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62-655: The primary purpose of BWF is "to renew spiritual vitality through faith in Jesus Christ in every local congregation, restoring commitment to the original call and vision of these churches and their denomination." The BWF holds that congregations of the United Church of Christ have been in numerical and spiritual decline, citing denominational statistics that report net losses of members and congregations in every year since 1963. BWF has consistently voiced its criticism of UCC statements regarding things they believe to be contrary to

124-679: A fellowship of churches disaffected from the United Church of Christ due to that denomination's liberal theology. Churches of the Evangelical Association are free to hold dual affiliation with another denomination (mostly the UCC), as local churches observe congregational polity . The association's name refers to those denominations that once merged to form the UCC: the Evangelical and Reformed and

186-585: A field in which it criticizes the present Wider Church Ministries of the UCC as having abandoned entirely, or augmented with unacceptable political activity. This latter activity comes under the umbrella of the Missions Renewal Network , which connects local congregations with missionaries and mission projects rooted in their common history and tradition. The MRN has networked over 100 missionaries with local churches since its creation. Biblical Witness Fellowship

248-437: A growing issue especially in school settings because of the young populations that exist. The majority of victims and perpetrators are teenagers and young adults (the population that exists within educational institutions). Hate crimes can result in physical or sexual assault or harassment, verbal harassment, robbery, and death. Obesity is a prevalent social problem in today's society, with rates steadily increasing. According to

310-455: A high unemployment rate that affects millions of people is a social issue. A valence issue is a social problem that people uniformly interpret the same way. An example of a valence issue is child abuse, which is condemned across several societies. A position issue is a social problem in which the popular opinion among society is divided. Different people may hold different and strongly-held views, which are not easily changed. An example of

372-470: A larger extent it might result in elder abuse . Public Health Agency of Canada reported that about 4 – 10% of seniors were facing elder abuse in Canada. This is both a cultural and historical phenomenon that contests against the basis of social beings able to satisfy needs of other people through companionship and social integration. It could be further seen in the failure of Canadian social institutions to meet

434-595: A more orthodox alternative fellowship to the UCC in particular matters such as ministerial placement and foreign missions work. Many of the founding churches had been active in the Biblical Witness Fellowship organization, a renewal group similar to others in connectional denominations such as the United Methodist Church and the Presbyterian Church (USA) . The incident that caused many of

496-470: A particular place or town is subject to problematic environmental practices due to the racial and class components of that space. In general, the place or town is inhabited by lower-income and minority groups. Often, there is more pollution, factories, dumping, etc. that produce environmental hazards and health risks which are not seen in more affluent cities, such as those in Bangladesh . The abortion debate

558-495: A position issue is abortion which, in some countries, has not generated a widespread consensus from the public. Generic types of social issues, along with examples of each, are as follows: Unemployment rates vary by region, gender , educational attainment, and ethnic group . In most countries (including developed countries ), many people are poor and depend on welfare . In 2007 in Germany , one in six children are poor. That

620-564: A primary spokesperson for the evangelical minority in the UCC from 1994 - 2010. The impetus for the birth of Biblical Witness Fellowship was a human sexuality report accepted by the General Synod in 1977. Since that time the BWF has consistently voiced its criticism of UCC statements supporting beliefs and behaviors that reflect the views of the culture rather than the teachings of the Bible. Members of

682-556: A result, their students are not receiving what should be the maximum level of education. Social problems in the workplace include occupational stress , theft , sexual harassment , wage inequality , gender inequality , racial inequality , health care disparities , and many more. In addition, common workplace issues that employees face include interpersonal conflict, communication problems (e.g. gossip ), bullying , harassment , discrimination, low motivation and job satisfaction, and performance issues. Environmental racism exists when

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744-537: A social problem. Drunk driving is on the rise and is the number two cause of accidental deaths, causing approximately 17,000 deaths each year. All but nine states in the United States have adopted the Administrative License Revocation (ALR). The ALR is enforced when a person is caught drinking and driving and found guilty, resulting in the loss of their license for a full year. This is a step that

806-446: Is a social issue. In 2018, about 11.1% of American households were food insecure. Mass media may use propaganda as a means to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view, or to maintain the viewer's attention. Who owns a media outlet often determines things such as the types of social problems that are presented, how long the problems are aired, and how dramatically the problems are presented. The American media

868-529: Is also a founding member of the Association For Church Renewal , a coalition of the leadership of numerous renewal agitating for change within most "mainline" Protestant denominations; thus, the BWF has similar characteristics to renewal groups in other Protestant denominations such as the Episcopal Church and the Presbyterian Church (USA) . The Rev. Runnion-Bareford served as President of

930-591: Is being taken to try to avoid the occurrence of this social problem. Legal marijuana is a debatable topic. Marijuana can be used in the medical domain, and there is no accurate fact that shows marijuana kills. However, people believe marijuana is a gateway to other drugs, injures lungs, and inhibits function. Some states are legalizing medical marijuana, such as New Mexico, Arizona, and New York. Some states are also legalizing it for both medical and recreational purposes, such as Colorado, California, and Oregon. Racism against various ethnic or minority groups has existed in

992-647: Is common in these neighborhoods. Often these neighborhoods were founded out of best intentions. Widespread health conditions (often characterized as epidemics or pandemics ) are of concern to society as a whole. They can harm the quality of life, and the ability of people to contribute to society (e.g. by working), and can result in death . Infectious diseases are often public health concerns because they can spread quickly and easily, affecting large numbers of people. The World Health Organization has an acute interest in combating infectious disease outbreaks by minimizing their geographic and numerical spread and treating

1054-507: Is estimated that by 2030, seniors will make about 23% of the Canadian population. This shrinks the labour force and real GDP growth rate, which may result in higher taxes. Additionally, Canada's fertility rate has been falling since 2009, especially in white families. Immigrants with dependents is also not a conducive element for reducing the impact; however, they can increase the population rate of rural areas to increase financial activities. It

1116-606: Is growing steadily. In 2008 they listed 48 churches, 105 by September 2017, and 260 by April 2024. Pennsylvania and North Carolina have the greatest concentration of churches. Most churches are in the Midwest , South and Northeast , although there are West Coast churches in San Francisco and Los Angeles. The congregations in the EA represent the historical predecessors of the UCC. The EA requires its constituent churches to affirm both

1178-494: Is often biased towards one or the other end of the political spectrum , with many media outlets having been accused of either being too conservative or too liberal . Drugs are at times the cause of social problems. Drugs such as cocaine and opiates are addictive for some users. A minority of users of such drugs may commit crimes to obtain more drugs. In some individuals, drugs such as methamphetamine have been known to contribute to violent behaviour, which would be considered

1240-489: Is often the consequence of factors extending beyond an individual's control. Social issues are the source of conflicting opinions on the grounds of what is perceived as morally correct or incorrect personal life or interpersonal social life decisions. Social issues are distinguished from economic issues ; however, some issues (such as immigration ) have both social and economic aspects. Some issues do not fall into either category, such as warfare . Exemplary for social issues

1302-519: Is studied that Canadians openly practice ageism. This discrimination based on age results in refusing jobs to qualified and willing candidates, while such negative attitudes are further legitimized by mass media. Filial responsibility is also an alien concept in the North American culture due to the prominence of individualism , except within indigenous communities. Those that attempt to uphold do not know how to perform (due to lack of precedence) and to

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1364-914: Is the ongoing controversy surrounding the moral, legal, and religious status of induced abortion . In English-speaking countries, the sides involved in the debate are the self-described " pro-choice " and " pro-life " movements. Pro-choice emphasizes the woman's choice of whether to terminate a pregnancy. Pro-life proposes the right of the embryo or fetus to gestate to term and be born. Both terms are considered loaded in mainstream media, where terms such as "abortion rights" or "anti-abortion" are generally preferred. Each movement has, with varying results, sought to influence public opinion and to attain legal support for its position. Other issues may include education , lack of literacy and numeracy , corruption , school truancy , violence and bullying in schools , religious intolerance , immigration , political and religious extremism , discrimination of all sorts,

1426-507: Is up from only one in seventy-five in 1965. Poverty rates vary in different states. For instance, only 3.9% suffer from poverty in Bavaria , while 15.2% of Berlin 's inhabitants are poor. Families that are headed by a single parent and working-class families with multiple children are most likely to be poor. There is an ongoing discussion about hunger in Germany. Reverend Bernd Siggelkow, founder of

1488-483: Is up from only one in seventy-five in 1965. War also plays an important role in disturbing the economic status of a country by using money that was intended for welfare. So-called "problem neighborhoods" exist in many countries. These neighborhoods tend to have a high drop-out rate from secondary school, and children growing up in these neighborhoods have a low probability of going to college compared to children who grow up in other neighborhoods. Abuse of alcohol and drugs

1550-537: The Apostles' Creed and Nicene Creed and to subscribe to a statement of faith, which explicitly proclaims exclusive salvation in Jesus Christ and denounces extramarital sexual activity or encouragement of the same. Other than those requirements for membership, the EA considers each local congregation as a "complete church" that possess all of the rights and responsibilities of the Universal Church as bestowed upon it by

1612-593: The Berlin -based soup kitchen "Die Arche," claimed that many German children go hungry each day. He blamed the lack of jobs, low welfare payments, and parents who were drug-addicted or mentally ill. Siggelkow has been criticized by some people who said there was no hunger in Germany. SPD politician and board member of the German central bank , Thilo Sarrazin , said it was possible to live on welfare without going hungry if one did not buy fast food and cooked from scratch instead. He

1674-591: The Congregational Christian Churches. The EA began in 1998 from meetings between the clergy of First Protestant Church in New Braunfels, Texas and St. John's Evangelical Protestant Church in Cullman, Alabama , two large UCC congregations of Evangelical and Reformed ( German Protestant) heritage. A core group resulting from interested churches of like mind brought about this initiative to provide

1736-535: The Holy Spirit and set forth in God's Word. Each local church has the right to govern its own affairs, including the right to ordain its own clergy. Local churches ordain in a manner similar to other Congregational bodies, through ecclesiastical councils made up of area ecumenical Christian clergy who review candidates who have completed either a Bible college or seminary education. The combination of creedal subscription on

1798-451: The Institute for Religion and Democracy . However, the BWF has published a documented rebuttal of the charges made by UCC President John Thomas and other UCC leaders, asserting that its founding and continued activities have been buttressed solely by ordinary clergy and laypeople of the UCC and not by external interests. Numerous congregations, some affiliated with the BWF, have decided, since

1860-473: The conditions in which prisoners are forced to live . Hate crimes are a social problem in the United States because they directly marginalize and target specific groups of people or specific communities based on their identities. Hate crimes can be committed as the result of hate-motivated behaviour, prejudice, and intolerance due to sexual orientation, gender expression, biological sex, ethnicity, race, religion, disability, or any other identity. Hate crimes are

1922-530: The 1950s). Education is unarguably the most important factor in a person's success in society. As a result, social problems can be raised by the unequal distribution of funding between public schools, such as that seen in the United States. The weak organizational policy in the place and the lack of communication between public schools and the federal government have led to major effects on the future generation . Public schools that do not receive high standardized test scores are not being sufficiently funded and as

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1984-557: The 2005 Synod marriage resolution, to leave the UCC altogether. This accelerates a trend that has seen a rising number of congregations leave the denomination since 1991; some of these have joined groups such as the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference or the Evangelical Association of Reformed and Congregational Christian Churches . New congregations, however, have been attracted to

2046-478: The Association from 2006 - 2011. The renewal movement has presented seven resolutions to recent General Synods, four of which have been successfully passed in amended form. These include: Some leaders within the UCC have attempted to discredit BWF and other renewal groups by alleging that they are not sincere grassroots movements of conviction, but rather front groups for a politically motivated conspiracy involving

2108-524: The BWF affirm a statement of Christian faith known as the "Dubuque Declaration" (named for the Iowa city and theological seminary where it was drafted), as well as affirming the historic creeds and statements of the Protestant Reformation . The movement and its supporters declare that the name reflects its high regard for the authority of Scripture on matters of faith and morals. The Dubuque Declaration

2170-470: The Bible, especially on social issues . Several of these statements have included the " Open and Affirming " resolution of 1985, and the 2005 " Equal Marriage Rights For All " resolution. The BWF is anti-abortion , and believes the affirmation of marriage as between one man and woman only. Its primary focus, however, has been the renewal of the local church and the ecumenical unity of the mainline churches. David Runnion-Bareford served as Executive Director and

2232-413: The EA's current congregations to depart the UCC was that denomination's action at its 2005 General Synod to permit same-sex marriages. Some congregations that had been considering disaffiliation expedited the process in order to disassociate from national entities as quickly as possible. Nearly 300 churches withdrew from the UCC over a four-year period following the General Synod's measure. The denomination

2294-549: The Fifty-Plus " actively lobbies for reforming social policies. Several social issues have been prominent in the history of the United States . Many of them have waxed or waned over time as conditions and values have changed. The term "social issue" has a broad meaning in the United States, as it refers not only to ills to be solved but also to any topic of widespread debate, involving deeply-held values and beliefs. The Library of Congress has an established index of social causes in

2356-573: The Henry and Elfie Ginzberg experiment), individualized racism (e.g. racial profiling by police that is broadly defined by the Ontario Human Rights Commission), and internalized racism (e.g. first-generation immigrants and refugees). Social distance between whites and non-whites is a distinct aspect of the Canadian community that is identified through the isolation index. The anti-racism movement in Canada has borne aversive racism . It

2418-674: The Indian population, or about 276 million people, lived below $ 1.25 per day on purchasing power parity. According to the United Nation's Millennium Development Goal (MDG) programme, 270 million out of 1.2 billion Indians, or 21.9% of the population, lived below the poverty line of $ 1.25 between 2011 and 2012 (as compared to 41.6% between 2004 and 2005). The regions with long term terrorist activities today are Jammu and Kashmir ( state-sponsored terrorism ), Central India ( Naxalism ), and Seven Sister States (independence and autonomy movements). In

2480-503: The United States since the colonial era . African Americans in particular have faced restrictions on their political, social, and economic freedoms throughout much of United States history. Additional social issues India is ranked 75 out of 179 countries in Transparency International 's Corruption Perceptions Index , but its score has improved consistently from 2.7 in 2002 to 3.1 in 2011. In India , corruption takes

2542-410: The United States, the federal prison system has been unable to keep up with the steady increase of inmates over the past few years, causing major overcrowding. In the year 2012, the overcrowding level was 41 percent above "rated capacity" and was the highest level since 2004. In addition to being overcrowded, the federal prison system in the U.S. has also been at the center of controversy concerning

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2604-442: The United States. Examples include academic cheating , church-state separation , hacking , evolution education , gangs , hate speech , suicide , urban sprawl , and unions . Social issues gain a particularly high-profile when a new president is elected. Elections are often impacted by several social issues, with many social issues discussed during debates, such as rights for abortion , LGBT people , and gun control . In

2666-687: The Weight-Control Information Network, since the early 1960s, the prevalence of obesity among adults more than doubled, increasing from 13.4 to 35.7 percent in U.S. adults aged 20 and older. Today, two in three adults are considered overweight or obese, and one in six children aged 6–19 are considered obese. This disease gives birth to many other diseases and conditions like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, depression, obstructive sleep and different types of cancer and osteoarthritis . The food industry has been criticized for promoting childhood obesity and ill-health by specifically targeting

2728-518: The affected. Other conditions for which there is not yet a cure or even effective treatment, such as dementia , can be viewed as public health concerns in the long run. Throughout the life course, there are social problems associated with different ages. One such social problem is age discrimination. People often do not allow old people into high ranking position within their respective jobs because of their age, despite them having crucial experience and ample knowledge collected over many years of labour in

2790-681: The average time taken to secure the clearances for a startup or to invoke bankruptcy is much greater. Recently, a revelation of tax evasion ( Panama Papers' Leak ) case involving several high-profile celebrities and businessmen has increased the number of corruption charges against the elite of the country. India is a multicultural country with different social identities formed from varying cultural norms, religious politics, linguistic differences, tolerance to changes in economic orientation, barriers to qualitative education, and mismanagement of resources. The World Bank in 2011, based on 2005's PPPs International Comparison Program , estimated 23.6% of

2852-479: The child demographic in the marketing of unhealthy food products. The food products marketed often are deemed unhealthy due to their high calorie, fat, and sugar contents. Reduction of marketing of unhealthy food products could significantly reduce the prevalence of obesity and its serious health consequences. Former first lady Michelle Obama and Partnership for a Healthier America have proposed new rules that would limit junk food marketing in public schools. Hunger

2914-411: The form of bribes , tax evasion , exchange controls , embezzlement , etc. A 2005 study done by Transparency International (TI) India found that more than 50% had firsthand experience of paying bribe or peddling influence to complete a task in a public office. The chief economic consequences of corruption are the loss to the exchequer and an increase in the cost of government-subsidised services,

2976-458: The form of volunteering . Nonprofit organizations are often formed for the sole purpose of solving a social issue. Community organizing involves gathering people together for a common purpose. A distinct but related meaning of the term "social issue" (used particularly in the United States) refers to topics of national political interest, over which the public is deeply divided and which are

3038-401: The individual's duty to "allow the same rights to others as we allow ourselves." The failure to do so causes the creation of a social issue. There are a variety of methods people use to combat social issues. Some people vote for leaders in a democracy to advance their ideals. Outside the political process, people donate or share their time, money, energy, or other resources. This often takes

3100-431: The needs of the dependent aged within a systematic approach (e.g. trend of eldercare increasingly considered as a private matter rather than a public one and political leniency to "non-system" for elder care, as in the United States) and representation (e.g. non-representation of the stigmatized's oppressed voice to shape social institutions in ways that meet their needs). However, organizations like " Canada's Association for

3162-610: The one hand and the rights of self-governance on the other makes the EA very similar to Lutheran denominations, which reflects the Evangelical Synod heritage of some of its congregations. Otherwise, the polity is in effect almost identical to that of the UCC, which almost all the group's congregations once belonged to. EA churches recognize two sacraments: Baptism and the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion , which local churches are permitted to administer according to their own customs; like

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3224-583: The past, the Punjab insurgency led to militant activities in the Indian state of Punjab as well as the national capital of Delhi (e.g. Delhi serial blasts and anti-Sikh riots ). As of 2006, at least 232 of the country's 606 districts were afflicted, at varying intensities, by several insurgent and terrorist movements. Unemployment rates vary by region, gender, educational attainment, and ethnic group. A growing number of Germans are poor and dependent on welfare. In 2007, one in six children depended on welfare. That

3286-539: The renewal movements during this period as well. The BWF points as evidence to the soundness of its position to a study done by the Hartford Seminary Foundation that found approximately 26% of the membership of the UCC share the evangelical convictions expressed by BWF. Social issues A social issue is a problem that affects many people within a society. It is a group of common problems in present-day society that many people strive to solve. It

3348-549: The role of women, aging populations, gender issues, sexual orientation, unplanned parenthood , teenage pregnancy, child labour, war , inflation , wage inequality and many more. The face of Canadian poverty is described as racialized, destitute, and young. It is common among whites, aboriginal, and black people communities, and racial minorities. Additionally, racial minorities face both unemployment and underemployment compared to their counterparts. On reserves, poverty due to multiple factors has an exponential function. For instance,

3410-470: The same field or another field with the same requirements as the current one. Social inequality is "the state or quality of being unequal". Inequality is the root of several social problems that occur when factors such as gender, disability, race, and age may affect the way a person is treated. A past example of inequality as a social problem is slavery in the United States . Africans brought to America were often enslaved and mistreated, and they did not share

3472-409: The same rights as the white population of America (for example, they were not allowed to vote ). Some civil rights movements have attempted to and often succeeded at, advancing equality and extending rights to marginalized groups. These include the women's rights movement (beginning around the 1920s), the civil rights movement in the United States for African-American equality (beginning around

3534-483: The sense of cultural isolation normally results from a deterioration of economic, social, and health conditions compared to those living off reserves. Poverty in Canada has a self-perpetuating system, where the societal mechanisms ensure that the poorest Canadians remain poor. Urban poverty is showcased through a lack of low-income housing for individuals and families and increasing homelessness. The current prevalent forms of racism in Canada are structural racism (e.g.

3596-454: The subject of intense partisan advocacy, debate, and voting . In this case "social issue" does not necessarily refer to an ill to be solved, but rather a topic to be discussed. Personal issues are those that individuals deal with themselves and within a small range of their peers and relationships. Personal issues can be any life-altering event. On the other hand, social issues involve values cherished by widespread society. For example,

3658-470: The unhealthy climate for investment, political instability, and unprincipled ethics. The TI India study estimates the monetary value of petty corruption in eleven basic services provided by the government, such as education, healthcare, judiciary, police, etc., to be approximately Rs.21,068 crores . India still ranks in the bottom quartile of developing nations in terms of the ease of doing business and compared to China and other lower developed Asian nations,

3720-427: Was criticized by The Left politician, Heidi Knake-Werner , who said it was not right "if well-paid people like us make recommendations to poor people about how they should shop." Evangelical Association of Reformed and Congregational Christian Churches The Evangelical Association of Reformed and Congregational Christian Churches is an evangelical protestant denomination in the United States. It began as

3782-401: Was drafted in large measure by UCC ( Evangelical and Reformed -heritage) theologian Donald Bloesch . In 1984, the BWF decided to expand from its original emphasis on protesting national policy stands to offering alternatives to the UCC system for its member congregations, such as support for the training of evangelical (e.g., non- liberal ) pastors and endorsement of international mission work,

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3844-488: Was the so-called social question in the beginning of the industrial revolution . Growing poverty on one and growing population and materialistic wealth on the other hand caused tension between very rich and poorest people inside society. There can be disagreements about what social issues are worth solving, or which should take precedence. Different individuals and different societies have different perceptions. In Rights of Man and Common Sense , Thomas Paine addresses

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