The Scottish Christian Party believes the country needs a distinctly Christian Voice in the Scottish Parliament and, by God’s grace, it is possible to do so.
How is it Possible? Click here.
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1. National Health Service
The Scottish Christian Party supports the National Health Service,
celebrating it as a gift from God, and believes that care should be free at
the point of delivery. However, in spite of massive investment in recent
years, the general sense of chaos in mainstream patient care persists.
The allocation of limited resources requires proper individual stewardship
and relief from over-management. The elimination of waste and
inefficiency in the health service is an environmental and a personal issue
requiring the promotion of individual conscientiousness in Scotland’s
citizens. The Scottish Christian Party will seek to create incentives for
individual participation and involvement in solutions in order to draw on
local knowledge and talents.
2. Abortion
Whilst recognising that in seeking to save the life of a mother the life of
her unborn child may be lost, the Scottish Christian Party would ask the
Scottish Parliament to request Westminster to either legislate to ban
abortion, or to make abortion a devolved matter. The Scottish Christian
Party believes that the life of the unborn child should be protected to the
full extent of the powers available to the Scottish Executive. We would
encourage more supportive care for all expectant mothers. We will also
campaign for full human rights to be given to the unborn child, thus
acknowledging the child’s humanity from conception.
3. Work – Rest Balance
Whilst recognising that one man’s level of stress is another man’s
requirement for productivity, the Scottish Christian Party will promote the
restoration of a healthy work-rest balance.
4. Personal Worth
We believe that restoring a sense of purpose and personal worth will
promote realistic and achievable aims in each individual’s life and
help to
remove the depression and despair so evident in modern life. We will
promote policies that seek to identify the talents of individuals and to use
their energies and resources for their personal and our collective good.
Motivation and rewards are God-given measures for the promotion and
recognition of faithful service.
We will publicise the catastrophic effect of ungodly behaviour on the life
expectancy and health of people, whom God loves and we should love;
particularly homosexuality, excessive drinking and the use of addictive
substances. We will do this in a way that shows Christian love to those
affected and offers help back onto a healthy path. The Scottish Christian
Party would also seek to increase taxation on alcohol and tobacco.
5. Obesity
Obesity is a new epidemic, which threatens the health and longevity of
the individual, as well as the economic well-being of the nation. We will
promote physical education in schools and will protect physical education
teachers from unreasonable litigation through school insurance schemes.
We would encourage personal sustainable exercise programmes.
6. International Health
The health of the nation can be affected by international ill health.
Infectious diseases e.g. avian flu, Aids, know no boundaries. Immigration
also brings new health challenges to the nation. We believe that a portion
of national aid budgets should target the world’s poor and needy not
only
for their sake, but also out of Christian charity. We believe that a robust
health education program for international travellers should be initiated,
especially in advance of international sporting and other events in high
risk areas.
7. Drugs and Alcohol
Our drugs and alcohol policy will involve the promotion of personal worth.
The wanton defacing of the image of God in man, attributing less
responsibility to a non-sober human being to the extent that many use
this as an excuse for criminal behaviour, reveals a lack of self-worth and
accountability that arises from humanist philosophy. Too many look upon
alcohol as an escape from their low self-esteem, just as the obese person
may turn to comfort eating. We believe a restoration of God’s estimate
of
their personal worth will help individuals to regain their self-control. The
Scottish Christian Party will legislate to support efforts against easy
access to alcohol, particularly to the young.
8. Personal or Other Insurance Schemes
While we believe in unconditional care for the needy, we also note that
alcohol impinges disproportionately on the costs of Accident and
Emergency medicine and other medical services. We will support
initiatives to bring personal responsibility to bear upon self-inflicted
disease, whether through personal or other insurance schemes. The costs
of careless driving and road traffic accidents should be recouped more
effectively to the NHS through insurance schemes. Participation in
dangerous sports should be properly insured so that the NHS can recoup
its costs for emergency medicine. Irresponsible use of the emergency
services is a growing phenomenon, impinging upon the responsible use of
these services. We will support initiatives tackling this problem
9. Prescription Charges
Whereas most people don’t pay prescription charges for their medicines,
there are a minority who have to pay for medicines for chronic illnesses,
which have not been self-inflicted. It is unjust that such people should
pay prescription charges when many people with self-inflicted illnesses do
not pay for prescriptions. We will support abolition of prescription
charges, as it will be difficult to introduce a more equitable system. We
acknowledge the successful efforts made by General Practitioners to
reduce patient expectations for a prescription. Along similar lines,
General Practitioners merit more assistance to reduce patient dependence
upon Sickness Benefit certificates.
10. Parental Rights
The Scottish Christian Party will promote parental rights regarding the
medical treatment of children, particularly relating to contraceptive
services and abortion. We believe that parents have the right to know
what medical treatment their child is having, and the right to decide what
medical treatment their child should have, so long as the sanctity of life
remains paramount at all times.
11. Care of the Elderly
The Scottish Christian Party will promote the care of the elderly in a
Christian environment and review recent rules which are making it
difficult for small local hospices to offer a vital service to rural and isolated
communities. The provision of care at home is important. For those who
cannot have an elderly relative to live with them, and cannot live with
that elderly relative themselves, but where the elderly relative has a
spare room, the alternative of a live-in funded carer could be promoted.
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• Christian Constitution of Scotland: The Scottish Christian Party highlights the irresponsible failure of the SNP to say what will happen to the Christian Constitution of Scotland if the Treaty of Union 1707 is broken.
The Scottish public deserves to know this before an Election in which the pundits think the SNP may form the next administration; but the SNP has not addressed the question publicly far less provided any answers.
• Education: To give real choice we will campaign for an Educational Voucher Scheme, sex education on a parental opt-in basis, a daily act of Christian worship with Bible reading, and no obligation to promote other faiths.
Creationism and Intelligent Design will be considered alongside Evolution in science classes.
• Economic Development: Less reliance on fossil fuels, with increased emphasis on self-sustainability. Investment in new nuclear
plants must be matched by investment in research and development for nuclear waste solutions.
Explore the potential of water export, and effective extraction of North Sea oil with infrastructure designed to be adapted afterwards for marine renewable projects.
• Housing: Affordable housing earmarked as Local Family Housing.
• Gambling: Opposition to super casinos.
• Elected Police & Fire chiefs: The role of the Police and Fire Service does not involve marching in uniform, or handing out leaflets, at Gay parades. We believe they should be maintaining law and order impartially, and fighting fires. Electing chiefs will ensure accountability.
• Freedom of conscience, of speech and of public preaching: We will address the imbalance in law concerning giving and taking offence, and the oppressive emphasis in diversity training.
• Drugs: Zero tolerance on illegal drugs.
