Globalization and international trade are realities of today's world. In this report, globalization is defined as the process by which people, nations, and economies throughout the world become ever more connected and integrated. Although often driven by economics, globalization includes spiritual, cultural, political, and human welfare dimensions. This report and the recommendations are to provide ethical insight for individual Christians and a set of responses for churches and the larger church through its agencies. As Christians, we understand that what happens to people in the process of being "integrated" is a key criterion by which globalization must be measured. We …
At the beginning of the twenty-first century, some of the core principles the church has tried to uphold in relation to money lending are the victims of a perverse reversal of moral logic. In too many contemporary lending practices, not only are the poor charged interest (against the theological and ethical wisdom of the church), but they are also charged more interest than those who live in more favorable economic circumstances.
In 1952, the PCUSA Assembly urged a ". . . greater emphasis upon free collective bargaining in labor-management relations," and that Presbyterians ". . . participate more actively in management organizations and labor unions as an expression of Christian vocation. . ." (PCUSA, 1952, p. 204). The first statement of the PCUS on work in the postwar period came in 1953 when its General Assembly directed that ". . . churches undertake the responsibility of impressing men, women and young people of the value and significance of daily work as Christian vocation . . ." (PCUS, 1953, p. 92). Meanwhile, …
Whether it's your first mission trip outside the United States, or your fifth, you have choices about how you witness, and how you understand the realities of what you encounter. Witness with compassion and wisdom, and you will receive (spiritual) gifts from even the poorest people in the most destitute places. Witness with awareness of the "flip" side-the long-term goals and the short-term concerns of Just Globalization-and you will bring back a personal experience that may just change the world! This is a very brief introduction to globalization-the economic, cultural and spiritual bonds and connections that bring new opportunities, but …
In a time of continuing, deep economic recession, our faith gives us strength to face unemployment, poverty, and anxiety - not simply as individuals, but as a community with an ethical memory rooted in the Gospel. Understanding the economy as a servant of creation's flourishing enables us to question the necessity of widening inequality and continued poverty, to look at the moral consequences of these trends on society and the church, and to propose greater democratic accountability for financial institutions that are called to serve the common good and depend ultimately on public funds and confidence. Informed by the historical …
The 220th GA (2012) adopted this resolution in response to economic crisis and the underlying distorted value system that has taken hold, spreading reckless consumerism, deep insecurity and extreme inequalities across America. Understanding communion as our base, it calls for a new covenant to seek a sustainable stewardship society shaped for the common good, with recommendations to help employment, families, neighbors and the church itself.
This report contains an ethical and economic case for a fairer tax code. Using data sets on poverty, inequality, and the effects of taxation, and using criteria derived from long-standing Biblical and theological commitments, the report addresses personal and corporate tax issues, and puts them in international context. The pages that follow begin with the policy positions printed in bold type, and then follow with supporting data analysis and documentation. An appendix looks at the Protestant Christian traditions that inspired support for our nation’s first permanent progressive income tax more than a century ago.
A public policy statement on energy, its production and use, written at a time when it was understood that the era of cheap and abundant energy was over. This policy speaks truth about energy in transition to decision makers, in government, industry, church and family.
The 202nd General Assembly (1990) adopted the document entitled "Restoring Creation for Ecology and Justice" along with its recommendations. It not only provides a thoughtful review of the deteriorating ecology of our entire world, but also provides guidance for ways in which we can participate in God's redemption of the creation.
This policy concludes that poor communities and communities of color are bearing a disproportionate burden of the nation's hazardous waste sites. Typically, local residents are unaware and rarely are involved in the decision-making process of facilities siting. This policy amends Section "A. Basic Policies on Hazardous Waste" of the policy statement, Restoring Creation for Ecology and Justice (1990), with a greater emphasis on environmental injustice and advocacy.