We live in a world which becomes more complex by the day. Technological change takes place at a rate many find bewildering. Natural disasters, as in Mozambique, and man-made disasters, as in Chechnya, are evidence of a world that appears to be out of control. Your Committee is only too well aware of their own limitations in responding to the ethical minefields and the current affairs issues both domestic and international which are being thrown up continually.

Mindful of this, we decided immediately after last year's General Assembly to restrict our attention to no more than five or six issues felt to be of relevance to the Church at large. These issues are still ongoing in the meetings of the Committee who are grateful to the individual members who have worked on them. Much of what appears in this report is in fact taken directly from papers presented to the Committee by different members. However, before dealing with these issues, the report will take up matters which were either already ongoing, or brought to the attention of the Committee as the year progressed.

JAMBO KENYA

Jambo Kenya is, of course, the Denominational Appeal which succeeded "Hope for Cambodia". The Committee is delighted to report many congregations have already actively taken up the Appeal. At the time of writing the Appeal had raised just over £3,100. Two points of interest for noting are:

1. Sets of slides and music cassettes are available (from Church Office) for congregations and groups to use; and

2. There will be an opportunity in 2001 for someone from the United Free Church to join a party of students to spend several weeks in Kenya familiarising themselves with the project. Your Committee would seek to identify someone who could both benefit from the trip personally and also be able to impart the experience to the Church at large on their return.

SCOTTISH CHURCHES COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FUND

The aim of this body is to encourage local projects geared to helping the most disadvantaged in our society. The Committee reported last year that a steering group was working to set up the scheme. Mr Fergus Henderson has represented us on this group and we are now able to report that the date for the scheme's incorporation is June 30th 2000. It will be known as the "Scottish Churches Community Trust". It is anticipated nine denominations will be involved. The Committee is recommending the participation of the United Free Church with a proposed annual contribution of £250. The core organisation of the Trust will be provided by the Churches and money for distribution to actual projects will be sought from charitable funds and public spirited firms.

THE SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT

Your Committee has appreciated the very detailed and helpful briefings from the Churches' Parliamentary Officer, Rev Dr Graham K Blount. These briefings have assisted the Committee in responding to Consultative Documents from the Scottish Executive. The report of the Scottish Churches' Parliamentary Office for 1999 is included in Appendix 1. One area of concern to the Committee has been the Adults with Incapacity Bill, where debate in the Parliament led to an amendment (which was defeated) aimed at limiting the perceived potential of passive euthanasia taking place through the withdrawal of medical treatment where the doctor had the final say. This is an area we will continue to monitor.

The General Assembly would wish to know, in view of the huge media attention, the response of the Committee to the Consultation on clause 28 (2A) in the Ethical Standards in Public Life Bill. The letter which was submitted by the Committee is included as Appendix 2 to this report. In essence the response of the Committee was to request the Scottish Executive to reconsider. It appeared to the Committee that the Scottish Executive had not thought through the implications of repeal and the situation was unsatisfactory. The Committee also expressed concern about the nature of future teaching material which might be produced and the need to highlight issues of health as they related to lifestyle. The Committee also drew on the Panel of Doctrine's report on homosexuality produced in 1995.

The Committee is requesting permission for Rev Dr Graham K Blount to address the Assembly about his role as the Parliamentary Officer.

SEGREGATED SCHOOLS

The General Assembly will recall the paragraph of Deliverance, passed in 1999, that the Committee discuss the provisions for separate Roman Catholic schools and report back to the General Assembly of 2000, with the view of conveying the mind of the Church to the appropriate Minister in the Scottish Parliament.

The Committee spent some time on this matter, but were mindful that to do the question justice they would have had to engage in considerable research and consultation with interested parties and educationalists. Rev Douglas Scrimgeour accepted an invitation to address the Committee as one having considerable experience in educational matters.

In examining this subject the Committee came to realise the complexity of the task remitted to them. Although denominational schools may not be the cause of division, they may reinforce divisions which already exist. The precedent is set for other faith communities to take advantage of the existing legislation. The sociological circumstances which led to the passing of the 1918 Act are quite different today. The Committee noted that this matter is very much a West of Scotland issue which is virtually unknown in other parts of Scotland.

In view of the enormous complexity of the task, it did not appear to the Committee that a paragraph of Deliverance on this matter could be brought to this Assembly. In consultation with other, the Committee is taking up the important consultation paper "Improving Schools" recently issued by the Scottish Executive and dealing with "national priorities for schools' education in Scotland". The Church has to ask itself what kind of education it wants for its children and, specifically, how it believes in a secular society that the spiritual nurture of its children should best be addressed. For example in the United States, which has a formal separation of Church and State, it would generally be accepted that the Christian Church is more vibrant and influential that it is in Scotland. The Committee is not trying to run away from this topic but genuinely does not feel equipped at this point in time to bring a recommendation to the Assembly. Furthermore, it sees the issue as more complex than making a simple statement on Roman Catholic schools. We seek the guidance of the General Assembly on this matter.

FAMILY ISSUES

The Committee will return to marriage and inter-church marriage, but spent some time on the serious matter of domestic abuse. Through meeting with Dr Lesley MacDonald of the Church of Scotland, and through a number of seminars attended by Mr Ronald Campbell, the Committee enlarged its understanding of the incidence of domestic abuse. One or two horrific statistics will underline the problem:- Scotland has the highest rate of domestic abuse in Europe; in the United Kingdom one woman dies every three days as a result of domestic abuse; nationally one in every three women is abused. The Committee believes that there is scope for this matter to be the subject of In-Service training for ministers.

UNEMPLOYMENT

Being made redundant is a traumatic experience, in some ways similar to bereavement. The Committee is grateful to Rev Tom Ireland for background material on issues relating to working hours, the Job-seekers allowance, the minimum wage, part-time working, and temporary contracts. Through Mr Campbell's involvement with the Scottish Churches Industrial Mission, Rev Erik Cramb, the Mission co-ordinator, was invited to address the Committee. We benefited from his insights that unemployment is often an inheritance, that there are "work rich" and "work poor" households, and that there is a need for the Church to speak with a prophetic voice. Mr Cramb encouraged us to engage with the Scottish Parliament and perhaps to open up our halls to be New Deal centres. The Committee will continue its work in this area.

CARE OF THE ELDERLY

The Committee was assisted in its consideration of this issue by work undertaken by Rev Ann Purdie. A questionnaire was sent to every minister regarding care of the elderly. From the responses received some significant conclusions were drawn. Around 7% of the membership of the United Free Church of Scotland is in care, and around a further 8% may need to go into care over the next five years. The question arose as to how the Church might respond to this scenario. For example, is it out of the question for the Church to investigate the feasibility of providing a home for the elderly? To assist our deliberations in this area the Committee is meeting with a representative from Age Concern and will be seeking to further their understanding of the most appropriate ways of caring for our elderly.

BIO-ETHICAL ISSUES

The Committee took advantage of the professional expertise of Dr Donald Macdonald and grappled with the complexities of genetic engineering as it related to cloning and the genetic modification of food. In view of the topicality of the issue of GM food, the Committee asked Dr Macdonald to prepare notes on this matter and the paragraphs following are in essence those notes. Christian Aid argues that GM crops create "classic preconditions for hunger and famine by concentrating ownership of resources in too few hands". We are grateful to Dr Macdonald for representing the Committee at the Youth Assembly and taking up the question of GM foods.

What is genetically modified food? Genetically modified food comes from plants such as corn, soya, potatoes and tomatoes that have had their genetic information modified or increased to make them more attractive to the consumer or more profitable to the producer.

How are plants genetically modified? The genes that are added to the plant are not native to it and are first incorporated into it by taking the DNA of that gene "patching" it into the DNA of a cauliflower virus which is then used to transfer the new gene into the plant. What effect does this have on the plant? The incorporation of new genes into a plant will make it look more attractive, taste better and stay fresher for longer. All this sounds wonderful but there is a downside. The incorporation of new genetic material into the plant often weakens it so that it is much more prone to attack from insects and weeds resulting in the grower having to use much more weedkiller and insecticide than is normally required. The producers of GM food have also added genes to the plants that make them resistant to the high levels of toxic chemicals used in weed killers and insecticides.

There is also a much more sinister side to this plant breeding in that all of the patents for the GM foods are held by 10 to 12 multinational companies giving them tremendous control and power over food production. These companies are determined to recoup their investment into research and one way that they are doing this is to insert a "terminator" like gene into the plants so that their seeds will not grow until they have been sprayed with the a cocktail of chemicals provided by the multinational companies.

Are GM Foods harmful to humans? The honest answer is that we do not know. However, there are some important considerations to bear in mind. First, GM foods may contain or carry unacceptably high levels of insecticides, which are chemicals that have their effect on insects by poisoning their nervous system. A recent study in this country showed that farmers who come in contact with concentrated sheep dip (an insecticide) had significant nervous system complaints like chronic fatigue syndrome, memory loss, anxiety and depression. Second, a small study in the Rowett Institute in Aberdeen by Dr Pusztai showed that rats fed GM potatoes had unexpected changes in their gut. Although this was a small study and requires to be repeated it does suggest that GM foods are not as safe as the Government would have us believe. Public opinion has swung against the consumption of GM foods but we must be wary in case GM products are used in animal feeds thereby introducing GM products into the human food chain by the "back door'.

If we feel strongly about the GM food issues we should write to our parliamentary representatives and make our opinions known to them.

POST-MODERNISM

The church in all its agencies and committees is engaged in the great work of extending the kingdom of God and presenting the uniqueness of Christ in a pluralist world. This is where the relevance of looking at "Post-modernism" comes in. We make no apology for so much of our report being taken up with this topic. You may not be familiar with the phrase but please read on. What we are trying to do is assist the church in its understanding of the modern mind set. It is all about "knowing the times".

The Committee took up this matter to assist our understanding of the times we are living in. Whether in the field of Care of the Elderly, Bio-ethics, or "clause 28", post-modernism is influencing governments and decision makers. But what is it? It was graphically put by Rev Dominic Smart of Aberdeen in a series of articles published in the Irish Presbyterian Herald:- "God is one site on a world-wide web and you can visit Him if you want to and then move away again and look at the other religious web sites. The Committee asked Rev Ian Lloyd to produce a paper on Post-Modernism. The following paragraphs are in essence that paper.

Post-modernism is (one of) the current buzz words which seeks to explain and understand our culture. It is often used as the scapegoat for all that is wrong in present day society. But what broadly is post-modern culture?

To begin with we need to recall that "culture" is not simply something that you go to see. It is the pervading world-view around us; those values and underlying concepts that a society has in common. A Christian culture, for example, does not mean that everyone in that society is a Christian, but there are values such as the sacredness of human life, which are not only common to the society, but are often unspoken and assumed.

One of the problems indicated by churches in a recent survey of our denomination, was an inability to understand the world around them. Partly that is a problem of generation gaps. But it is also at least in part because of a culture shift in the society around us moving from "modernism" towards "post-modernism". Most of us in the Church (by virtue of our age range) will have grown up with modernism, but it must be made clear, that as we see the potential de-Christianisation of our society, there is nevertheless nothing inherently more Christian about the modernism we seem to be leaving behind.

Rather modernism, which has its roots in the Age of Enlightenment, has emphasised a rational scientific approach in our dealings with every subject. On the one hand this has had an underlying benefit in much scientific and medical discovery, and does reckon on the existence of objective truth. By contrast, however, it has also been the tool used to undermine Christian understanding of miracle, and ultimately of the Bible's God, by seeking to understand everything by its own criteria of scientific proof. The Church widely has seen this century the consequences of this in the standard "well science has disproved religion" argument. The fundamental problem is its failure to grasp the nature of our humanity, seeking to cut out the spiritual aspect of who we are.

In a paper from this Committee seven years ago on the subject of the New Age movement, we noted the new awareness of, and seeking for, spiritual things that was in part a reaction against these ways of thinking. If New Age was a focus upon purely spiritual aspects, then we can think of post-modernism as an overarching framework within which a movement such as New Age could take its place. But post-modernism affects (or is affected by) all manner of areas including literature and scientific study itself. Indeed the principles arising from science may be the most prominent in the new thinking.

This century's understanding of quantum physics and its consequent outflow (which we don't need to understand) has led to some unexpected discoveries, one of which is of particular interest. That is that in experiments at the atomic and sub-atomic level the presence of the observer influences what occurs. Now if we add to that the philosophy (which has its own roots in the 18th century) that we cannot know things in themselves, but rather the human mind imposes order on those things around us, we have the philosophical and scientific underpinning for the emergence in our day of post-modernism. This basically asserts that since each person perceives things in a different way - indeed affects the particular world which s/he observes then there can be no such thing as an absolute truth, only that which is true for me, or true for you.

The consequence of this in literature suggests that we can no longer discuss the author's intention in a work since the work will mean something different (and possibly radically different) for each person. Moving this into the Christian sphere this would make the Bible either inscrutable (i.e. we cannot know the author's intention, be it prophet or even God!) or only open to private interpretation - how a person individually sees it. A faith once for all delivered to the saints then becomes a meaningless concept.

Since, so this argument follows, the search for absolute truth is no longer possible (except on a purely personal and provisional basis) we are able to mix, blend and synthesise any mixture of religions, rituals or spiritualities that might work for us. The phrase "If that's what you want to believe" is no; longer a patronising comment, but of the essence of our culture.

Post-modernism encourages individuals and groups to construct their own version of the truth, so that real discussion and communication across these viewpoints becomes exceptionally difficult. Differences arise in this world (so this line of thought would continue) merely because we perceive things differently.

The ultimate consequence of this post-modern thought is that we live (as is already increasingly apparent) on the verge of increasingly isolated small communities with a common value system, with the tendency towards simply individuals with their own private sets of values.

This leaves a number of major problems for the Church and for Christians, not least the unfamiliarity with such a pattern of thinking. It perhaps also alerts us more clearly to the need for the Church to think of its mission in terms of cross-cultural outreach.

Hardest perhaps to deal with is the argument that we can construct our own personal truth systems; and that the intent of an author cannot be understood (we have to construct our own view there) which as we have noted, biblically speaking, makes God unknowable even where He reveals Himself in His Word.

There is a battle of world-views taking place just now. On the one hand we should be glad that the barren scientism of our culture is giving way, but what will replace it is the great issue. Personal value systems constructed apart from others, or from any concept of absolute truth seems to be undergirding much of what we see now. It inevitably leads to self-centredness; personal isolation; and oddly a tendency towards passive consumerism because there is little to engage a person, only things to be observed.

It is essential that Christians understand the Bible's world-view. That is, not simply to have a set of isolated 'proof-texts' but to be able to see history; the present age and the future from the biblical standpoint. Why is the world as it is (and that is a wide question); what is the purpose of our lives; what is this world heading towards? The Bible holds out for us a coherent way of explaining the world and the human life within the world. The Church needs to preach and Christians need to learn the fundamental doctrines of the faith - especially in the areas of Creation; Humanity; Fall; Personhood of God, all of which directly impinge on the areas where we need to argue our corner.

Out of these doctrines we especially need to be ready to argue for the existence of absolute truth (which of course opens out from the person of Jesus Christ) bringing the knowledge of one God. That God can be known and known as He has revealed Himself in the Scriptures. That the God we know has shaped our humanity so that we can discern His intent as He has spoken to us through the Bible.

In a culture where the greatest danger is soul-less isolation especially among younger people the issues for the Church are less about forms of worship but rather about a faith shared that was (and still is) worth dying for; where the concept of absolute truth is being eroded the Church must not only argue its case, but live its case; the Church must also open up the reality of the meaning of a loving community, living in reflection of the one, but triune, God; to be part of a world-wide community that can share fundamental values even whilst living in externally culturally differing ways.

The great danger of post-modernism is that in emptying society of shared values and the pursuit of truth, it sells the soul of this generation for a lie. Again it must be said that the answer to post-modernism is that the Church not simply knows its values, doctrines and beliefs, but lives them, so that the world can see what coherent lives Christians can live.

In that sense, nothing has changed in 2000 years.

CONCLUSION

The convener would like to express his thanks both to the vice-conveners and to a hardworking and enthusiastic Committee. We are indebted to the General Secretary and his staff for an enormous amount of work following Committee meetings and throughout the year.

In the name of the Committee,

ANDREW SCOTT, Convener

IAN F R LLOYD, Vice-Convener

ROBERT O OWENS, Vice-Convener

JOHN O. FULTON, Secretary