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Home  >  Features  >  General Assembly 2016 - Tuesday

General Assembly 2016

Picture by Derek Fett
Picture by Derek Fett

Tuesday May 24

Church opposes corporal punishment of children

 

 

The Church of Scotland’s General Assembly has declared itself opposed to the corporal punishment of children, describing it as ‘a violent act’.

They also called on the Scottish government to abolish the defence of ‘justifiable assault’ from the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act.

However, several Commissioners objected to the Church and Society Council’s deliverance on corporal punishment, and they were only passed following a lengthy debate and, in one case, a very close vote.

Deirdre Murray, an elder from West Kilbride, argued that smacking ‘doesn’t diminish our love for our children… we should not be using a sledgehammer to crack a nut… this report gives the impression that we and our parents were perpetrators of child abuse’; and Hilda Smith of Lochgilphead said: “Taken to its logical conclusion, these deliverances are going to see loving parents in the dock, charged with assault.”

However youth representative Rohi Shah compared the proposed change to previous legislation outlawing marital rape and banning corporal punishment in school: “Part of the role of the law, and of the church is to send a message to the public and change social attitudes… Passing this motion would send a message that we value children’s rights as much as the rights of adults.”

The statement that ‘corporal punishment of children is a violent act, and that violence is damaging to mental and physical health’ went to a card vote but passed by 275 votes to 259.

The morning’s theme of children had been set during the worship, which included one of the most memorable moments of this year's General Assembly, with the reading of the Gaelic lesson by young siblings Caitlin and Matthew Wright (grandchildren of Moderator’s chaplain the Rev Ian Gilmour), and a violin solo by Oceane Taneus-Miller of Cramond Primary School, where the Moderator is chaplain. Later, the Stevenson Prize for excellence in religious observance was awarded to pupils from Ballantrae Primary School in South Ayrshire.

The Moderator's reflection on the book of Ruth took another of the themes of the Church and Society report, and which has come up more than once this week: that of violence against women. Dr Barr said: “Her name was Ruth. Her name is Ruth. And however uncomfortable her story is to hear, will you stop and listen to her, pay attention to her, and look her in the eye and say to her: ‘Ruth, where you go I will go, where you stay I will stay. Your struggle is my struggle, your journey is my journey. Because as people of the way – people of God’s way – we walk this road together’.”

The convener of Church and Society, the Rev Sally Foster-Fulton, introduced the results of the ‘Speak Out’ campaign which the Council has used to set its themes for the next 10 years: building local communities, doing politics differently, investing in young people, health and wellbeing for all, caring for creation, building global friendships and creating an economy driven by equality. These were endorsed by the Assembly.

Mrs Foster-Fulton, making her last appearance as convener before becoming Head of Christian Aid Scotland, said in her speech: “Too many people need us – they need us to stand up, speak out, act on our principles and remember who we are, the body of Christ - hands, feet, mouth, backbone and heart.”

The Assembly passed the decision for the church to disinvest from companies that take more than 15% of their turnover from the more harmful varieties of fossil fuels, tar sands and thermal coal. However, it rejected a counter-motion calling on them to go further by disinvesting from companies that make their money from any fossil fuels. Mrs Foster-Fulton argued that engagement as shareholders, rather than pulling out entirely, was the best way of influencing company behaviour: “If these companies can show evidence to us that what they want to do is transition to a low carbon way of doing things, then to disinvest at this point would be a mistake.”

The Assembly passed strong statements on fuel poverty, calling on Scottish and UK Governments to address unfairness in domestic energy pricing, regretting that a Scottish Government target to eliminate fuel poverty by November this year would be missed and calling on energy companies to do more to protect vulnerable customers.

In her speech, Mrs Foster-Fulton said: “Fuel poverty wreaks havoc, especially on the poorest in society, causing ill health and inordinate stress, as well as contributing negatively to our nation’s carbon footprint. Poorly insulated buildings are a significant part of the overall problem, damaging the environment and making it almost impossible for some families to stay warm. It is a shameful thought that so many have to choose between heating their homes and eating properly.

“Last year Scotland saw a staggering increase in the number of (excess) winter deaths. There is almost always an increase during the winter months, but despite a warmer winter, numbers in Scotland rose from 1,600 in 2013/14 to 4,060 in 2014/15. Although it is difficult to pinpoint a reason for such a startling rise, damp, cold environments and the associated illnesses they encourage, are undoubtedly a significant factor.”

Orkney minister the Rev David McNeish added: “Debt has increased, the number of pre-payment meters have increased, prices have increased, and all the while profits, too, have increased.” He said that in a little over a decade the fuel poverty rate in Orkney had gone from 32% to 63%, and that in that time prices had risen by 180%. “This is a poverty issue, and needs to be treated as such.”

The Church’s endorsement of the European Union was passed, defeating by 402 votes to 172 an amendment which would have removed the statement that Britain should stay within the Union.

Later, the national convener of the Church of Scotland Guild, Linda Young, said it was ‘an exciting time to be a Guild member’, with a new action plan aimed at turning around the declining membership. She also announced that the amount raised so far for the six current partner projects is £154,000. The interim report on the Guild’s work with the National Youth Assembly was praised, with Dunfermline minister the Rev MaryAnn Rennie saying ‘not to live in fear of those who are different from us’.

The leader of the Iona Community, the Rev Peter Macdonald, launched the Community’s new capital appeal for infrastructure improvements of their facilities on Iona. With applications for major funding, they are hoping to raise £1.5 million by the end of next month, and Mr Macdonald said that they were asking for the church’s support for the most major project since George Macleod founded the Community.

The business was followed by an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the decision to admit women to the eldership, and later by the Guild’s Big Sing.