Minister’s Message 25 May
Dear Friends
If you were relying on the public news media for information about the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland you would be forgiven for concluding that it was taking place another week. Such is the reality of general interest in the life and work of the Church in our society today.
The wider world is oblivious to the work of the Church in such areas as social care through the first-rate work of CrossReach, the work among children and young people that goes on the length and breadth of the country and the work of caring for people at significant times in their lives that goes on day by day.
Given that the question of assisted dying is currently being considered by parliament at both Holyrood and Westminster, it is perhaps surprising that there was not much attention given to the Assembly's debate on the matter.
The report that was before the Assembly can be found here and I encourage you to read it.
If you have some time to spare you can watch the whole debate.
In conclusion and after an emotional and respectful debate, the Assembly agreed to the following:
Affirm that every human being is made in the image of God with inherent dignity and worth;
Acknowledging that the introduction of Assisted Dying legislation has the potential to negatively impact the quality and accessibility of palliative and end-of-life care, call on the Scottish Government to prioritise development of excellent palliative care services to ensure that they are universally available, and urgently to review the funding models currently in place;
Affirm our belief in God with us in life and at the end of life, and the gift of the resurrection, as contained in the Book of Confessions;
Acknowledging the diversity of sincerely held theological views within our broad Church, re-affirm the Church of Scotland's opposition to assisted dying;
Agree that if assisted dying is legalised, robust safeguards must be in place for all involved including medical staff whose ethical and moral principles should be respected and to support and protect potentially vulnerable groups including those with life limiting illnesses, disabilities, mental health issues and dementia;
Acknowledge that further resources and pastoral care training will be required should assisted dying be legalised;
Recognising the value of open discussion around death and dying, commend the Report for further study, reflection and dialogue.
As with many sensitive issues it is recognised that there are diverse views within the church which can vary depending on the lived experience of individuals. The Assembly encourages us to discuss these matters openly so let us be open to continuing dialogue particularly as proposed legislation is considered in parliament.
This Sunday evening at Portmoak Church, Lorna Ferguson will be speaking about her work with OMF in Japan where she has served for nearly 30 years. The service begins at 6.30pm and again all are welcome.
Blessings
Alan
Rev. A.D. Reid