Following up on a column by Pastor Jesse Wegenast, of The 5 and 2 Ministries, The Vancouver Province today ran a feature on Abbotsford and the many issues it is currently facing.
Entitled, “Abbotsford having a ‘crisis of conscience’ over homeless, drug addiction“, the story, by Province reporter Elaine O’Connor, goes into depth pn issues such as the manure dump, the banning of needle exchanges, and a general sesne among many, evidenced by a quote O’Connor received from Barry Shantz, of Abbotsford’s B.C./Yukon Association of Drug War Survivors chapter, [who] believes the city wants to “clean their community of undesirables.”
[excerpt] MORALITY DEBATES DAMAGINGWegenast said morality debates are damaging to public health.
“We’re having value-based discussions, when we ought to be having evidence-based discussions.”
Christoph Reiners, pastor of the Peace Lutheran Church and an executive member of the Abbotsford Christian Leaders Network, agreed the city’s faith community has “often focused on private morality and has a hard time looking at social responsibility and the bigger picture.”
Reiners stressed that the church is “very active in addressing the needs of the poor” — its City of Refuge effort supports a dozen local agencies — but struggles to “move from charity to advocacy.”
[Full Article]
Bas Stevens Says:
Re: Morality debates damaging
I find the whole issue of homelessness, addiction, etc. in Abbotsford very confusing.
Abbotsford is considered the ”Bible Belt”. How many churches or places or worship, are there in this town?
It is very obvious to me that the majority of people in Abbotsford do not understand the meaning of Matthew 25:36. If they did, and practiced what is found therein, we would not be having the ”problems” or discussion that is currently the rage of the town.
If one chooses to live by the sword then they are prepared to die by the sword. If the choice is to live by the bible then live by His Word. It can not be both ways!
From Submissions
Elsie K. Neufeld Says:
In conversation with MP Ed Fast on Saturday, he mentioned, again, that Abbotsford is one of the country’s most generous per capita of cities its size in all of Canada. Unfortunately, I wasn’t quick enough on my feet to ask: but how much of that generous giving leaves the community? I suspect much of it goes overseas. But that’s just a guess.
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