Affirming Statement

Welcome to Symons Valley United Church.  Your Church at the centre of the community. Welcome Home! On Sunday, March 15, 2015, the congregation of Symons Valley United Church voted unanimously to affirm The Charter of Compassion. See the Charter written below or click here for a wonderful video of people reading the Charter.

THE AFFIRM COMMITTEE PURPOSE

To support the congregation in carrying out the Symons Valley United Church’s Mission and Affirm Statements of accepting all people in an intentional way.

RESPONSIBILITIES

  1. To maintain and develop a library of background material on Affirm United’s program, educational videos, and publications to groups and individuals within the church.
  2. To engage in advocacy and awareness training within the congregation regarding issues relevant to being an Affirming Congregation.
  3. Establish support groups and networks within the congregation for 2SLGBTQI+ persons.
  4. To network, support and share with other congregations working on inclusivity issues
  5. Maintain a display table of resources available through the committee.
  6. To move toward a full inclusion of other marginalized individuals and groups.

THE CHARTER OF COMPASSION:

The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect. 

It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.

We therefore call upon all men and women to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies.

We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment and indispensable to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global