The Future of the Family – a crisis of commitment
By Church of Scotland, BSR
Review
In 1990 the Church of Scotland’s Board of Social Responsibility entered into consultation with the Panel of Doctrine to commend and support the Christian ideal of the family while taking a compassionate and realistic approach to those in difficult circumstances. The report was presented to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1992, who commended it to the whole church for study and action. The published form was issued in its second edition in 1995.
The report looks at where is the family, and where would we like it to be in the future? It begins with a statement of the Christian ideal of marriage and family and then three patterns that differ from the ideal are explored namely, cohabitation, divorce and single parenthood and in particular the impact of these on children and teenagers. The second part of the report looks at what can be done in the future by government and the church.
In terms of public policy, the Board “urges the creation of policies that commend family life…. Where a cliff edge is crumbling, the need is not merely for an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, but for a strong fence at the top.”(p46)
The report concludes with a strong call for preventative as well as caring support after breakdown and highlights the key role the church has to play and the resources it has to offer.
It can be obtained from:
Hugh Brown, Publicity Officer,
Church of Scotland Board of Social Responsibility
Charis House
47 Milton Road East
Edinburgh EH15 2SR
tel: 0131 657 2000
fax: 0131 657 5000
Order now from Church of Scotland