is scant and doesn't hold up to scholarly analysis.

Judge Gaetano Mautone has set a hearing for Friday in Viterbo, north of Rome, to discuss preliminary motions in Cascioli's bid to have the court appoint technical experts to review the historical data and determine if Jesus really did exist.

Cascioli, 72, is quick to stress he has no problem with Christians freely professing their faith. Rather, he says, he wants to "denounce the abuse that the Catholic Church commits by availing itself of its prestige in order to inculcate - as if being real and historical - facts that are really just inventions.''

Righi, who has been a priest for 50 years, declined to be interviewed on the advice of his lawyers before the pending court date. But he set out his rebuke of Cascioli in a recent issue of his parish bulletin "Risveglio," or "Awaken," and said by telephone that the article encapsulated his position.

Righi argues the existence of Christ is "unmistakable'' because of the substantial historical evidence - both pagan and religious - testifying that he indeed lived.

"Cascioli maintains that Christ never existed. If he doesn't see the sun at midday, he can't denounce me just because I do. He should denounce all believers!" Righi wrote.

Cascioli says he fully recognizes that his case has a slim chance of succeeding in overwhelmingly Catholic Italy, but not because his argument is lacking.

He says he is merely going through the necessary legal steps in Italy so he can ultimately take the matter to the European Court of Human Rights, where he intends to pursue the case against the church for "religious racism.''

Jan. 21, 2006. 01:00 AM / ANICOLE WINFIELD / ASSOCIATED PRESS

OT Grace

A curse turned into a blessing

After Adam and Eve sinned before God, God announced the specific consequences for their sin: one was that the ground would be cursed "To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life...(Gen 3:17)"

Only five Chapters later (Gen 8:21), with divine grace evident, God removes the curse, promising not to curse it again because of our sins,"...'Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done..."

He added to this a blessing through a covenant (Gen 9:11-13) "I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth." And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth."

God is good. God is God

links to comics about Noah and the flood: www.renewnetwork.net/comics_noah.htm
links Adam and Eve comics: www.renewnetwork.net/comics_adamandeve.htm

(The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)
---
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com

Don't vote for Tax cuts...

We all know that when you cut taxes, it means that access to services for
lower and middle-income earners is limited or denied; It is showing
preferential treatment to the wealthy. The Bible is pretty clear on its
stance on that. Here are some more reasons not to vote for parties promising
massive tax cuts:

"Wasteful tax giveaways undercut balanced investment in Canadians’
priorities, like:
education and skills training that will lead to good jobs;
health care that works for people and improves our standard of living;
affordable housing and child care that make life better for families;
cracking down on big polluters and making our air and drinking water
cleaner; and
modernizing our infrastructure to make our communities stronger, safer, and
more liveable." - http://www.ndp.ca/page/2987

(The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always
necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)

Monday is election day

Monday is election day - vote!

unless of course-
you don't even know who your current MP is;
you can't name a candidate in your riding;
you don't know any of the planks in a single platform;
you are voting to please someone else;
you really don't care who is going to represent you;
you really do want to have that responsibility anymore.

Really! It is not too late. Vote intelligently.
Learn the issues: http://www.elections.ca/content.asp?section=pol&document=index&dir=par&lang=e&textonly=false
Find out the people in your riding: http://www.elections.ca/home.asp?textonly=false%20

This is important. You are responsible to evaluate the performance of your MP. If you refuse that responsibility, why do you deserve to be entrusted with it anymore? If you vote against your representative, you are firing them so you'd better have a good reason; how would you like someone who knows nothing about you to recommend that you get fired?

Pray and do your homework!

Michael

(The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)

Be wary (election)

I have seen some of these websites promoting 'pro-morality candidates'. Be
wary of this. I recognized a number of these pro-morality candidates as ones
who have consistently voted against social justice and the rights of the
poor and the oppressed. Such stances (imposing Christian morality on
non-Christians while publicly refusing to encourage the churches away from
these same sins) tend to discredit the Christian faith and make us all look
like intolerant hypocrites.

...in my opinion

(The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always
necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)
---
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com

Thai drugs

Food for prayer
From Human Right Watch

Instead of allowing Thailand to use all existing flexibilities for accessing cheaper medicines under international law as confirmed by the 2001 WTO Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health and by the UN Commission on Human Rights, the U.S....will be seeking to heighten patent and data protection in the following ways:

Extending patent terms beyond 20 years to compensate for administrative delays and easing standards of patentability on new formulations and uses, thereby extending the period of monopoly pricing;

Restricting rights to parallel import cheaper medicines by codifying patent-holders▓ rights to contractually limit export/import of previously sold products;

Potentially restricting the grounds for issuing compulsory licenses;

Linking marketing approval to the absence of claimed patent rights and imposing 5-10 year data-exclusivity provisions (preventing reliance on proprietors▓ clinical trial data to grant marketing approval for generic products), thereby potentially restricting compulsory licensing rights;

Imposing criminal penalties on companies that intentionally or inadvertently violate patents.

whole article: http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/01/09/thaila12400.htm
-----------
pray that the poor, the sick, and the oppressed will not have their help taken away from them. Jesus saves. Pray that He will save Thailand.

Minority governments and the Majority

Some of the newspapers recently have been predicting that we might have see a majority government after the next election; here is a comparison between what recent majority and minority governments have brought us. You may wish to pray through the list ...

Food for Prayer about the Election (based on a report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives)

In recent years, two full decades of back-to-back majorities under successive Conservative (1984-1993) and Liberal (1993-2004) governments have delivered   the following:

• the end of universal benefits for children;
• erosion of Old Age Security benefits;
• massive cuts for health, education, and social assistance;
• removal of federal support for affordable housing;
• reducing effectiveness of unemployment insurance;
• offloading of programs such as training and welfare to the provinces;
• the introduction and entrenchment of both NAFTA and the GST;
• closer integration of intelligence and military security with the United States.

By contrast, the back-to-back minority governments of Lester Pearson, (1963-68) delivered benefits to Canadians including:

• the Medical Care Act,
• the Old Age Security Act,
• the Maple Leaf flag,
• the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism,
• the Canada Pension Plan,
• the Guaranteed Income Supplement,
• the Canada Assistance Plan,
• the Canada Student Loan Program,
• increased federal support for health and education.
  
  Old Age Pensions were introduced in Canada in 1927 only after two Labour MPs, James S. Woodsworth and Abraham A. Heaps, offered to support Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King's minority government in return for Mackenzie King's promise to pursue the issue of public pensions.

Based on a report by the Canadian Centre For Policy Alternatives

Whole Article: http://www.policyalternatives.ca/documents/National_Office_Pubs/2006/AFB_Minority_Report.pdf or http://www.policyalternatives.ca/Reports/2006/01/MinorityReport/index.cfm?pa=BB736455 


(The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)
---
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com

Faith and Politics

The Christian magazine Faith Today, interviewed the leaders of the four main parties.

They asked: "What role do you think faith should play in developing public policy, and what is the place of religious institutions in contemporary Canadian society?"

Full story: http://www.faithtoday.ca/article_viewer.asp?Article_ID=189

 Quotes :

P. Martin (Liberal) - "The face of contemporary Canada is a mosaic of individuals from different linguistic, cultural and religious backgrounds-a tapestry of diversity and vibrancy. Indeed, Canada is known for being home to a wide mix of religions, and the political structure in our country proudly supports religious pluralism as it strives to promote individual liberties and freedom of expression. Religious institutions are therefore valuable components of Canadian modern society..."

S. Harper (Con.) - "Public policy is supposed to reflect democratic opinion, and public opinion is shaped by a wide variety of influences including personal philosophy, economic and social background, life experience and religious beliefs. It is perfectly legitimate for citizens and legislators to take into account their own deeply held faith convictions in developing public policy, provided that people remain open to the faith and philosophical perspectives of others. "

J. Layton / Rev. Blaikie (NDP) - "The challenge for Canadians who want to practise a politics that is faithful to their understanding of God, of their scriptures and of their own faith tradition, is how to do this appropriately in the secular, pluralistic and multi-faith society that Canada has become. For Christians this is particularly challenging, because this needs to be done in a way that preserves the right of Christians to bring their values into the public square while respecting the fact that in a post-Christendom context..."

"The prophetic voice may not always be welcome in public policy debates, but it is essential that its role be defended as one of the important ways that the spirit speaks to us in human history."

M. Bourgeois for G. Duceppe (Bloc) - "...we believe you will concur that matters of faith and religion enter into the realm of private affairs and that consequently, decisions regarding them rest with the individual."

Rev. Tommy Douglas

"Tommy Douglas was fond of using Christ’s teaching about the Sabbath, that
man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath for man, as a starting
point for making the analogous case that man was not made for the
economy—the economy is, or should be, made for man." B.B./J.L.

Quote about Booth

William Booth is "credited with establishing a militant organization admired
for its unashamed evangelistic preaching and aggressive ministry to the
poverty stricken of today." - G. Tyson, Concise Encyclopaedia of Preaching.

Chile gets first woman president (H.I.)

Centre-left candidate Michelle Bachelet has become Chile's first woman president, taking 53.5% of the poll with almost all the votes counted.

Her rival, conservative businessman Sebastian Pinera, has admitted defeat.

Giving a victory speech to cheering supporters, Ms Bachelet said: "Who would have said, 10, 15 years ago, that a woman would be elected president?"

The election is the fourth since Chile returned to democracy in 1990 after 17 years of military rule.

Outgoing President Ricardo Lagos hailed the election of Chile's first woman leader as an "historic triumph".

whole story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4613864.stm

Comments: the Salvation Army was on the forefront of using women's gifts in leadership. This is a good opportunity to explore women in leadership; what form should it take inside and outside the Church?

South America has been on the cutting edge with the social gospel, liberation theology, and liberating her people from 'slavery to money'. see: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/guides/456900/456942/html/nn1page1.stm. How do we northerners stand on women in ministry? (cf. exod. 15:20; Lk 8:3, 23; Acts 2:18, 5:14, 8:12; Ro. 16:12; 1 Cor. 14, and Miriam, Deborah, Esther,...)  being saved to serve and fighting for liberation in this world and the next? All of these things have historical precedence in our movement / denomination; should we still champion these causes? How should we do it? Should we sponsor political parties or just champion issues?

I would suggest that we still need to have a voice for the poor, the widows and the oppressed and that we ignore the mechanisms of the state at our own peril. Paul and Booth both brought issues before the authorities. I would say that we should pick our issues and pick them well. We have a place at the table when speaking about social issues; we should not give up that place. Many actions that the Bible condemns are relating first to us who profess to be followers of Christ (see blog: Saturday, December 17, 2005. gay marriage and this election) but we are to take care of the poor, the widows and the oppressed regardless (see blog: Sunday, June 19, 2005. More sheep and goats).

Congratulations Chile

Congratulations Chile on electing your first woman president and actively
pursuing the fight for social justice.

More later...

Michael

(The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always
necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)
---
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com

Salvation Soldiery

'How many trained soldiers are serving Christian culture - and fighting
other soldiers - instead of actually fighting for the [evangelistic]
revolution? What are you doing with the training you have received?' - Aaron
White www.armybarmy.com/blog.html (January 12, 2006)

Marijuana spray (H.I.)

Medicinal marijuana spray may help more than MS: doctors
Last Updated Thu, 12 Jan 2006 16:38:30 EST

CBC News
Since the first cannabis-based drug was approved for use in Canada last year, doctors say the medication is catching on among people with multiple sclerosis and could be used for other types of pain.

Sativex is a mouth spray that delivers medicinal marijuana. The metered spray is administered under the tongue or inside the cheek. It's concentrated to offer maximum pain relief with minimal marijuana buzz.

CBC article continued: http://www.cbc.ca/story/science/national/2006/01/12/Sativex060112.html 

So is this different from other drugs that you can get over-the-counter?
Is it bad to get any drugs over-the-counter?
What does the Salvation Army pledge say about drugs; are we allowed to take any drugs (prescribed or otherwise) for a prolonged period of time?
Doctor's can prescribe anything and everything, it seems, sometimes; does that mean that we should take it.

From the Soldiers' covenant: "I will abstain from alcoholic drink. tobacco, the non-medical use of addictive drugs. gambling, pornography, the occult, and all else that could enslave the body or spirit."

This article provides a good vehicle to examine our covenant, it's merit and applications for today's society. We were raised up to save people. One thing that we used be used for was to save people from addiction. Is this still an area of outreach for us? Should it be? Given our society today it a help or a hindrance to our ministry? I would say it is still a help and that we should always be careful when we want to change direction too quickly. How about you? What do you think?

(The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)
---
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com  

Obesity and Stem Cell Research from Macleans.ca

Macleans.ca - January 10, 2006 - 21:12

Fat-Building Pathway Found: could lead to treatments for obesity, diabetes.

(HealthDay News) - Mammals and insects share a common fat-building pathway, and this pathway in mammals may determine whether stem cells become fat or bone, says a U.S. study in the Jan. 11 issue of Cell Metabolism.

The finding suggests that drugs that target this hedgehog (Hh) signalling pathway - a set of genes involved in determining the destiny of many cell types - may prove effective in treating obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis and lipodystrophy, a disease characterized by an absence of fat.

Whole article: www.macleans.ca

Comments and questions:

How should Christians make moral / ethical 'big' decisions? Shouldn't a Biblical lifestyle avoid the need for this? Shouldn't diet and exercise be important for Christians? What about gluttony, sloth, and doing everything as for the Lord? Just a question or two or more... (cf. Psalm 10:3, Isa 57:17, Jer. 6:13, 8:10, Eze. 33:31, Hab. 2:5, Prov. 15:27, 23:2, 28:7, 28:25, 29:4 Matt. 11:19, Mark 7:22, Luke 11:39, 12:15, Ro 1:29, 1 Cor 5:10-11, 6:10, Eph.5:1-6, Col. 3:5, 1 Thess. 2:5, 1 Pet. 5:2)

(The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)
---
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com

Human Trafficking

from www.armybarmy.com/blog.html

 

Human Trafficking
"The USA just signed a Trafficking Victims Protection act into being this week, taking a major step towards justice in this area that The Army has targeted internationally. I don't know how much this is a result of SA influence but praise God for advance. - Much grace, StephenC"

 

-mr

Canadian Election again

Many people are claiming many things - look at past records. See the parties' websites. See who has voted in favour of social justice legislation. Be wary of promises that aren't in line with the way people have voted in the past. Pay attention to historic quotes from the members and leaders of the parties. If they have made and not retracted comments derogatory of the poor, the oppressed, or of different regions or ethnicities, beware...

Also, remember that you are a Christian employer. If you vote against your incumbent MP, you are firing them. A Christian should never fire someone without good grounds!

Websites again:

Find the candidates in your riding: http://www.elections.ca/home.asp?textonly=false%20
Check out the political parties registered in this election on-line: http://www.elections.ca/content.asp?section=pol&document=index&dir=par&lang=e&textonly=false

(The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)
---
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com  

 

Migrant Workers

Food for Prayer: Migrant Workers

An estimated 90 million migrants live and work outside their country of birth, many of them having left in search of security and a sustainable livelihood. Many economies have come to rely on migrants who are prepared to work in what are often referred to as "3-D jobs" - dirty, degrading and dangerous with little security and low wages.

Migrant workers are often subjected to a variety of human rights abuses by unscrupulous employers as well as host states. These include: non-payment of salaries; confiscation of passports and other documents; verbal and physical abuse; lack of proper housing and health provision; and arbitrary arrest and detention in abusive conditions.

 

Women, who constitute around fifty per cent of migrant workers, are particularly vulnerable to exploitation, including sexual violence. 

 

read more: http://web.amnesty.org/pages/refugees-141205-action-eng 

 

- Amnesty International 

---
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com  

Private Health Care

Food For Prayer:

Private for-profit corporations say that privatisation of our health care system is not only inevitable, [but] the way to save Medicare. Instead, increased privatisation and commercialisation will drive up [prices for] everyone, increase wait times in the public system, and have a disproportionate impact on women, for surgery and other procedures [that] can best be reduced by strengthening the public system. - Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

More at: http://www.policyalternatives.ca/documents/National_Office_Pubs/2006/AFB_Minority_Report.pdf

 

Justice 2

2. A just God requires justice

In the Bible, justice is the standard by which the benefits and penalties of
living in society are distributed. Justice is a state of being right, of
right conduct or being in a straight way. When applied to God in Scripture,
justice designates the perfect agreement between God's nature and God's
acts, providing a standard for humankind.

Justice has its foundation in the very essence of God. It is a chief
attribute of God and thus, God is portrayed as the defender of the poor and
the oppressed (Jeremiah 9:23; Psalm 10:17,18).

This care of God is universal (Psalms 76:8,9; 103:6). The Psalms ground it
in God's role as the sovereign creator of the universe (Psalm 99:1-4) The
demands of God's justice thus reach outside the bounds of the nation of
Israel to all the world (Psalm 9:7-9; Daniel 4:27). . . . The demand of God
for justice is so central that other responses to God are empty or
diminished if they are carried out without reference to justice (Amos
5:21-24; Micah 6:6-8; Matthew 23:23).

. . . Justice is closely related to love and grace rather than being a
contrasting principle (Deuteronomy 10:18,19; Hosea 10:12). It thus provides
vindication, deliverance and the foundation for community.

- excerpts from pp 333-334 Presbyterian Acts & Proceedings, 1996
http://www.presbyterian.ca

---
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com

Justice 1

1. What does the word "justice" mean?

"Justice" and its related terms help to translate the Hebrew sedeq and the
Greek dikaioo. Together the two words occur about 750 times in the Bible.
"Justification" refers to the act that brings human beings into right
relationship with God. The pervasiveness of the concept of justice in the
Bible is obscured by the fact that the original terms most approximating
justice have been frequently rendered in English as "righteousness". To the
translators of the first English Bible, "rightwiseness" was a valid and
clear rendering of the Latin Vulgate's justitia. But while the English
language has evolved, translators maintain the use of the word
"righteousness" in a day when it has acquired quite a different meaning than
"justice."

The result is that when we hear "Seek first the kingdom of God and God's
righteousness . . ." (Matthew 6:33) or "Blessed are they who hunger and
thirst after righteousness. . . . Blessed are they who are persecuted for
righteousness' sake. . . " (Matthew 5:6, 10), we think of one thing; when we
hear "Seek first the kingdom of God and God's justice . . . " or "Blessed
are they who hunger and thirst after justice . . . Blessed are they who are
persecuted for the sake of justice . . ." we hear something quite different.

(excerpts from pp 333-334 of the Presbyterian Acts & Proceedings, 1996)
www.presbyterian.ca
---
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com

Litigation

See previous blog: Government rules on 'Anglican' name

Points / Questions:

1) We Christians are not supposed to sue each other are we?
2) Is it ever okay to render unto Caesar (authority over the church in this case) what is God's?
3) What ever happened to the division between Church and State?

(The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)
---
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com

Government rules on 'Anglican' name

Government rules on 'Anglican' name
STAFF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Corporations Canada, a federal agency that regulates corporate names, on Sept. 12 ordered a group of dissident churches to stop using the name “Anglican Communion in Canada.

Aissa Aomari, deputy director of Corporations Canada, wrote to the group’s lawyer that “corporation #409786-6 was granted a name which does not represent the Anglican Communion in Canada nor does it have any recognized ties with the international fellowship of churches known worldwide as the Anglican Communion.”

more: http://www.anglicanjournal.com/132/01/canada04.html

Nigeria covenants with out-of-communion churches

Nigeria covenants with out-of-communion churches
CHURCH OF NIGERIA

In an historic moment, as part of the realignment of global Anglicanism the Church of Nigeria entered into Covenant Union with two out-of-communion churches in America.

The purpose of the covenant of concord is to work together in the common cause of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, with each member pledging to each other their mutual cooperation, support, discipline and accountability. Recognizing that all three Churches share a common heritage of faith and order within the Anglican tradition, they are united by saving belief in Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth and the Life, and by their commitment to the Faith once delivered, based on the irrevocable Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the final authority for faith and life.

More: http://anglicanplanet.net/TAPIntern0601a.html

Affordable Housing

Food For Prayer:

Meeting Canada’s housing needs is a very affordable priority. Over the next
30 years, expiring mortgages
on existing social housing will generate $30 billion of surplus housing
funds for the federal government. In
addition, CMHC is already running annual surpluses exceeding $1 billion per
year. These sources, along
with a portion of record-breaking federal government budget surpluses, could
provide billions of dollars for
affordable housing. - Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

Whole report:
http://www.policyalternatives.ca/documents/National_Office_Pubs/2006/AFB_Min
ority_Report.pdf

---
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com

Privatising Human Rights

Food for Prayer
From Amnesty International

Privatisation of essential services has become controversial in recent years
due to concerns regarding access, discrimination, costs, lack of
transparency in awarding contracts, and lack of state regulation. There is
also an increasing reliance on privatisation, which is often recommended by
international financial institutions and donor countries. Recent AI work on
specific countries has shown that some human rights violations are
indirectly linked to privatisation since the effect of privatisation may
create hardship which may lead to social unrest and repression. In some
cases, privatisation is also alleged to impact negatively on economic,
social, and cultural rights through the denial of access to essential
services to particular groups, especially the poor.

Whole Article:
http://web.amnesty.org/pages/ec-privatization-eng

---
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com

Apostles' Creed, Nicene Creed, Westminster Confession of Faith

The Apostles' Creed on-line

http://www.presbyterian.ca/documents/apostlescreed.html

The Nicene Creed on-line

http://www.presbyterian.ca/documents/nicene.html

The Westminster Confession of Faith - (1646) on-line

http://www.presbyterian.ca/documents/westminsterconfession.html

---
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com  

A rebuke

"Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God,
but the things of men." Jesus (Mark 8:33)

Does this rebuke apply to you?

Verse in context:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%208:25-35;&version=31;
---
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com

Child Poverty in Canada

"We think there's an ethical issue that there are 1.2 million children in
this country living in poverty..." NDP Leader, Dr. Jack Layton

---
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com

Orphans and Abandoned Children

Food for Prayer. Be a Hero.

Throughout the world an unknown number of children, most likely in the millions, are kept in orphanages and other non-penal institutions. Many of these children are kept in grossly substandard facilities and provided with inhumane care; some are left to die. Ironically, those responsible for nurturing and providing for the children they take into their care often physically and sexually abuse the children, and subject them to other cruel and degrading treatment. Even in institutions that are clean and provide adequate food, staff often neglect children, leaving them to lie alone in cribs or small beds with no stimulation, play, or adult attention. - Human Rights Watch

More at http://www.hrw.org/children/abandoned.htm

Child Labour

Food for Prayer:

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has estimated that 250 million children between the ages of five and fourteen work in developing countries-at least 120 million on a full time basis.

Child labour ranges from four-year-olds tied to rug looms to keep them from running away, to seventeen-year-olds helping out on the family farm. In some cases, a child's work can be helpful to him or her and to the family; working and earning can be a positive experience in a child's growing up. This depends largely on the age of the child, the conditions in which the child works, and whether work prevents the child from going to school.

more at: http://www.hrw.org/children/labor.htm

Continuing a thread ...

The unforgivable sin:

Though not necessarily the point of the parable often referred to as 'the parable of the prodigal son', one might say that it relates to our discussion on this subject. The son left the father. The son came back to the Father. The Father accepted him. The Father did not drag the son back against his will. The son chose repentance and so can you, me, or anyone who has voluntarily strayed.

Just another thought on this topic prompted by our inter-session class here on hermeneutics.

Click the text reference to read the parable in its entirety: Luke 15:11-31 , Luke 15

The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR
---
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com

Sin Nature

"If Paul we're here today and we were to ask him about the 'sin nature', he
would probably say that there is nothing natural about sin..." - Dr. R. Jeal

(The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always
necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)
---
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com

Fundamentals of Faith

"The Fundamental central notion of the New Testament of the Christian Faith
is the Resurrection: Jesus is alive!"
"If he is still dead why are you wasting your time?" - Dr. R. Jeal

(The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always
necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)
---
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com

People of the Book

From the Koran:

"Unbelievers are those who declare: 'God is the Messiah, the son of Mary.'
Say: 'Who could prevent God, if He so willed from destroying the Messiah,
the son of Mary, his mother, and all people of the earth?" 5:15, The Koran
(The Table).

Question: Are we really all people of the book and servants of the same
God - Jews, Muslims, and Christians - or is Jesus the ONLY way to the
Father?

This question, like my others, is a legitimate one meant to open discussion.
I think particularly of a couple of Friends of mine, with whom I used to
enjoy hours of theological discussions before we were separated by oceans
and continents, who happen to be of the Jewish and Islamic faiths.

(The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always
necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)
---
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com

New Challenges

1) I have been trying to make this blog somewhat controversial - as well as
reflective - this time around in order to draw more readers and encourage
conversation. The problem is this: I am returning to full-time studies
on-top of our ministry here today; so, I hope that I will be able to keep it
up - and I pray that I do not alienate anyone (through my handling of the
issues in the blog)in the process!

2) I have spoken with a number of old friends over the Christmas break. One
couple is pregnant (on purpose, Yeah!), another couple are struggling under
attack as they serve the Lord where they are at the moment, a third may be
re-entering the world of internet and/or gaming addiction. So, if anyone
would like to remember couples one and two and person number three in prayer
at this time, I would greatly appreciate it

Michael

(The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always
necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)
---
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com

What is an Officer?

What is an Officer?

Orders  & Regulations, vol. 1, p.11 defines officers as:

"...soldiers who have relinquished secular employment in response to a spiritual calling, so as to devote all of their time and energies to the service of God and the people and who, having successfully completed the required period of training, are commissioned as officers and ordained as ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ"

Personally, I understand it as serving God with all my heart, mind, body and soul within the Salvation Army. I understand an officer to be a representative of God and the Army. So, as much as possible, an officer will line up his actions with the will of God, the Bible and the Army's teaching. Leadership should be beyond reproach and given that the Church is made up of a Priesthood of believers, one of the officer's primary objectives should be equipping others to do just that. 

I understand that an officer is not necessarily merely (or even) a 'church pastor'. I realize that the Salvation Army has a number of services for the glory of God. (From the moment I began the Renew Network and 3 R's Tutoring Programme for the Salvation Army and continuing now, I have had an opportunity to interview officers with a wealth of different experiences within the Army). I understand that it is an officer's duty (as with all Christians) to fulfil the Great Commission and make disciples of all people and to win the world for Christ starting in your assignment within your giftedness.

Whole article: http://www.renewnetwork.net/introtoofficershipcourse.htm#My%20Call%20to%20Officership

(The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)

---
Cadet Michael Ramsay
Herald of the Good News
The Salvation Army's Renew Network
www.renewnetwork.net

 

An awesome responsibility

Canadians, the Lord has given you an awesome responsibility: you are to evaluate the performance of your local political representative over the next couple of weeks and if (s)he has done something worthy of dismissal, you are to assist in hiring a suitable replacement.

Don't forget to pray over the names of the people in  your riding. Don't be ignorant. Be Berean instead. The Lord has entrusted us with a great responsibility here so do this, as everything, as for the Lord.

Find the candidates in your riding: http://www.elections.ca/home.asp?textonly=false%20
Check out the political parties registered in this election on-line: http://www.elections.ca/content.asp?section=pol&document=index&dir=par&lang=e&textonly=false
Quiz yourself: Try this quiz to see the political party's leader with whom you most identify: http://www.votebyissue.org/cbc/

(The opinions expressed in this blog are at most - but not always necessarily - the opinions of Michael Ramsay. Blame me alone. - MR)
---
Michael Ramsay
www.renewnetwork.net
ramsay@havelock-viha.com

Climate change a spiritual crisis says WCC

"We would like to light a candle" is how a World Council of Churches (WCC) statement to the UN climate change conference in Montreal, Canada, begins. The statement affirms that climate change is not only a technological, economic and ecological crisis but also a spiritual one.

The statement is to be delivered on 9 December at the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the First Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol by WCC climate change programme coordinator Dr David G. Hallman.

The statement, and the [non-fossil-fuel!] candle, will celebrate the coming into force of the Kyoto Protocol, and evoke "the pain and disaster already suffered in various regions due to climate change". It will signal that "time is running out" for negotiating equitable and sustainable targets for post-2012 when the present protocol expires.

The candle will also symbolize "that what we suffer from is not simply a technological, economic or ecological crisis, but a spiritual crisis". It is for this reason that the statement includes a spiritual declaration on climate change drafted by faith community participants at the conference.

The declaration was circulated at an inter-faith ceremony attended by up to 1000 people at St Joseph's Oratory in Montreal on 4 December. In an earlier statement in support of WCC work on this issue, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomeos I defined climate change as a "profoundly moral and spiritual problem".

The WCC has been working on climate change ever since 1990, when this was identified by the scientific community as one of the most threatening social and ecological issues of our times, affecting creation as a whole.

Representatives from over 180 countries are meeting in Montreal to negotiate the future of action on climate change. The talks are primarily about next steps in implementing the Kyoto Protocol, including resources needed by developing nations for adaptation to the impacts of climate change. The parties are attempting to start a process of negotiation for a climate policy framework that will be needed once the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.

The full text of the WCC statement and spiritual call is available at:
http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/jpc/climatechange-cop11.html

The 12 August statement by HH Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for the WCC working group on climate change is available at:
http://wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/jpc/climatechange-bartholomew-2.html

More information about the conference and ecumenical involvement on the Kairos Canada website:
http://www.kairoscanada.org/e/ecology/climateChange/copmop/index.asp

Additional information: Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org

---

The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches, now 347, in more than 120 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but works cooperatively with the WCC. The highest governing body is the assembly, which meets approximately every seven years. The WCC was formally inaugurated in 1948 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Its staff is headed by general secretary Samuel Kobia from the Methodist church in Kenya.