United Church of Canada News
January 31: United Church of Canada Marks World Interfaith Harmony Week
November 24: United Church Urges Caution with Regard to Omnibus Crime Bill
November 22: Climate Change Requires Global Solutions, Say Faith Leaders
October 26: United Church Moderator Comments on the Occupy Movement
July 22: United Church Welcomes Government Response to Drought Crisis
March 28: Moderator's Green Initiative heads east to Ottawa
January 31
United Church of Canada Marks World Interfaith Harmony Week
Canada is not immune to the poisonous influence of religious bigotry, persecution, and hatred, says The United Church of Canada's Moderator, Mardi Tindal.
"Incidents of vandalism that target places of worship or other religious sites are reminders that work still needs to be done to build bridges of understanding here at home as well as internationally," says Tindal.
Tindal made her comments in conjunction with the start of World Interfaith Harmony Week on February 1.
In October 2010, the United Nations declared the first week of February World Interfaith Harmony Week. The UN resolution encourages all states to voluntarily support the spread of the message of interfaith harmony and goodwill in the world's churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, and other places of worship.
When the resolution was first introduced to the United Nations General Assembly, it was acknowledged that"Our world is rife with religious tension and, sadly, mistrust, dislike
and hatred. These religious tensions can easily erupt into communal violence. They also facilitate the demonizing of the other which in turn predisposes public opinion to support war against peoples of other religions... The misuse or abuse of religions can thus be a cause of world strife, whereas religions should be a great foundation for facilitating world peace. The remedy for this problem can only come from the world's religions themselves. Religions must be part of the solution, not part of the problem."
Tindal says that the UN resolution reaffirms that mutual understanding and interreligious dialogue constitute important dimensions of a culture of peace.
She adds, however, that World Interfaith Harmony Week is not just about finding common ground among people of faith, or dialogue among religious leaders.
She says it's important to include all people of goodwill in the conversation-those of other faiths, and those with no faith.
"World Interfaith Harmony Week provides the opportunity for all of us to recognize that the common values we hold far outweigh the differences we may have," says Tindal. "It is also a good time to consider how we bring our common values to our shared societal challenges."
The United Church of Canada participates in interfaith dialogue and action through local, national, and global organizations. Significant resources, including group study guides, are available on whole world ecumenism, United Church-Jewish relations, and United Church-Muslim relations.
For more information, please contact:
Mary-Frances Denis
The United Church of Canada
416-231-7680 ext. 2016 (office)
1-800-268-3781 ext. 2016 (toll-free)
mdenis@united-church.ca
November 24
United Church Urges Caution with Regard to Omnibus Crime Bill
In a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, The United Church of
Canada has urged the government "to reconsider the provisions of Bill C-10
dealing with the imposition of minimum sentences; and to separate the
provisions of the omnibus bill to allow for consideration of the potential
impacts of its component parts."
The church's letter notes its appreciation for improvements to certain
aspects of the criminal legislation but also expresses grave concern with
some parts of the bill-particularly its impact on Canada's Aboriginal
peoples.
"The Government of Canada shares culpability with The United Church of
Canada and other historic mission churches for the legacy of residential
schools and the lasting effects this legacy continues to have on Canada's
Aboriginal peoples," writes the church.
Part of the lasting and damaging impact of the legacy of Canada's
residential schools lives on in the disproportionate representation of
Aboriginal people in our country's prisons, explains the church.
Echoing concerns raised by other organizations about the proposed
legislation, the United Church's letter highlights curtailing conditional
sentencing and imposing mandatory minimum sentences as two aspects of Bill
C-10 that would have a particularly negative impact on Aboriginal offenders.
The church concludes its letter by asking the prime minister to "please drop
your arbitrary 100-day deadline to pass this omnibus bill, and agree to
break it into its component parts so that each may be considered on its own
merits."
The full text of The United Church of Canada's letter to the Prime Minister
is posted on the United Church's website,
www.united-church.ca/communications/news/releases/111124.
To arrange media interviews, please contact:
Mary-Frances Denis
Program Coordinator, Media and Public Relations
The United Church of Canada
416-231-7680 ext. 2016 (office)
1-800-268-3781 ext. 2016 (toll-free)
mdenis@united-church.ca
November 22, 2011
Climate Change Requires Global Solutions, Say Faith Leaders
Later this month, Mardi Tindal, the Moderator of The United Church of Canada, will join faith leaders from around the world as they gather to bear witness at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa.
Tindal will be attending the conference as part of a World Council of Churches delegation. She and the Rev. Willard Metzger, General Secretary of the Mennonite Church Canada, will be representing a diverse group of Canadian faith leaders from many different religious traditions and faith-based organizations. The message they will carry with them to Durban is an interfaith call of solidarity for leadership and action on climate change.
“Climate change is a planetary crisis that knows no borders,” says Tindal. “There is one human family and one Earth that is our common homeland.”
Tindal explains that the teachings of our faiths tell us that the best interests of one group or nation are served by pursuing the best interests of all. Climate change is a global crisis and requires global solutions that put the well-being of all people first—especially the most vulnerable.
“The world’s religious traditions teach us to look beyond ourselves—individually and collectively—now and for future generations, as we confront the crisis of ocean and climate change,” comments Tindal.
She says that at its root the unprecedented human contribution to climate change is symptomatic of a spiritual deficit: excessive self-interest, destructive competition, and greed have given rise to unsustainable patterns of production and consumption.
She adds that the Canadian Interfaith Call for Leadership and Action on Climate Change argues that the foundations for a sustainable economy must include the values of restraint, cooperation, and reciprocity.
“As religious leaders, we see people as more than consumers with unlimited appetites,” says Tindal. “We believe we must work together in transforming cultures of self-interest and unprecedented consumption into cultures of justice for all.”
Tindal believes the November 28–December 9, 2011, 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in South Africa has the potential to be a transition point where we, as a global community, change how we think about and act to address climate change.
“Our environment is the natural source of our wealth and the home of millions of species for which we are planetary stewards,” says Tindal. “How long can we barter this priceless inheritance for the promise of growing economic returns?”
Tindal explains that Canadian faith leaders are calling for leadership to put the long-term interest of humanity and the planet ahead of short-term economic and national concerns.
She says some countries are far more adversely affected by climate change than others as they experience major changes in weather patterns. They know the impact of rising seas and erosion of lands, leading to drought or flooding. These countries are most often among the poorest and least equipped to respond.
Tindal says it is time for all of humanity to take stock of our collective behaviour and to transform cultures of consumerism and waste into cultures of sustainability.
“Our everyday choices about food, transportation, clothing, and entertainment are all practical expressions of what we value,” says Tindal. At the same time, disconnections between our professed beliefs and our daily actions indicate our need for personal and collective awareness and transformation.
Tindal explains we need to seek coherence between our beliefs and our actions, so that our lives and consumption habits reflect our relationship with the rest of humanity and Earth itself.
“Humanity’s relationship with the environment has become distorted by actions that compromise the welfare of future generations of life,” she says. “We have a moral imperative to act.”
To arrange media interviews, please contact:
Mary-Frances Denis
Program Coordinator, Media and Public Relations
The United Church of Canada
416-231-7680 ext. 2016 (office)
1-800-268-3781 ext. 2016 (toll-free)
mdenis@united-church.ca
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October 26, 2011
United Church Moderator Comments on the Occupy Movement
In a recent blog entry entitled "Occupy Hope," the Moderator of The
United Church of Canada, Mardi Tindal, said that she sees the Occupy
movement as an expression of hope similar to that being offered by faith
communities that are working toward the promise of abundant life for all.
"Inequality challenges the faith we profess as followers of Jesus," wrote
Tindal as she offered her impressions of the Occupy movement.
"Much has been made of the fact that the Occupy movement, which describes
itself as 'a leaderless resistance movement with people of many colours,
genders, and political persuasions,' appears to have no coherent goals. What
is it resisting? Where does it want to go? For my part, I see the movement
as both a search for hope and a statement of hope, made by people who have
come to believe that something is deeply wrong in the staggering inequality
of our current society. I don't think it is required of anyone to provide a
complete, documented solution before they're allowed to express concern. To
the contrary, recognizing that 'something is not right' is the essential
first step toward defining change."
To read more visit:
http://www.wondercafe.ca/blogs/moderator-mardi-tindal/occupy-hope
For more information, please contact:
Mary-Frances Denis
Program Coordinator, Media and Public Relations
The United Church of Canada
416-231-7680 ext. 2016 (office)
1-800-268-3781 ext. 2016 (toll-free)
mdenis@united-church.ca
July 22, 2011
United Church Welcomes Government Response to Drought Crisis
The United Church of Canada congratulated the federal government today for its commitment to provide an additional $50 million in financial support to humanitarian organizations delivering assistance to people in East Africa who are suffering as a result of the worst drought in 60 years.
The church also welcomed the government’s decision to establish the East Africa Drought Relief Fund which will be used to benefit those most affected by the drought.
In addition The United Church of Canada congratulated the federal government on its commitment to match the charitable donations of Canadians who take action to support charities of their choice.
“These matching funds will encourage Canadians from all walks of life to provide direct support to organizations that are working in East Africa right now,” says David Armour, The United Church of Canada’s Director of Philanthropy.
The United Church of Canada is providing humanitarian relief in the region through its partners, including ACT Alliance, the National Council of Churches in Kenya, and the Organization of African Instituted Churches. Earlier this week the United Church announced it was launching an Emergency Appeal for the Horn of Africa to respond to this humanitarian crisis. Today’s announcement means that funds raised through this appeal between July 6, 2011 and September 16, 2011, will be matched by the federal government.
Members of the United Church and the general public are encouraged to contribute to the work of ACT and the United Church’s partners on the ground in East Africa by making a donation today at www.united-church.ca .
For more information, please contact:
Mary-Frances Denis
Media and Public Relations
The United Church of Canada
416-231-7680 ext. 2016 (office)
1-800-268-3781 ext. 2016 (toll free)
mdenis@united-church.ca
March 28
Moderator's Green Initiative heads east to Ottawa
When Mardi Tindal was elected Moderator of The United Church of Canada in August 2009, she knew that managing her carbon footprint would be difficult during a three-year term where she would be expected to travel extensively. So she challenged the church to help her reduce the impact of that travel by taking actions that offset the carbon emissions that would accumulate as a result of fulfilling her role as Moderator.
But she also wanted to do more, so she pledged to limit her travel by air, and to do as much travel as possible using “green-friendly” transportation. She kept that promise last fall by scheduling her regional visits to northern Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta as a month-long journey—travelling much of the time by train.
Now Tindal’s Spirit Express train journey is heading east—travelling between Toronto and Ottawa, with stops along the way in Cobourg, Belleville, Kingston, and Smiths Falls.
During this leg of her journey, Tindal will host three town hall meetings focused on environmental concerns and the care of creation in Cobourg, Smiths Falls, and Ottawa. Later in May, she will travel by train to Halifax to visit the church’s Maritime Conference, and in October 2011, she’ll board the train once again connecting her visits to Hamilton and London Conferences.
Tindal says that while she’s been travelling she has met many amazing people who are anxious to talk about how faith communities can respond to the challenge of climate change.
For instance, there’s Elliot, a university student, who said churches are in the best position to inspire hopeful action on climate and ocean change because churches know how to build community, and when people feel a strong sense of community, they take more responsible environmental action.
And then there’s Rosie, a civil engineer and Christian, who has travelled only by train since 2006 in order to reduce her carbon footprint.
Or Paul, an engineer working in sustainability studies, who said, “Science isn’t enough to change minds. We need people of faith to change hearts.”
Tindal sees the town hall meetings as opportunities for soulful conversations about how we can find ways to live abundantly within the natural limits of God’s creation.
“We need to be able to celebrate people’s stories of hope—their green achievements—as well as hear their stories of suffering and concern about climate and ocean change,” says Tindal.
People interested in tracking the Moderator’s travels on the Spirit Express can do so by visiting www.wondercafe.ca/spiritexpress.
NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: High-resolution photos are available at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31483287@N05/sets/72157624976055493/
For further information or to arrange a media interview, please contact:
Mary-Frances Denis
Program Coordinator, Media and Public Relations
The United Church of Canada
416-231-7680 ext. 2016 (office)
1-800-268-3781 ext. 2016 (toll-free)
mdenis@united-church.ca
Supported by the Mission & Service Fund