Five misleading Untruths about the Federal Religious Discrimination Bill

“Would a Federal Religious Discrimination Bill (RDB) allow a nurse to say to a patient with HIV that AIDS is a punishment from God?

Would the RDB allow a disability worker to say to a disabled girl that her disability is caused by the devil?

Would it allow a doctor to refuse treatment to a gay patient just because he’s gay?

These are some of the claims being made about the Religious Discrimination Bill that’s before Federal Parliament. …”

– At The Gospel Coalition Australia Akos Balogh takes a look at some of the claims which have been made about the Religious Discrimination Bill.

See also:

Your voice needed on Religious Discrimination Bill – SydneyAnglicans.net.
Parliamentary survey open to all until Tuesday December 21.

Sunday Morning Encouragement

With thanks to Emu Music.

Does God Care? — from Quiz Worx

“Christmas is meant to be a time of fun, excitement and parties. But sometimes there is also sadness, uncertainty and worry.

In our mixed up world, do you ever wonder ‘Where is God when sad and bad things happen? Why doesn’t he do something?’

This Christmas, the Quiz Worx team are excited to bring you a brand new Christmas show called Does God Care?.

Using fun, animations and puppets we unpack the Christmas story from the Bible to show that ‘YES – God Does Care! …”

– If you haven’t already seen it, check out this Christmas resource from the wonderful Quiz Worx.

Statements on the nature and development of the Anglican Communion from the first Lambeth Conference to the Anglican Covenant

“The fact that the Lambeth Conference is going to be held next year means that in the coming months there will be much discussion about the nature of the Anglican Communion.

In order to provide a historical perspective on these discussions, I have decided to post a paper I first wrote in 2011 which uses primary sources to trace the development of Anglican thinking about the nature of the Anglican Communion from the time of the first Lambeth Conference in 1867 up to the issuing of the proposed Anglican Covenant in 2009. …”

– Anglican theologian Martin Davie posts the first of a three part series to give some historical perspective to the coming (and ignored by many) Lambeth Conference.

What to measure in church life

From The Pastor’s Heart –

“It’s time to review what’s happened this year and have robust informed conversations about what we will do next year. What won’t we do again? How we will do things differently? And why?

To make realistic decisions, we need to know what’s helpful to measure. And what isn’t.

Not everything that’s measurable matters. And not everything that matters is measurable.

Mike Hastie has been serving on the team at Newtown Erskineville Anglican Church, and is about to become the senior pastor of Toongabbie Anglican Church.”

– Watch or listen here.

Devotionals I recommend for a New Year

Tim Challies writes:

“With 2021 quickly waning, many of us are beginning to think about a devotional approach for the year ahead. Some are looking for a resource that will serve as the main component of their devotions and others for something that will be merely supplementary.

Either way, I’ve collected some of the resources I most recommend and hope you find something here that will serve you as you devote yourself to reading the Word of God in 2022.”

Sunday morning encouragement

The Night Song – another beautiful song, just out, from CityAlight with Colin Buchanan.

Driscoll, Schaeffer, and Packer on the Size of your Church and the Idolatry of your Heart

Just in time for Sunday, three thought-provoking quotes, via Justin Taylor.

He also mentions the excellent “Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome” by Kent & Barbara Hughes.

Photo of J I Packer courtesy Crossway.

Anglican Aid update on Relief Distribution in Marsabit

Anglican Aid (Sydney) has posted an update on relief distribution in Marsabit, Kenya.

Fuel for your prayers – and there’s a link to donate if you wish.

Moore Matters Summer 2021

Moore Matters for Summer 2021 is now available in churches – and you can also read it online.

Many encouraging articles.

The New Two Ways to Live website

If you’ve been waiting for the Two Ways to Live website to be updated to reflect the new printed versions, then today is a happy day.

(If you prefer it as it was, the old version is still online.)

Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World — Review

At his website, John Anderson has posted a review of Tom Holland’s Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World –

“Holland’s Dominion is already regarded as a masterpiece of sweeping philosophical history, grounded in a deep reading of the primary sources.”

Read the review here.

Confessing the Faith: The Place of Confessions in Church Life

“We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.”

“Our young church recites these words from the Nicene Creed when we gather in Vienna, Austria. For many evangelicals, such ancient traditions may seem either obvious or archaic, but our church recites creeds, confessions, and catechisms (henceforth just confessions) nearly every Lord’s Day.

So in 2021, in a largely unchurched and post-Christian European country, why make confessions a regular rhythm in church life? …”

At 9Marks, Kai Soltau and Matthew Short write of the value of Confessions – something Cranmer knew well.

The Latest Evangelical Convert to Rome. What Does Rome Have to Offer?

“I am not English, nor Anglican, but the story of the conversion of the former Anglican bishop Michael Nazir-Ali to Catholicism struck me.

He is not the first evangelical Anglican to become Roman Catholic, and he probably will not be the last. He stands on a tradition that has important antecedents like the conversion to Rome of John Henry Newman (1801-1890) and many more.

However, Nazir-Ali was a well-known evangelical Anglican who belonged to the ‘evangelical’ family and was a respected voice in that world.…”

– At The Vatican Files, Leonardo De Chirico, who understands the Roman Catholic Church better than most, has some reflections on the recent announcement by Michael Nazir-Ali.

Australian “conversion therapy” laws and religious freedom

From Neil Foster at Law and Religion Australia:

I recently presented a paper to a legal seminar which summarised the effect of three Australian laws on “conversion therapy” and their impact on religious freedom. The paper can be downloaded here: “Religious Freedom, Australian ‘Conversion Practices’ Laws & the Enforceability of Court Orders“.

Image: Diocese of Sydney.

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