[DiggersRe: Occupy Faith UK - Pilgrimage for Justice

[mark at tlio.org.uk]

In response to message about Occupy Faith UK - Pilgrimage for Justice, 
please read the following:

From: 	"bewcastleminster" <reedmace at ymail.com>
Sender: 	TheLandIsOurs at yahoogroups.com
Subject: 	[TheLandIsOurs] Re: Religion believes and encourages 
systemic theft
Date: 	Sun, 20 May 2012 17:44:57 -0000
To: 	TheLandIsOurs at yahoogroups.com
	
  
There is an issue here in that the Church Commissioners are the single 
largest landowner in the UK. Most of this land is agricultural in the 
form of tenant farms. The income from these farms, along with that 
from stock-market investments, is what goes to sustain the vast 
majority of paid ministry of the Church of England, without which such 
ministry just could not happen. (Contrary to much popular opinion most 
dioceses in the CoE are broke, and collapsing. In my diocese in rural 
areas, most vicars have to look after 7-8 parishes just because there 
is no money for each to have their own, as in Victorian times to 
1950s.)

However, there is no moral interest either in the land they 'own' or 
how it is cared for or used. This is a problem.

I have written to the Archbishop of Canterbury about this and, while 
he is deeply sympathetic, has no power to change the situation. It 
remains an issue, but like much in the CoE, will take time and much 
persistence to overcome.

However, it is not quite fair to say religion encourages systematic 
theft. One of the priorities here in Cumbria (Diocese of Carlisle) is 
to find a way of returning to the land as part of our understanding of 
how to be human. We are presently looking at purchasing a farm on 
which to base a small community as a replacement for the existing 
system of vicar in a vicarage in a parish. This is actually about 
returning to the land, not as a possession, but seeing ourselves as 
spirit-enlivened soil, for which we are to care and share, and through 
which we are to live and receive healing.

In earlier times it was actually the Church that taught people how to 
look after the land, animal husbandry, provided hospitality and 
hospitals, places of learning and safety from much of the violence 
around. And this was all land-based.

There is much more that could (and should) be said on this, and while 
it is true that the present institutional structures are an obstacle, 
they have not always been so, and need not always be. As I hope we are 
trying to demonstrate.

See www.bewcastleminster.org.uk

Rob

On Tue, 22 May 2012 07:29:39 +0100
  Mark Barrett <marknbarrett at googlemail.com> wrote:
> This starts on June 7 fyi / in case you missed this from Tanya <
> jimimyhero at hotmail.co.uk>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Dear Fellow Occupiers
> 
> Just wanted to invite you to see if any Occupiers wish to join us 
>walking
> a Pilgrimage for Justice to Canterbury from London. The intention is 
>to
> stay in urban areas to engage in conversations with the local 
>communities
> about Occupy, as well as listen to their concerns about the economic
> crisis. This is an outreach that we are attempting, although is is 
>being
> done through the Occupy Faith working group, which is also 
>autonomous, but
> affiliated and supported be Occupy Faith in the USA, as OWS put us 
>into
> contact with them. In addition, anyone from your Occupations is 
>welcome to
> join us or to start their own Occupy Faith and we'd help in doing so 
>if
> anyone is interested.
> 
> Please forward our website to anyone who may be interested and if 
>you have
> any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us. 
>occupyfaith.org.uk
> 
> --
> Apathy is Dead !
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/solarider/5254770064/#/photos/solarider/5254770064/lightbox/