Scottish Catholic Observer

Cardinal Keith O’Brien has joined other Church leaders in calling for Scottish Christians to vote with their social consciences in the forthcoming Holyrood elections.

The Churches Vote initiative was launched at the Holyrood Hotel in Edinburgh on Tuesday, and Cardinal O’Brien was joined there by the Right Reverend John Christie, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Most Rev David Chillingworth, Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, Rev John Humphreys, Moderator of the National Synod of Scotland, United Reformed Church of Scotland and Rev Fred Drummond, national director for Scotland for the Evangelical Alliance.

They also had the backing of other Scottish Christian groups including The Salvation Army, the Free Church of Church of Scotland, the Methodist Church in Scotland and the Destiny Church Network.

In a joint pre-election statement the church leaders said they hoped Christians would be encouraged to use their vote by the initiative.

“Church Leaders and representatives of Christian organisations across Scotland have come together ahead of these elections to challenge candidates and voters alike to remember that elections are community events in which ‘my’ vote is not only for me but also an opportunity for each of us to express the needs of the whole community,” they said. “Let us look beyond the selfish and fearful parts of ourselves and aspire to build a society where everyone has equal access to opportunities and can live with dignity.”

The church leaders also called upon politicians and voters to examine their consciences before casting their vote.

“A fair and just society must place the value of every human life at the centre of its thinking,” they said. “This is only possible in a society which respects human life at every stage and supports the family in which life is born and nurtured.”

To this end the churches have worked together to create a new website—http://www.churchesvote.org—to guide Christians through the voting process.

This website was developed by the the Scottish Elections 2011 Working Group a collaboration between the Scottish Churches Parliamentary Office, the Catholic Parliamentary Office, ACTS, CARE, the Evangelical Alliance and others.

The group’s two aims are to demonstrate to politicians and the media that the churches are actively and positively engaged with public life in Scotland and to encourage even greater involvement by Scottish Christians in social action and public affairs.

—     Catholics accessing the new website will also be able to access the Catholic voters guide at: http://www.catholicvotersguide.org which provides a uniquely Catholic perspective.

Pic: Paul McSherry

Church Leaders’ Statement ahead of the Scottish Election in May 2011

Elections to the Scottish Parliament take place on 5 May 2011. Church Leaders and representatives of Christian organisations across Scotland have come together ahead of these elections to challenge candidates and voters alike to remember that elections are community events in which “my” vote is not only for me but also an opportunity for each of us to express the needs of the whole community. Let us look beyond the selfish and fearful parts of ourselves and aspire to build a society where everyone has equal access to opportunities and can live with dignity.

A fair and just society must place the value of every human life at the centre of its thinking. This is only possible in a society which respects human life at every stage and supports the family in which life is born and nurtured. Families have a right and a need for sufficient material wellbeing to flourish; the right to sustainable work is an essential part of satisfying this need. Human choices are not value free; when making far reaching choices about the future of our economy we must understand the moral consequences of our decisions before we act. In our roles as consumers, workers, employers, investors and shareholders we must strive to create fair economic mechanisms that, while acknowledging that profit is a valid form of economic activity, place human outcomes above the need for ever greater financial rewards. Our current levels of consumption cannot be sustained. As a society we must aspire to a future in which, as a society, we live within our means and learn from the past.

There is a deep need for those with political authority to be a part of the communities which they serve and to act in the best interests of that community as a whole. Politicians must be accountable for the morality of their decisions and when we hold them accountable we must remember that we serve each other and not our own self interest. While many politicians work tirelessly in their communities there remains considerable scepticism in relation to political institutions and politicians. An awareness of human failings should not tempt us to abandon the political system. Dissatisfaction with politics should prompt Christians to be more involved in shaping political life so that it better serves the whole of society.

For generations Christians have served society and been at the heart of civil and political life, a tradition we are committed to continuing. Motivated by faith, Christians are particularly aware of the need, found at the heart of the Gospel message, for a just social order where the government and economy function properly in contributing to social harmony. Electing a government that is capable of doing this in a way compatible with the dignity of each human person is therefore a task of utmost importance. Churches and Christian organisations have produced a shared election resources website: http://www.churchesvote.org to inform potential voters about Parliamentary and election processes; to collate information about party policies and inspire Christians of all political persuasions to participate in the debate. It is up to us to respond to the needs of our communities, to be informed about the decisions that will be taken after this election, and fulfil our duty to vote.

Signatories List:

• Baptist Union of Scotland: Rev Alan Donaldson, General Director
• CARE for Scotland: Bill Baird, Manager
• Christians Count: Andrew Witty, Director
• Church of Scotland: Rt Rev John Christie, Moderator of the General Assembly
• Congregational Federation: Rev Malcolm Muir, Chair
• Destiny Church Network: Andrew Owen, Senior Pastor
• Evangelical Alliance: Rev Fred Drummond, National Director in Scotland
• Free Church of Scotland: Rev James Maciver, Clerk to the General Assembly
• Methodist Church in Scotland: Rev Lily Twist, Chair of the Methodist Synod in Scotland
• Religious Society of Friends (Quakers): Leslie Stevenson, Representative Friend
• Roman Catholic Church:  Cardinal Keith O’Brien, President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland
• The Salvation Army: Lt Col Alan Burns, Scotland Secretary
• Scottish Episcopal Church: Most Revd David Chillingworth, Primus
• United Free Church of Scotland: Rev Robert O Owens, Moderator of the General Assembly
• United Reformed Church: Rev John L I Humphreys, Moderator of the National Synod of Scotland