No replies to this topic

[Kilsally]

Independent Loyal Orange Institution Resolutions 2011
http://www.iloi.org/...ticleNewsID=119

RESOLUTION 1 - LOYALTY

We the members of the Independent Loyal Orange Institution assembled on the 321st anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne, return thanks to Almighty God for his preservation and deliverance in times past and for those who have defended our civil and religious liberty. Once again we declare our steadfast loyalty to the British Throne and Constitution and re-affirm our continued resolve to support and defend the Protestant religion, the Laws of the Realm, the legislative Union and the succession to the Throne in the House of Windsor, it being Protestant. We note with concern ongoing efforts to repeal the Act of Settlement of 1688 and call upon those in authority in our nation to do all in their power to ensure that the Act remains unchanged.

We assure the members of the Royal Family that they will always receive a warm welcome in Ulster. We also commend Her Majesty the Queen for her personal courage in carrying out her first ever visit to the Irish Republic.

We rejoice in the recent marriage of Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton, and we wish the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge God’s richest blessing as they embark on married life together.

We pay tribute to all those who are serving in Her Majesty’s Forces in Afghanistan and other theatres of conflict, and in particular we remember with pride those soldiers from Ulster who have paid the supreme sacrifice in the service of their Queen and country.　

RESOLUTION 2 – THE LORD’S DAY

As an Institution committed to the Word of God, we are greatly saddened and dismayed by the ever-increasing disregard for and desecration of the Lord’s Day at all levels in our society. The Sabbath Day was given to mankind by God as a day of worship and of rest. It is a core part of our evangelical Protestant heritage and, properly observed, produces a wide range of physical, material and spiritual benefits to individuals, families and society.

We reject any proposals to extend the opening hours of shops or licensed premises or to encourage gambling or sporting events on the Lord’s Day. We remain concerned at the ongoing pressure on Protestants to work on a Sunday.

We urge our elected representatives in Westminster, the NI Assembly and local councils to do all within their power to ensure that the decline in the observance of the Lords day is not only halted but reversed, and that the rights of Christians are fully respected.

We exhort Christians to be diligent in their observation of the Lord’s Day and in their attendance at church. 　

RESOLUTION 3 – THE PROTESTANT RELIGION

In this the 400th anniversary of the publication of the Authorised (King James) Version of the Bible, we thank God for the positive and beneficial impact of this faithful translation of His Word on so many aspects of society. We reaffirm our unswerving attachment to the great truths of the Protestant Faith. We totally reject the false teachings and blasphemies of Roman Catholicism and remain resolute in our opposition to false ecumenism. As an Institution, we will “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness”. We trust that no attempts will be made by those in church, state and the media to demonise or persecute Protestants who, on grounds of conscience, are unwilling to attend the Roman Catholic Mass.

We note with concern that the Pope might visit Northern Ireland in 2012. Whilst we hold to the great principles of civil and religious liberty for all and have no desire to deny our Roman Catholic fellow-countrymen the right to see their leader, however the arrogant and unparalleled temporal and spiritual claims of the pope make it impossible for his visit to be merely pastoral or low-key. It will be hugely symbolic, both politically and spiritually, and we urge all Protestant churches and organisations to unite in dignified, lawful and spiritual opposition to it and to use it as an opportunity to reassert the truths of Biblical Protestantism.

Over one hundred years ago, our founding fathers took a courageous stand on the failure to inspect the convent laundries, and the issue remains relevant today in light of the ongoing scandal of child-abuse allegations in the Roman Catholic Church. That Church must not be allowed to remain immune from justice and there can be no hiding place for those who are guilty of vile crimes against children

RESOLUTION 4 – CONSTITUTIONAL

The Independent Loyal Orange Institution has always been constitutionally unionist and democratic in its structures and beliefs. We are alarmed that increasing numbers of unionist voters appear to have disengaged from the democratic political process. The right to vote is a privilege hard earned by our fathers, and we urge all unionists to exercise their franchise at the ballot box. We are also saddened by ongoing friction and divisions within the unionist family and urge all unionist politicians to leave no stone unturned in their efforts to heal the wounds and deepen bonds of friendship and co-operation.

We call on all unionist politicians to do all they can within the current political structures to ensure that our Protestant faith and way of life is promoted and protected.
Over the next few years, we will mark several very significant centenaries - the signing of the Ulster Covenant (2012), the Battle of the Somme (2016) and the formation of the Northern Ireland state (2021). We urge all in authority to ensure that these historic milestones are properly acknowledged and observed.

RESOLUTION 5 – SOCIAL ISSUES

We, the members of the Independent Loyal Orange Institution call on the Government at Westminster and our own local Assembly to ensure that Tuition fees for university students, if at all necessary, are kept to an absolute minimum to ensure that our young people can afford a University education without having to worry about entering the workplace with a large burden of debt.

We also call for the incomes of our pensioners to be protected from the ravishes of inflation by granting them regular and meaningful increases and also measures be taken to ensure their safety and security in their homes.

Resolution 6 - CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

As an institution we remember the persecuted church across the world and those who for their faith continue to face imprisonment and in many cases death. We call upon the government at Westminster and the European Parliament to intervene and place all necessary sanctions on those countries involved in such a breach of civil and religious liberty.　

Resolution 7 - THE INSTITUTION

We return thanks to Almighty God for the principles of Orangeism and place on record our firm determination to continue the noble work begun by the pioneers of the Independent Loyal Orange Institution in 1903. While we wish to maintain our distinctiveness and our witness, we desire to continue the development of fraternal bonds of friendship within the Orange family and welcome the continuing good relationships between the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland and our own institution.. We believe that unity within the Orange family helps to defend and promote the Protestant religion, the Union with Great Britain, our heritage and culture and our right to parade. 　

Our motto as ever is,
PROTESTANTISM NOT POLITICS, PRINCIPLES NOT PARTY, MEASURES NOT MEN.





This post has been promoted to an article