Home
>
Who We Are
>
What we believe
>
Resolutions
>
1990 Addiction
Resolution on Substance Abuse and Addiction
Adopted at the Covenant Annual Meeting, June,
1990
WHEREAS, the Evangelical Covenant Church at its 1970 Annual Meeting
passed a resolution concerning drugs and alcohol that is still valid today;
and
WHEREAS, substance abuse and addiction continue to have debilitating
and destructive effects on all segments of society, manifested in
-poor health and high accident rates
-premature deaths
-decreased productivity and increased absenteeism,
-increased health care costs,
-increased costs to control and prosecute illegal drug traffic, which
compromises our ability to allocate public funds for other worthy purposes,
-family and societal violence; and
WHEREAS, substance abuse engenders greed and malice, and
WHEREAS, we as Christians are commanded to treat our bodies as temples
of the Holy Spirit, and not to defile them; and
WHEREAS, we are commanded to encourage and support one another in love,
and
WHEREAS, we are commanded to love the sinner but hate the sin; and
WHEREAS, we are grateful for the constructive steps taken by individuals,
churches, community groups, and government agencies to respond to the
problem of substance abuse and addiction; now therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the Evangelical Covenant Church reaffirm the 1970 Resolution
concerning Drugs and Alcohol; and be it further
RESOLVED, that we encourage Covenanters to become involved in church
and/or community programs dealing with substance abuse and addiction,
and be it further
RESOLVED, that we encourage our churches and conferences to provide information
and raise awareness about substance abuse through Sunday school, camping,
and other Christian education endeavors, and be it further
RESOLVED, that we encourage our churches to provide Christian love and
concern to substance abusers and addicts and their families, e.g., through
counseling and shelter, and be it further
RESOLVED, that we prayerfully encourage and support local and national
programs responding to the problem of substance abuse and addiction, and
be it further
RESOLVED, that we pray for guidance for spiritual and political leaders,
for workplace supervisors and managers, for teachers and school officials,
for law enforcement and judicial officials, and most of all, for parents
and children; and be it further
RESOLVED, that we encourage all Covenanters to reflect prayerfully on
their own behavior that could lead to substance abuse or addiction by
themselves or others.
|
