12th July Resolutions

THE FAITH:
As a Christian organisation we exhort the members of our Orange Institution to uphold the Qualifications of the Institution which challenge us to live Christ-centred and Bible-based lives.
In an increasingly secular world the Christian message can often appear to have little relevance for many, but as Orangemen we pledge to live out our faith in Christ, remembering always that salvation is "by Grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone".
We are mindful that our conduct should be guided by wisdom and prudence and marked by honesty, temperance and sobriety, with the glory of God and the welfare of man, the honour of our Sovereign and the good of our country being the motives of our actions.

LOYALTY:
That we, the Orangemen assembled at Barnetts Demesne, Belfast in commemoration of the 318th Anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne do hereby reaffirm our devotion and loyalty to the Throne and Person of Her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Her other Realms, Defender of The Faith which was "once for all delivered to the saints". We appreciate and recognise her commitment to the Nation and the standards of service she sets as well as the example of her stable marriage to society. Long may she reign.
We hereby reaffirm our support for the Union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. We stand united with the Grand Orange Lodges of England and Scotland in calling for the positive promotion of the benefits of the Union for our peoples, and believe that only through the Union can recognition and respect be maintained and developed for those of all classes, colours and creeds.

THE STATE:
In this 90th anniversary year of the signing of the Armistice in 1918, we reflect on those many members of our Institution and the wider community who lost their lives in the First World War. Their loss has a special resonance for the people of Ulster.
We bring to mind all those members of Her Majesty's Forces who are currently serving in areas of conflict across the world, particularly in Afghanistan and Iraq. We recall today those many innocent victims of violence in our own land and call for just recognition of the suffering which they have endured. In a changing world, we share the distress of those millions of people who have suffered through the result of natural disaster in Burma and China. We commend the efforts of relief agencies and all those working to assist in those and other distressed areas of the world.
The republican movement has orchestrated a campaign of attacks on Orange Halls since 1989 which is still ongoing. We condemn all attacks on our Orange Halls and sympathise with those brethren, north and south, whose property has been damaged. As an Institution we have withstood much and will continue to stand firm for our beliefs into the future. We seek nothing more than civil and religious liberty for all and respect for our traditions and witness.
We continue to watch with interest the political situation in Northern Ireland and have reservations about the presence of those in government whom we would not see as democrats in the accepted sense. The ongoing dogmatic approach of some within the government causes us concern as we look to a better future for all citizens of Northern Ireland.