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General Assembly 2004
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On protecting water resources |
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Resolution to the 216th General
Assembly deals with Limited Water Resources and Takings
by Robert L.
Stivers [4-7-04]
The Advisory Committee on Social Witness
Policy (ACSWP) has sent a resolution on limited water resources and
“takings” to the 216th General Assembly (2004) in June.
This resolution clarifies existing policy found in Restoring Creation
for Ecology and Justice, the environmental policy statement adopted by
the 202nd General Assembly (1990) and responds to an overture
from the Presbytery of Baltimore to the 214th General Assembly
(2002).
The resolution states that in general
where water resources are limited the basic needs of declining species
should take priority over out-of-stream and other
instream users. Likewise the resolution gives priority to the
reserved rights of Native Americans.
In addition the resolution states that it
is not appropriate at this time for the Presbyterian Church to take a
position on the complex and undeveloped questions regarding compensation
by the government where application of these priorities results in
restriction in the use of water by holders of water rights. This is
the so-called “takings” issue. ACSWP determined that the legal
questions were just too complex and needed to be resolved further by the
courts.
Following from this decision not to take a
stand, ACSWP further asks the General Assembly to rescind a Commissioner’s
Resolution to the 213th General Assembly (2001) on the Klamath
River Basin drought that said “the takings of water rights is the taking
of private property.
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Visit
our lively
new website! |
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GA actions
ratified (or not) by the presbyteries
A number of the most important actions of the 219th
General Assembly have now been acted upon by the presbyteries,
confirming most of them as amendments to the PC(USA) Book of Order.
We provided resources to help inform the
reflection and debate, along with updates on the voting.
Our three areas of primary interest have been:
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Amendment 10-A,
which removes the current ban on
lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender persons being considered as
possible candidates for ordination as elder or ministers.
Approved! |
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Amendment 10-2,
which would add the Belhar Confession to our Book of
Confessions. Disapproved, because as an amendment
to the Book of Confessions it needed a 2/3 vote, and did not
receive that. |
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Amendment
10-1, which adopts the new Form of Government
that was approved by the Assembly. Approved. |
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Some blogs worth visiting |
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PVJ's
Facebook page
Mitch Trigger, PVJ's
Secretary/Communicator, has created a Facebook page where
Witherspoon members and others can gather to exchange news and
views. Mitch and a few others have posted bits of news, both
personal and organizational. But there’s room for more!
You can post your own news and views,
or initiate a conversation about a topic of interest to you. |
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Voices of Sophia blog
Heather Reichgott, who has created
this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:
After fifteen years of scholarship
and activism, Voices of Sophia presents a blog. Here, we present the
voices of feminist theologians of all stripes: scholars, clergy,
students, exiles, missionaries, workers, thinkers, artists, lovers
and devotees, from many parts of the world, all children of the God
in whose image women are made. .... This blog seeks to glorify God
through prayer, work, art, and intellectual reflection. Through
articles and ensuing discussion we hope to become an active and
thoughtful community. |
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John Harris’ Summit to
Shore blogspot
Theological and philosophical
reflections on everything between summit to shore, including
kayaking, climbing, religion, spirituality, philosophy, theology,
politics, culture, travel, The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), New
York City and the Queens neighborhood of Ridgewood by a progressive
New York City Presbyterian Pastor. John is a former member of the
Witherspoon board, and is designated pastor of North Presbyterian
Church in Flushing, NY. |
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John Shuck’s Shuck and Jive
A Presbyterian minister, currently
serving as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton,
Tenn., blogs about spirituality, culture, religion (both organized
and disorganized), life, evolution, literature, Jesus, and
lightening up. |
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Got more blogs to recommend?
Please
send a note, and we'll see what we can do! |
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