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The church's mission to the world is complex and many facetted. We live in a world ever more driven by the opportunities and the demands of advances in technology. This past year has seen dramatic discoveries in the field of genetics especially - taking us into gene therapy, seen as far off dream only 20 years ago; identifying the genetic defects implicated in a range of diseases including breast cancer and muscular dystrophy; breeding sheep genetically engineered to produce a human blood clotting protein in their milk. Such breakthroughs open up novel and perhaps disturbing possibilities, with complex ethical implications. How far is it right to tinker with the genetic make-up of ourselves or animals? Are these just extensions of things we have already been doing, or are we entering largely uncharted waters?
Such advances, and the profound changes in society which they bring, often seem beyond our power to influence. Scientists' curiosity to ask "What if ...?" knows no limits, but with the rapid pace of change has come a sense of that ethics has not kept pace with our technical skills. A new critical attitude towards technological progress has emerged. There is now a widespread questioning at all levels in our society of the power of technology - be it the sophistication of genetics or nuclear power, the bewildering innovations in communications, or the degradation of atmosphere and urban living by the family car. The "great white heat of technology" is now standing in the dock. People are raising value questions as never before in the corridors of industry, academia and Government. In many fields, scientists and others unused to ethical reflection are asking against what criteria we should judge these developments.
There is an opportunity for the Church, perhaps as never before, to speak with an intelligent and informed voice into these areas of debate. It was with prophetic vision that Willie Robertson and others called for such an initiative in the Church of Scotland, that led to the setting up of the Society, Religion and Technology Project in 1970, believing that if the Church remains silent, others will determine the future of our ever more technological society without us. Its brief was to engage with technologists over the ethical questions being raised by the new developments, and to inform the churches of the issues of the day. Its fascinating history has been traced in a new book, written by the Revd. Ron Ferguson and just published by St.Andrew Press, entitled "Technology at the Crossroads", showing how it has been influencial, often in unseen ways, in such diverse issues as North Sea exploration, nuclear power, Scottish land use and energy saving in churches. Now in 1994, the need is sharper than ever. Indeed, not in years has there been such openness to these issues. Perhaps no area of our society more needs Christ's word than the realm of technology.
The Society, Religion and Technology Project works in many differernt ways, including study groups, talks, debates, reports and books, seeking to act as a forum and a catalyst for discussion amongst experts in many fields, lay people and theologians. Faced with this challenge, has focussed on three main areas to explore ethical issues from a Christian viewpoint - genetic engineering, the environment and energy issues.
Genetic engineering is the technology of the moment, with discoveries announced at a dramatic rate, and with Scotland amongst the leaders. The immense international genome projects seek to unravel the genetic code of humans and animals. "This is where biology begins," an eminent geneticist said recently. Is this just one more wonder in God's generous gifts of creation to be explored, understood and used, or are we interfering with the very stuff of life?
The SRT Project has initiated a working group to study the ethical issues arising out of the genetic engineering of animals, plants and other non-human life forms. This is a rapidly growing area, with implications for many fields. A spread of experts from genetics research, the biotechnology industry, agriculture, animal welfare, environment, sociology and theology are examining a wide range of issues including :
The first stage was a literature review on the current status of technical and practical aspects on the one hand and the ethical considerations, on the other. Over the next year or so, the group will be discussing specific issues and will report on its findings.
There is widespread debate in professional, government and media circles, and amongst the general public. The SRT Director has attended various important meetings on the subject and is also a member of a parallel Board of Social Responsibility working group. A fruitful liaison between the two parallel studies is anticipated. At the Edinburgh Science Festival, SRT organised an afternoon seminar with two leading Edinburgh geneticists Professor David Brock and Dr.David Porteous debating the implications of recent discoveries with medical ethics lecturer Dr.David Cook.
SRT continues to develop international and ecumenical links. The Director is the UK representative of a Working Group on Bioethics of the European Ecumenical Council for Church and Society, and also sits on a similar group on Environment and Economics. The Bioethics group is currently responding to the Council of Europe's draft Bioethics Convention, on such issues as embryo research, the rights to privacy of genetic information, and the purposes for which gene therapy may be performed.
The environment continues to be a major area of SRT's work. This past year it has produced a new book and two joint exercises with the Church and Nation Committee.
A repeated theme in environmental discussions is that, in general, we now know what needs doing for the environment, but we seem ill able to change our ways. Some have even been using the language of the evangelist - launching a crusade, a major outreach into society, to change public attitudes and behaviour. Romans 7:15ff offers some parallels, of which the church is well familiar. Yet in the church we have as many problems as the rest of the nation in "doing the good we want to do" when it comes to awareness and practical response about the environment.
With this in mind, in September 1993 SRT produced its latest booklet, "Seeing Scotland from the Summit - Sustainable Development in Scotland after Rio", written specifically for the churches by Charles Somerville, with contributions from Ruth Page and Donald Bruce. It summarises the purpose and outcome of the Earth Summit in June 1992, and explains what was agreed at Rio, what its "blueprint for action" Agenda 21 is about and what is meant by "Sustainability". It explores what this could mean for Scotland, looking especially at energy and transport, and calls for a radical reappraisal by church members of our personal lifestyles. It also lists some useful books and organisations, and outlines a Christian framework. Each section sets out the issues and then poses questions for individuals and groups as discussion points. It is written for people who are not experts but who realise the crisis is real and calls for action.
The SRT Director was editor and the main contributor in the Church and Nation Committee's report for this Assembly on the Environmental Impact of Economic Activity in Scotland. This also focusses especially on energy and transport as the key areas of concern at the present time.
Following the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992, the Government produced draft national strategies for three key areas of the environment - global warming, biodiversity and sustainable development. The latter touched on subjects of profound importance to all citizens of Scotland and the world - the physical environment of resources and land, our planet's heritage of wildlife, how our economic development should be managed, our duties & responsibilities to our neighbours on the planet today and, perhaps above all, to successors tomorrow. The SRT Director prepared a detailed joint response with the Church and Nation Committee in September 1993, regretting that the strategy is not a motivating and stage-setting look to the future which was needed. It criticised :
There are signs that some of these points have been ackowledged by the Government's final strategy report, but it lacks the specific actions that are urgently needed if this vital opportunity for the future is to be grasped.
With the publication of the Government's assessment of the potential for renewable energy technology in Scotland, and its 1994 review of the future of nuclear power, SRT is looking once again at these issues. Energy issues featured prominently in both "Seeing Scotland from the Summit" and the Church and Nation report on the environment. A further consultation is planned with representatives of the nuclear industry, and an information sheet on this and on renewable energy is being prepared.
Many of these activities reflect SRT's twin roles in mission and in informing the churches on contemporary issues in science, technology and the environment. As well as its reports, and a quarterly newsletter, it offers a well stocked library in for anyone to come and browse and borrow from a wide range of books, journals, reports, study and audio-visual materials, on many subjects. This year it has been preparing information sheets for the lay person on such as genetic engineering, nuclear power and "renewable" energies, and information technology.
The Director has given a number of talks to church groups, for example on genetic engineering to the National Mission Women's Council annual conference and to the Scottish Christian Resources Exhibition, and lively discussions ensued. He spoke on the St.Colms course on "The Technological Society". There is an increasing call from schools seeking to examine what values we approach these questions. SRT has been working with the Education Department at 121 George Street in preparing materials for input to the National Curriculum, on ethics and values in science and technology. It is also working with the Scottish CCC on these areas, drawing attention to the potential of the local church to be an educational resource for its community.
The 1993 Assembly encouraged presbytries to find out the "barriers to belief" in their areas. Through its professional expertise, the SRT Project is able to play an apologetic role in the church's mission to bridge some of those barriers. The Director is working closely with the Apologetics sub-group, especially in issues of science and faith. In April 1994, SRT organised three lectures and a seminar at the Edinburgh Science Festival with a generous gift from the John Templeton Foundation. The lectures were given by leading experts, Dr.John Polkinghorne, Professor Sam Berry and Dr.Fraser Watts, under the theme "Science and Belief - Myth and Reality", showing how Christian belief is not only compatible with physics and cosmology, with biology, and with the discoveries of psychology and brain science, but that these all point to a theological explanation of the world. In February, Oxford economist Dr.Donald Hay gave the annual SRT-Heriot Watt lecture on Technology and Belief, critiquing and exploring from a Christian standpoint the economic assumptions which can drive technology, and the demands technology can place on society. Further events are planned later this year.
The Director is also engaging in theological study at New College on criteria for the limits of technology. He presented a paper on attitudes to the created order to the Centre for Philosophy, Technology and Society at Aberdeen University, which was well received. It has been apparent that a theistic persective can provide a dimension in both technological and environmental questions which purely philosophical systems lack.
24. Commend to church members the SRT Project booklet "Seeing Scotland from the Summit" as discussion and study material and to consider its implications for their own lives.
26. Commend the information sheets on genetic engineering and other contemporary issues available to the church through the SRT Project.
51. Urge HM Government and the European Union to produce integrated energy policies including targets to reduce carbon dioxide emissions beyond the year 2000, increased regulations and incentives for energy efficiency and for renewable energy development.
52. Urge HM Government and the European Union to make much more funding available for the development of renewable energy sources, because, unlike others, they pose minmal threat to health and so have no signficant enironmental impact in this respect.
53. Urge HM Government and the European Union to take immediate action to stop the unsustainable rise in road vehicle use, including the encouragement of investment in integrated public transport along with the provision of pedal cycle tracks in our cities, and developing a sound framework for town and country planning.
54. Invite Kirk Sessions to consider the environmental impact of businesses within their commuity and to encourage good practice.
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