Religious Freedom Challenges for Theological Colleges in Australia
Associate Professor Neil Foster writes at Law and Religion Australia:
“I am presenting a paper to a seminar for senior leaders in Australian theological colleges, dealing with religious freedom challenges.
I comment briefly on some of the current protections provided, but also how those protections have been eroded recently, especially in Victoria (where amendments to the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic) which I previously commented on have now commenced.)
A copy of the paper can be downloaded here.”
(Image: Diocese of Sydney.)
African Primates chide the Archbishop of Canterbury and his Secretary General
“We note Your Grace’s statement that ‘Canterbury, or to be clear, the Church of England has not in any way changed its teaching on marriage or the place of sexual relations’. We doubt if this claim can be justified by trends and moves by the Church of England in regard to blessing of same-sex marriages. …
Right from the earliest Council in Acts 15, and other instances from the Epistles where there were reports of lifestyle in direct opposition to Scripture, there was no place where Christians were enjoined to continue to fellowship with the disobedient members of the Church. The admonition is to ‘Come out of them’ and ‘Do not be unequally yoked together’ (2 Corinthians 6:14-18).”
– In response to the letter from Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Secretary General of the Anglican Communion Dr Josiah Idowu-Fearon, to three African Primates about their non-attendance at the coming Lambeth Conference, the three Primates have replied in clear and straightforward language. Read their reply at Anglican Ink.
Photo: Justin Welby and Josiah Idowu-Fearon.
Being Who You Are: Considerations for Contemporary Dilemmas
Rob Smith concludes his series at The Australian Church Record:
“In my last article, I outlined the four biblical lenses necessary to answer the question “Who am I?”
Putting these four lenses together, I hope now to draw out four implications particularly relevant for our present time. …”
Unborn babies have taken another battering in Victoria today
Here’s a media release from The Australian Christian Lobby, 24 May 2022 –
“Commenting on Bernie Finn’s expulsion from the Victorian Liberal Party today, the Australian Christian Lobby’s (ACL) National Director, Wendy Francis, said,
“Abortions are only going to increase whilst pro-life speech is regarded as disrespectful, particularly when it applies to politicians who have the capacity to vote and change laws on life issues. Media reports indicate that Bernie Finn’s commitment to ‘pray for an end to abortion’ was the final straw for the Party who voted to expel him from their ranks today.”
Whilst, sadly, pro-life speech such as this will always sound disrespectful to those that don’t want to hear it, advocating for the child in the womb is perfectly respectful. It’s encouraging to witness a new, young, pro-life generation rising up around the globe.
“The Liberal Party of Victoria has seriously underestimated the impact this move has had on their pro-life conservative base,” Ms Francis continued. “It will be a tough journey for them to regain their confidence in the leadup to the State election in November.
“Freedom of thought, worship, speech and association are basic tenets of the Liberal Party of Australia. And yet, today, a democratically elected member has been expelled from the Liberal Party of Victoria for exercising these very rights.”
Church of Scotland ready to approve same-sex marriage as General Assembly starts
“The Church of Scotland’s General Assembly starts today with a vote on same-sex marriages, a call for a conversion therapy ban and the confirmation of a Declaration of Friendship with the Catholic Church in Scotland as the main points on the agenda. …”
– Report from Premier Christian News, Saturday 21 May 2022.
Earlier stories on the Church of Scotland.
Photo: Church of Scotland.
Passage of the ‘Voluntary Assisted Dying’ legislation — Media Statement
Here is a Media Release from the Anglican Diocese of Sydney:
————-
“Public Statement
The passing of the ‘Voluntary Assisted Dying’ legislation will be a matter of regret for our whole community, not just for people of faith who objected strongly or for the doctors who raised their voices against it.
Thanks are due to those MPs who sought to ensure there would be safeguards protecting vulnerable people, medical practitioners and others who care for those who suffer. Unfortunately, most of the proposed amendments were rejected.
This legislation affects not only those who will choose what is euphemistically called ‘Voluntary Assisted Dying’ but will fundamentally affect our culture and values.
We must be vigilant to maintain an emphasis on palliative care so that people have quality to the end of their lives and are not subject to undue pressure because of a lack of resources to support them in their suffering.
I hope the government will ensure that the scope of the bill and those to whom it is applied, does not broaden in the way it has done overseas, being extended to those who are not terminally ill and who suffer from a broad range of illness or disability.
Finally, pray for those suffering that they may be assured that everything will be done to preserve and promote their quality of life, and for medical staff whose relationship with patients has been fundamentally altered by these laws.
Archbishop Kanishka Raffel,
20 May 2022.”
Why is Canada euthanising the poor?
“Since last year, Canadian law, in all its majesty, has allowed both the rich as well as the poor to kill themselves if they are too poor to continue living with dignity. In fact, the ever-generous Canadian state will even pay for their deaths. What it will not do is spend money to allow them to live instead of killing themselves.
As with most slippery slopes, it all began with a strongly worded denial that it exists. …
Even before Bill C-7 was enacted, reports of abuse were rife. A man with a neurodegenerative disease testified to Parliament that nurses and a medical ethicist at a hospital tried to coerce him into killing himself by threatening to bankrupt him with extra costs or by kicking him out of the hospital, and by withholding water from him for 20 days.”
– Yuan Yi Zhu in Oxford writes in The Spectator (UK online edition) about the situation in Canada – which will get worse when changes come in 2023..
NSW’s voluntary assisted dying laws delayed as MPs fail to vote after marathon sitting
“Voluntary assisted dying is set to be legalised in NSW today, after a marathon debate in the upper house that lasted until midnight failed to produce a vote.
MPs spent more than eight hours debating nearly 100 amendments on Wednesday. …
The majority of the amendments were voted down during the debate, including the push to give aged and residential homes the power to block voluntary assisted dying taking place in their facilities.”
– Report from ABC News.
Update, 1:10pm –
“Voluntary assisted dying has been made legal in New South Wales.
The legislation passed the Lower House of parliament, after a vote to accept the amendments from the Upper House.
The Upper House spent 10 hours debating amendments before a final vote of support 23 to 15.”
(Image: St. Helen’s Bishopsgate.)
Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill third reading today in NSW upper house
“Independent MP Alex Greenwich says he is hopeful his Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill will be passed by the NSW upper house by midnight tonight and is pleading with MPs to not use stalling tactics. …”
– Report from ABC News.
Election survey probes parties on faith freedom
“A survey of political parties and candidates on their attitude to religious discrimination has revealed varying levels of support – and in some cases, no support – for measures to ensure religious freedom. …”
– Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net writes about the religiousdiscriminationsurvey.au website.
Related:
The Australian Christian Lobby (not associated with the Anglican Church League – we just have the same initials) has produced a page of “various documents and videos to help you make an informed choice on Election Day”, including this page where they share the answers given to their questionnaire in each electorate as well as each candidate for the Senate.
And not forgetting the call to pray –
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” – 1 Timothy 2:1-6.
“It is not my intention to interfere” — but Archbishop Carey writes from England to every Member of the NSW Upper House
“A former archbishop of Canterbury has written to every member of the NSW upper house urging them to vote for voluntary assisted dying this week in a dramatic bid to counter strong opposition to the proposed law from some faith leaders and MPs. …”
– Former Archbishop of Canterbury has written to all members of the New South Wales Legislative Council. “It is not my intention to interfere”, he said.
Story from The Australian. (Subscription.)
Related:
General Synod calls on MPs to oppose euthanasia – SydneyAnglicans.net.
How ‘voluntary assisted dying’ would change our culture and values – Archbishop Kanishka Raffel at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Many related posts on our website.
(Image: St. Helen’s Bishopsgate.)
Whither The Australian Anglican Church?
“This week the General Synod of the Australian Anglican Church has been debating what its stance is to be on human sexuality. A vote to affirm the church’s traditional position on marriage was strongly supported by clergy and laity but was narrowly rejected by the bishops.
A split is looming, but in this, Australian Anglicans are not unique.
In recent decades, Christian denominations all across the West have been dividing along progressive versus conservative lines. Anglican Churches in Scotland and New Zealand have been impacted by this trend. In North America, denominations affected by splits include the Episcopal Church, the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the American Baptist Churches USA.
The trigger in all these cases has been whether the church will endorse same-sex unions. However, the fault lines run deeper than attitudes to human sexuality. …”
He argues that ‘Anglican progressives’ have misread the theological landscape.
For some very helpful context, here’s a chart of Diocesan Representation at General Synods 1962-2022. Click the image for a two-page PDF file.
Table initially complied by Robert Tong, updated by Daniel Glynn 6 May 2022.
(Fun fact: The Diocese of St. Arnaud, mentioned in the table, was in the Mallee and Wimmera regions of north-west Victoria. It merged with the Diocese of Bendigo in 1976.)
General Synod calls on MPs to oppose euthanasia
“The General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia has reaffirmed its principled opposition to euthanasia or physician assisted suicide.
The strong statement came as the NSW Parliament considers a Bill to allow for such a practice. …”
– Story from Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net.
(Photo: James Levingston via SydneyAnglicans.net.)
Anglican General Synod votes ‘yes’ & in so doing discredits controversial Victorian Law
“While the bishops’ decision to block the motion on marriage is grievous, other and related issues have been discussed and decided, and these have ramifications beyond what the General Synod may realise.
Two motions have been adopted by an overwhelming majority. …
What makes these two motions interesting is that their application in the State of Victoria is illegal.”
– Murray Campbell watches the developments at General Synod from the State of Victoria.
Waiter, can I get some more ‘Anglican’ in this activism?
“In what sense is an Anglican school that rejects Anglican teaching in order to keep non-Anglican families happy still an Anglican school?
That’s the question Sydney Anglicans are wrestling with as opposition to Christian teaching on sexuality and gender grows.…”
– James Macpherson at The Spectator Australia responds to reported comments in a recent Sydney Morning Herald article. (Subscription, but several free views allowed for non-subscribers.)
Image: A sketch of Richard Johnson’s schoolhouse in Sydney.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…