A Canary in the Anglican Coalmine
“At a recent meeting in Germany, religious freedom experts from around the world warned of a climate of ‘increasing intolerance’ towards people of faith in Western nations. Anja Hoffmann, Executive Director of the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe, who was one of the organisers of the event, said:
It is very worrying that the peaceful expression of personal religious beliefs on matters relating to marriage and family has become the potential end of a political career or employment, or even the beginning of a court case … This is a serious threat to religious freedom and leads to widespread self-censorship among traditional believers in the West.
Australia is not immune from this slide into intolerance. …”
– Mark Durie, Senior Research Fellow at the Melbourne School of Theology, has republished this important essay on his website.
Written for Quadrant, and first published in the March 2025 issue, it’s a wakeup call for Christians and churches across the country. Essential reading.
CEEC stands with the Evangelical Alliance in calling for a ‘national day of prayer’ against proposals to legalise assisted suicide
“The Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC) has commended the Evangelical Alliance’s call for a ‘national day of prayer’ on Tuesday 25 March, against proposals to legalise assisted suicide in the UK.
CEEC joins with the Evangelical Alliance, CARE, the Christian Medical Fellowship, Affinity and the Christian Institute, in asking people to call on the Lord’s mercy and protection for those who will be deeply impacted should the law pass in Holyrood and Westminster. …”
– from The Church of England Evangelical Council.
J. D. Vance on Scotland – Some Lessons for Australia
“The US vice-president, JD Vance, recently caused quite a stir in the circles of the European and UK elites. His explosive speech in Munich may well turn out to be one of the most significant political speeches for decades. He has been accused of everything from being a fascist to a Trump stooge, but his speech deserves much more careful consideration, other than name calling and partisan abuse.
I want to fact check one claim he made in the speech concerning my native country, Scotland. This is also relevant to Australia because the same tactics used in Scotland are being used here – to undermine the pro-life stance and portray those who are opposed to abortion as extremists. …”
– At AP, the Presbyterian journal, ‘Scot-in-exile’ David Robertson fact checks the fact checkers.
Rob Smith: The body and the gendered self
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“As pastors we’re expressing leadership in our churches on gender and sexuality. We want to help our people think biblically – and yet with the culture moving so fast – it is an area that we feel ill equipped.
On today’s Pastor’s Heart we benefit from the hard work of Sydney Missionary and Bible College Theology and Ethics lecturer Rob Smith who has just published a reworked version of his PhD under the title ‘The body God gives’.
As transgender visibility reaches new heights, we explore its historical and philosophical roots, noting the pivotal cultural shifts since the ‘Transgender Tipping Point’ in 2013.
We outline the biblical stance on the sex and gender binary while engaging with contemporary philosophical debates.
We dissect the relationship between second-wave feminism and the transgender movement.
Our discussion ventures into the diverse theories surrounding sex and gender, distinguishing between non-trans, soft trans, hard trans, and queer perspectives.”
“Rob has done us a great service with this book.” – Dominic Steele.
Scotland: Pensioner Arrested for Silent Abortion Protest
“A 74-year-old woman has become the first person to be charged under Scotland’s new abortion buffer zones law.
The quiet, unthreatening pensioner was handcuffed and detained under new rules that came into force late last year, setting a 200-metre zone around abortion clinics in which ‘protests’ – including silent prayer– are not allowed.…”
– Report from The European Conservati . (Link via Anglican Mainstream.)
Living in Love and Faith — A way forward which holds us together?
Anglican Futures has been providing daily summaries of the General Synod of the Church of England, meeting in London. From Day 4 (Thursday):
“Next was the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) update, led by Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Revd Martyn Snow. He asked Synod to imagine a future together,
‘One church, with all our differences, or are we resigned to going our separate ways, mirroring society, where each person chooses their own truth?’
This is an extraordinary claim – a total reversal of reality. Surely, it is because some are choosing their own truth, rather than remaining under God’s truth, as revealed by the Apostles, that there is a need for separation?
He continued,
‘What we are offering is a possible way forward which holds us together, and it starts in the imagination, not the detail…’”
– Read it here.
Image from an October 2024 (now deleted) video by Bishop Snow.
Conservative bishops can ban same-sex blessings in their dioceses – they need to start doing this
“The Church of England’s turmoil over same-sex marriage continues.
With the resignation in November of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, the latest development in the long-running saga is another delay by the bishops in bringing in standalone services to bless same-sex couples – services that will closely resemble same-sex weddings.
How did we get here?…”
– Writing in Christian Today, Dr Will Jones, a trustee of Anglican Mainstream, argues that conservative Church of England bishops have been poorly advised by some to believe that they can’t stop same-sex blessings in their dioceses.
Image: Bishop of York Stephen Cottrell, speaking at the Church of England’s General Synod this week.
Kristie Higgs wins as Court of Appeal rules dismissal for free speech is illegal
Here’s a Press Release from Christian Concern in the UK –
“In a seminal judgment for Christian freedom and free speech, the Court of Appeal has reversed a ruling which defended the dismissal of Kristie Higgs from Farmor’s School in Gloucestershire for raising concern on Facebook about extreme sex education and transgender ideology being taught in her son’s Church of England primary school.
The groundbreaking decision, handed down this morning by Lord Justice Underhill, Lord Justice Bean and Lady Justice Falk, re-examines and re-shapes England’s law on religious discrimination. (see legal analysis in notes to editors.)
The dramatic six-year legal battle has been supported by the Christian Legal Centre from the beginning. Mrs Higgs, 48, was represented in court by barrister, Mr Richard O’Dair.
The ruling confirms that the Equality Act protects traditional Christian beliefs on social issues, such as opposition to the ideas of transgenderism and ‘gender-fluidity’ and opposition to same-sex marriage.
The authoritative judgment re-shapes the law on freedom of religion in the workplace. For the first time in employment law, the judgment has effectively established a legal presumption that any dismissal for an expression or manifestation of Christian faith is illegal. …”
– Read it all at Christian Concern.
See also:
Kristie Higgs wins as Court of Appeal rules dismissal for free speech is illegal – Christian Concern.
Amazon ends 4-year ban on Ryan Anderson’s book criticizing transgender ideology
“Amazon is reversing a ban on a book that is critical of transgender ideology and will now allow the work to be sold nearly four years after it was removed from the platform.
In a statement posted Tuesday about Ryan T. Anderson’s book When Harry Became Sally, the online retailer ‘concluded that we erred on the side of being too restrictive last time, and decided to return the book to our store.’…”
– The Christian Post highlights one example of how some things are changing.
Earlier: When Amazon Erased My Book – February 2021.
The Vibe Shift: What does it mean for the Gospel?
“All of the conservative ducks have lined up in a row. Did you notice? The cultural and political vibe has shifted? Have you felt it?
The vibe has turned against the progressive framework that sought to shut down voices it did not like, including orthodox Christian voices who wanted to speak about ethics. Yes the ducks have lined up, the vibe has shifted and we’re not gonna take it, we’re not gonna take it, we’re not gonna take it anymoooore!
Heady days for many people. It seems we are in for a long period of relative sanity in some areas of life that were previously either insane or being run by those who were. Or we are in for Armageddon, who can tell?
But let’s be positive. Clearly, as many a commentator has pointed out, the vibe has indeed shifted, and with strokes of the pen left, right and centre, the US President is not only changing the vibe in the USA, but across the Western world. Craven tech bros journey up to the new Jerusalem to pay homage.
What was once orthodox, or at least was declared to be orthodox to all and sundry, yet believed by far less than all and sundry, is being banished to the sidelines. …”
– Stephen McAlpine reminds Christians where our focus must be.
California’s End of Life Option: ‘An Awful Way to Die’
“ ‘Imagine dying without pain and suffering, peacefully, in a dignified, controlled manner, on your terms, on a date and at a time of your choosing,’ reads the advertisement for an information session on California’s End of Life Option Act.
To anyone who believes in God’s sovereignty, the last part of that sentence rings false. Even if a person does decide on suicide or assisted suicide, it’s the Lord who numbers our days (Job 14:5; Ps. 139:16). It’s he who gives life, and we’re warned against ending it prematurely (Ex. 20:13; Eccl. 7:17; 1 Cor. 3:16–20).
But the first part of that advertisement may not be true either. …”
– At The Gospel Coalition, Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra shares some details which are distressing but important to be understood.
MAID Canada Or KILL Canada? The Power of Words in Our National Conversation
“I propose that we who are opposed to MAID [Medical assistance in dying] stop using that acronym and start using KILL. Many people would like the government to provide free maid service; no one wants the government to kill them. The acronym KILL stands for ‘Killing Innocent Lives Legally.’ Many people still love Canada, so who can be in favour of KILL Canada?
One moment, how does KILL Canada help? Don’t people already know what MAID stands for?
Let me explain further. …”
– At The Gospel Coalition Canada, George Sinclair, one of the first ministers to join the Anglican Network in Canada, points out what MAID is really all about – and calls Christians to speak the truth.
The Gender Revolution — a new blog to go with the book
The authors of the book The Gender Revolution, Patricia Weerakoon, Rob Smith, and Kamal Weerakoon, have started a blog to discuss related topics.
The first post, Every Body Has Authority, by Kamal Weerakoon, is now online.
The book is published by Matthias Media. (It’s also on special at the moment!)
“There are times when I receive a new book and find myself saying ‘I don’t think we need a new book on that.’ …
Yet sometimes I receive a new book and find myself saying, ‘I’m so glad someone has written a book on that!’ …
The Gender Revolution falls squarely in the second category. This is a book that has been written to provide a biblical, biological, and compassionate response to the modern day gender ideology that has been flooding our world and sweeping away so many victims.”
Image: Matthias Media.
The Trumpet Gives an Unclear Sound
“ ‘Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?’ (1 Corinthians 14:8)
The reaction to the bishop of Washington’s sermon at the President’s inauguration tells us as much about the confusion in the Western Church today, as did the reaction to bishop Curry’s sermon at the royal wedding. …”
– At AP, David Robertson examines some of the reactions to the recent ‘sermon’ by the Bishop of Washington.
Image: Bishop of Washington Mariann Edgar Budde.
California drops all charges in Planned Parenthood undercover videos case
“California has agreed to drop all charges against David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt, following years of legal battles over the pro-life activists’ release of undercover videos showing abortion providers discussing the procurement and selling of aborted babies’ body parts. …
Daleiden was quoted in the announcement as saying that the settlement was ‘a huge victory for my investigative reporting and for the public’s right to know the truth about Planned Parenthood’s sale of aborted baby body parts.’…”
– Report from The Christian Post. This saga has dragged on for almost ten years.
Image: A 2022 billboard paid for by the Government of California.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…