‘An expression of love for same-sex attracted people’

“This past week I was part of an effort that put America’s theological and moral fault lines fully in view. I was a signer of something called the Nashville Statement, a document adopted by a group of evangelical Christians seeking to reaffirm traditional Christian values on sexuality.

Within hours, the vitriol in response to our document showed why such clarification is necessary. …”

— The Washington Post has published this opinion piece by Albert Mohler.

The Bee Explains: What Is The Nashville Statement? — The Babylon Bee (Satire.)

John Chapman Preaching Conference, September 23

The next John Chapman Preaching Conference is coming up at Moore College on Saturday 23rd September.

Dr Bryan Chapell is considering the topic Application in Expository Preaching.

Details from the College.

Campaign to deregister doctor in ‘No’ TV ad

“Supporters of the Yes campaign for same-sex marriage have launched a bid to deregister a doctor who appeared in the first television advertisement for the No case in a move that threatens other practitioners.

Since appearing as one of three mothers in the Marriage Coalition advertisement, Pansy Lai, a GP in northern Sydney, has been subject to a petition organised by GetUp! seeking her deregistration…”

– Report from The Australian (subscription), via the Herald-Sun.

(Image courtesy Michael Smith News, who also has details of the petition.)

Update: Petition removed — ABC News.

Fascinating Political Times

“I had the good fortune of reading Eric Metaxas’ biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer in my holidays.

In a vacuum of leadership Metaxas writes, ‘…the German people clamoured for order and leadership. But it was as though in the babble of their clamouring, they had summoned the devil himself…’

Nations can do that when good people do nothing. Without even realising, with a little slumber, a folding of the hands you can allow the summoning of a devil that has a nation reap the whirlwind. …”

– Rick Lewers, Bishop of Armidale, writes of the disarray our nation is facing. Where can stability and hope be found?

Mr Eternity: The Story of Arthur Stace

The forthcoming book, Mr Eternity: The Story of Arthur Stace, by Roy Williams and Elizabeth Meyers, is now available for pre-order from The Bible Society.

It’s expected to be published at the end of October.

Praying Together for Marriage

Archbishop Glenn Davies has written a prayer for marriage, and is also calling on Anglican churches in Sydney to pray.

The prayer was was printed in Southern Cross, September 2017, and we reproduce it here with permission: Read more

Fathers’ Day ad pulled: Too ‘political’

“Here’s the militant new world forced on us by activists against the traditional definition of marriage – where even the word “dad” is a political statement.

More will come, of course, as traditional marriage is deemed by law to be oppressively restrictive …”

– Story from The Herald-Sun.

“Why I will vote No.” — Rev Neil Chambers

“… These are all the reasons why I will vote, and why I will vote no to same sex marriage. In the end, I do not believe it is love of neighbour to endorse and normalize a practice [same sex sexual activity] God calls sin.

But these reasons will not be the substance of my conversations. The root problem is idolatry, in this case the idolatrous claim to be able to remake humanity in our own wisdom while we reject the Creator, the worship of our autonomy. The conversation I want to have is about Jesus – that He is Lord, that He loves us and can be trusted to tell us what is best for us, and that He will be our judge at the last day.

So, when you are talking to others don’t get lost in having arguments about the consequences of the change, or about the fears you may have about the change. Be honest – tell them that you think Jesus can be trusted and the life of human flourishing is found in following Him.

Our goal is not to win an argument, but to commend a Saviour. And He will be Lord whatever way the vote goes, in the plebiscite and in parliament.”

– These are the concluding paragraphs of a pastoral article written by the Rev Neil Chambers to his congregation in Melbourne.

Be sure to read it all.

Neil Foster on the Media release from the Wilberforce Foundation

“In the ongoing debates about same sex marriage in Australia (shortly to be the subject of a voluntary postal survey conducted by the Australia Bureau of Statistics, if it survives a High Court challenge), a number of professional organisations have decided to weigh in, in support of the ‘Yes’ vote.

The most recent such statement was issued by a combination of lawyers and doctors (see a press report of August 19 here, and the full text of the joint statement, by the NSW Bar Association president Arthur Moses, president of the Law Society of NSW Pauline Wright, and president of the NSW division of the Australian Medical Association Brad Frankum, is here.)

A number of lawyers around Australia, myself included, were concerned that this statement was not made after consultation with members of the various organisations, and in fact was misleading precisely at the point where one would expect a statement from lawyers to be accurate, in its statements about the law. …

Finally, speaking of a lack of consultation, as I prepare this post I see that WordPress seems to have decided to add a “rainbow banner” to the top of my page, without asking me if I would like such.”

– Associate Professor Neil Foster gives some background to the Wilberforce Foundation, and the Media release they have issued (PDF file).

(The header seen by WordPress users who are logged in to wordpress.com.)

City of Sydney launches ‘vote yes’ campaign

“To support same-sex marriage, 260 rainbow ‘vote yes’ banners will be flown across the city [of Sydney] following unanimous support from Labor, Liberals and Greens.

The council voted to give $110,000 to the cause.

As well as flags, the city will send mail outs to encourage a ‘yes’ vote and promote ‘yes’ campaign activities through their communication channels. …”

– Story from ABC News. (Photo: Lord Mayor Clover Moore.)

Fallout in Australia over Lines consecration

Interesting developments ahead of next week’s General Synod meeting in Maroochydore:

“The Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia has asked the church’s Appellate Tribunal to offer a ruling as to whether its bishops may participate in the consecration of bishops who are not members of the Anglican Communion.

On 16 August 2017, the Most Rev. Philip Freier, Archbishop of Melbourne, wrote to the registrar of the tribunal stating he had received a request from the Bishop of Bendigo, the Rt. Rev. Andrew Curnow, supported by four other bishops that raised objections to the consecration of the Rt. Rev. Andrew Lines of the Anglican Church in North America by the Archbishop of Sydney and Bishops of Tasmania and Northwest Australia. …

Bishop Curnow, joined by the Rt. Rev. John Stead of Willochra, the Rt. Rev. Kay Goldsworthy of Gippsland, the Rt. Rev. William Ray of North Queensland, and the Rt. Rev. Allan Ewing of Bunbury, asked the Tribunal to address three issues …

While Drs Davies and Condie had kept the primate, Dr. Freier, fully informed of their plans and had had communicated with him before they acted, Bishop Curnow and his colleagues had not shown the same courtesy to Drs. Davies and Condie.”

– Report from Anglican Ink.