General Election Letter From Bishops of England & Wales.Your thoughts?

[Native lad]

The letter can be viewed at the link below. A PDF of the Bishops' letter there is also there, available for download (available in English and Welsh).

 

http://www.catholic-ew.org.uk/Home/Featured/General-Election-2015/Election-Letter

 

The contents of the letter are arranged in sections, as follows:

 

Introduction;

 

Respecting Life;

 

Supporting Marriage and Family Life;

 

Alleviating Poverty;

 

Educating for the good of all;

 

Building Communities:

- Europe;

- The Voluntary Sector;

- Living Wage and the Dignity of Human Work;

- Asylum and Immigration;

- Religious Freedom;

 

Caring for the World:

- Overseas Aid and Development;

- Climate Change and Sustainable Development;

 

Conclusion.

 

 

Excerpt:

"...Whom you vote for is a matter for you alone. Our aim is to suggest how you might approach this important question in May 2015 and to suggest some key issues for your reflection as you make your own decision."

 

 

This thread invites respectful, polite, considered, informed comment on content of the Bishop's letter to the people of England and Wales, from all visitors, regardless of whether or not they are Christian. Please refrain from posting comment if you do not feel able to refrain from flaming ("sending angry, rude, vulgar messages directed at a person or persons privately or to an online group") or harassment ("repeatedly sending messages that are considered rude, offensive, insulting, nasty, or mean.").

 

Please ensure that you give an explanation for your opinion/s. Thanks.

Edited May 5, 2015 by Native lad
To highlight a key point.

[Mister M]

Well, it's a democracy and they're entitled to their views. I doubt whether their opinions will influence politicians, or their parishioners. I agree with some of their views, and disagree with others

[woodmally]

It annoys me how they always seem to want to interfere in politics. They have seats in the House of Lords and dont pay any tax.

[Berberis]

Tax dodgers!

[Native lad]

It annoys me how they always seem to want to interfere in politics...

 

They probably do that due to the content of the Gospels and being Christian.

[El Cid]

 

Caring for the World:

- Overseas Aid and Development;

- Climate Change and Sustainable Development;

 

 

Do the church believe in climate change?

[loraward]

Do the church believe in climate change?

 

It would appear so.

 

The Vatican has become the first carbon neutral state and in his New Years message the Pope declared that “the Church has a responsibility towards creation…in order to protect earth, water and air as gifts of God the Creator, meant for everyone, and above all to save mankind from the danger of self destruction.

http://www.catholicsocialteaching.org.uk/themes/care-creation/stories/church-tackling-climate-change-ground/

 

The Holy Father and the U.S. Catholic Bishops recognize climate change as a moral issue which threatens Creation, places added burdens on poor people, and compromises the common good of all.

 

The growing involvement of the world’s religious organisations in the fight to tame global warming, which will hit the poorest hardest, took a significant step forward on Friday when the Church of England for the first time decided that climate change was an ethical reason to dump some investments from its £9bn endowment.

[Chris_Sleeps]

They have seats in the House of Lords and dont pay any tax.

The letter is from the Catholic Church.

 

The Lords Spiritual are from the Anglican Church.

[Native lad]

Tax dodgers!

 

The Bishops that wrote this letter are not in business, nor are they paid a wage or salary.

[Marx]

Churches don't pay taxes as they are allegedly charities. Charities are not allowed to make political statements. Tax them all and let them say what rubbish they like. The last time that lot were in power, they burnt people who disagreed with them.