Theme Archive

Each of our news articles, events, reports and publications are categorised in one or more categories to help you more easily find articles that interest you.

    Biology/Bioethics

    Humans have long used their God- given abilities to adapt their environment. From the domestication of animals and plants in prehistory to current attempts to alleviate drought by ‘seeding’ clouds to produce rain, ingenuity and innovation have been important to the progress of human society. But how far should we go in adapting nature? How far is too far?

    Climate Change

    The current work of the Church of Scotland on climate change is done through the Responding to Climate Change Project. Please see: http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/councils/churchsociety/csclimate.htm

    Cloning

    What does cloning actually mean? Will there ever be cloned humans?

    Economics

    In these days of economic crisis, does the church have anything to say- and if so, what? We believe that it does have something useful to contribute to the debate- and that it must speak out in support of the most vulnerable in our society.

    End Of Life Issues

    Death is part of our natural experience. What is a good and dignified death, and should we change the law to allow people to hasten the moment of death?

    Energy

    From its beginning in 1970, environmental issues have been the most consistent activity of the Society Religion and Technology Project. Starting from a major study on the wider impact of North Sea Oil and Gas, SRT has been one Europe's pioneering organisations in showcasing the importance of energy issues in relation to the environment.

    Engineering Genesis

    Environment

    The SRT has been integrally involved in working with other groups in helping care for the environment, notably the Eco-Congregation Scotland movement. Visit http://www.ecocongregation.org/scotland for more info.

    Ethics of Defence

    When is the cost of defending our nation too high- in economic, societal or environmental terms? What about nuclear weapons?

    Genetic Engineering

    Genetically Modified Animals

    GM in animals has given us human proteins in the milk of farm animals, animal cloning, xenotransplantation, and GM animals as models of human disease. In our interventions with animals, where should we draw lines and why? What would count as violating the inherent value of the animal? How far can compromises to animal welfare be said to justify human benefits?

    Genetically Modified Food and Crops

    Is GM the only way that we can realistically feed the increasing population in the world?

    God and Science

    Years after Darwin or Einstein, why do so many scientists believe in God? Is the supposed conflict between science and Christian faith nothing more than a myth, put about by a small number of vociferous individuals such as Richard Dawkins? Certainly reports of the death of God have been greatly exaggerated.

    Greening the Church

    Human Genetics

    We have learned a lot about our DNA in the last few decades, but are humans more than simply the sum of their genes? Who should know what our DNA sequences are?

    Internet Ethics

    Mental Health

    Nuclear Power

    Some see nuclear power as the way around the problems caused by using fossil fuels to generate electricity. However, many would see it as the source of energy above all to avoid, for its sinister connotations, or the risk of a major accident, or implications of the long-lived nuclear waste. Others regard the risks as important but exaggerated, provided a high standard of safety, regulation and surveillance is maintained. The economics is no less a source of conflict than its safety aspects.

    Patenting and the Biological World

    We patent mechanical inventions and chemical processes, but should we be allowing the patenting of living things, like genetically modified animals or sections of the human genome? But how should the ethical dimension to these things get decided? Patenting may be less glamorous than cloning or GM food, but the issues it raises are every bit as far reaching.

    Risk

    How do we handle the inevitably scientific uncertainty about what we perceive as the more "risky" elements of what technology gives us? How do politicians and decision makers handle it? What are the ethical assumptions we are using when we assess risks? Are we irrevocably in a "risk society”?

    Technology and Society

    Transport

    We all need to get around, but is jetting off on 3 foreign holidays a year really necessary? Transporting goods round the world by ship also has huge environmental implications: should we all seek to shop local?

    Stem Cells

    Stem cells hold out great hope for treating many diseases- but are we using the right technology to generate them?

    Xenotransplantation

    There remains a chronic shortage of organs suitable for transplantation- so should we be breeding pigs specially modified so that their organs can be harvested and transplanted into humans? What are the dangers of such an approach? How do we encourage more organ donation?