Barriers are obstacles — things that get in the way of people with disabilities and others doing many of the day-to-day activities that most of us take for granted.
Barriers make going to Church impossible, or difficult, or they make it difficult or impossible for people to benefit in the same way that other people benefit from going church.
I do not know any of the candidates running for moderator. I know nothing about any of them except from what I have heard from them in their speeches to General Counsel and by reading their profiles that are on the General Counsel's website at http://gc40.united-church.ca/about/candidates.
I have never been to presbertry, or a General Council, but I am just a disabled bricklayer living with AIDS and High Functioning Autism.
A reading of the dictionary definitions of the words justice and vengeance reveals why there is so much variety of opinion on this subject. It becomes clear that we have no objective standards by which to make a distinction between justice and revenge, and the two become equated. Our opinions are charged with emotion, thus are subjective. It seems that we will never have a consensus with regard to the state executing a criminal (so-called capital punishment) unless we can evolve beyond the primitive desire for revenge.
I said I'm evangelical christian. It's truth. Also, for me relationship is more important than doctrines. It's why I came here because sometimes I found evangelical church to intolerant.
I thing everyone have the light of Christ within his life including people don't have my beleive. It's the reason why respect it's very important.
I don't want to flog this to death and I hope we can have respectful conversation around it.
The Canadian Government recognizes Same-sex marriage.
The United Church of Canada recognizes Same-sex marriage.
Why then are church boards, church councils and ministers able to say "no" to doing the service.? In my personal experience, some of these churches have never had open conversation with the congregation or their boards and committees about Same-sex marriage. It is a topic that hasn't been addressed since the 80's.
I'm not sure if you're familiar with the story of Abousfian Abdelrazik, the Canadian who is basically a prisoner in the Canadian Embassy in the Sudan. His story is another horrible of example of justice gone wrong and our present government is doing nothing to assist Mr. Abdelrazik, if fact, they are, by their actions and their lack of action, condemning him to a life that should not be his fate. I feel quite angry that he is being treated this way and find it increasingly embarrasing to be a Canadian.
Something has me really disquieted here. To be blunt, it seems that some views expressed here on the 'cafe described as "beliefs" are actually statements that would be outrageous if another word were substituted for say, 'homosexual". Like woman, disabled, Asian -- any other trait of birth, the response would be quick and clear, regardless of any biblical provenance.
