qThe progeny of Dolly, the world's first cloned sheep, has raised fresh ethical questions for the Church of Scotland, a leading churchman claimed yesterday.
Presenting the report of the board of national mission, the Rev Sandy Cairns said: ''It might be a little fanciful to suggest Dolly is the possessor of hopes but her offspring, Bonny, has recently ar-rived on the scene and raises yet again the ethics of such issues.''
Last year, the Kirk overwhelmingly backed a call for a e ban on the cloning of human beings, expressing its strongest opposition, and urged the Government to press for an international treaty enforcing a global ban. The Kirk's science, regional, and technology project had continued to be an influential voice on cloning, said Mr Cairns, with more than 100,000 visitors to the project's website.
Later in his speech, Mr Cairns presented the assembly with hope for the future against falling Kirk membership. He said: ''Some 15 or so locations have been identified in new and growing communities throughout Scotland where communities of Christians seek to be the church.
''In time, they will require buildings but first they need to be gathered together as worshipping communities growing in faith and hope.''
qA motion calling on presbyteries with large shopping centres to consider establishing chaplaincies to minister to both workers and shoppers was approved.
qA plea for a worldwide Bill of Rights to protect Christian minorities around the globe was made by Pakistani churchman Bishop Mano Rumalshah.
He compared the plight of those in his homeland to that of the Palestinians who suddenly found themselves strangers in their land upon the creation of Israel in 1948.
qThe growing success of ecumenical co-operation was highlighted in the report of the Church of Scotland's committee on priority areas funding.
Convener the Rev Barbara Kelly told the assembly that this partnership would allow them to reach people in disadvantaged and marginalised communities they had never reached before.
The past 12 months, she said, had seen them move from fund-raising to active distribution of grants.
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