Revelation TV fined for ‘Homophobia’

“Yesterday [Beware the Promises of Politicians] we saw how politicians who pass laws which go against Christian social teaching and then promise that of course we will still be free to express disagreement are not to be trusted. They are incapable of keeping that promise.

Today I want to show further where this is leading.

I have been suggesting for some time that the acceptance of different social teachings to those Christian ones upon which our society has been built – would soon result in the Christian teachings being banned. This was always vehemently denied. Now – as we saw yesterday this is well under way. …”

– David Robertson, at The Wee Flea, comments on what is likely to be coming soon to your Christian ministry.

Image: David Robertson on Revelation TV in 2013.

Trinity Western University loses before Supreme Court of Canada

“Trinity Western University, an evangelical tertiary institution in British Columbia, has lost two cases it had brought protesting the decision of two Canadian Provincial Law Societies to not authorise graduates of their proposed Law School as able to practice in the Provinces.

The reason for the denial of accreditation was that TWU requires students and staff to agree to a Community Covenant Agreement, which undertakes (among other things) that they will not engage while studying or working at TWU in ‘sexual intimacy that violates the sacredness of marriage between a man and a woman’. …”

– At Law and Religion Australia, Neil Foster provides his analysis of the decisions.

Related: Supreme Court of Canada strikes a blow against religious freedom.

Supreme Court of Canada strikes a blow against religious freedom

“The Supreme Court of Canada struck a brave blow on Friday for LGBTQ students who would be compelled to attend a proposed law school at Trinity Western University – a small, private, evangelical Christian school in Langley, B.C., whose ‘community covenant’ prohibits sexual relations except among married men and women.

That is to say, they struck a blow for nobody. …”

– Read the full article at Canada’s National Post.

From Trinity Western University:

“Until now, Canada has encouraged the rich mosaic created by the diversity of views, race, gender, and belief systems.

Sadly, the Supreme Court has decided that this does not extend to a law school at Trinity Western University.”

What is the Community Covenant? Read it here (PDF).

Then read this summary of the background to the legal case.

Image: Trinity Western University website.

New Archbishop of Toronto

While the soon-to-retire Archbishop of Toronto, Colin Johnson, is “personally opposed to assisted death on theological and religious grounds”, his newly elected successor, Dean Andrew Asbil, apparently has a somewhat different view.

From Canada’s The Globe and Mail back in April 2018, a story on a couple who availed themselves of Canada’s provisions:

“The Brickendens are at the vanguard of patients and families who are creating new rituals around dying in Canada – the kind of rituals that are only possible when death comes at a previously appointed hour. …

Dean Asbil prayed, while Mozart, Bach and Scottish folk songs wafted through the room. …”

Globe & Mail link via the Anglican Samizdat.

Photo courtesy St. James’ Cathedral, Toronto.

When the Content Police came for the Babylon Bee

“Facebook has always been the main source of traffic to my websites. When I started out, I was just excited that so many people were reading my stuff – I wasn’t worried about the implications of it all.

The first hint I got that something troubling was afoot was in November 2015 …“

– Adam Ford, who has just sold The Babylon Bee to focus on his new website, Christian Daily Reporter, says “it’s time to push back”.

‘Embrace pluralism’ — Gippsland Bishop-elect

“Bishop-elect Richard Treloar says Anglicans can offer the wider world a more relational understanding of truth as an alternative to binary thinking that accentuates differences …”

– The Bishop-elect of the Diocese of Gippsland speaks to The Melbourne Anglican about his ‘inclusive’ thinking.

Related: New Bishop for Gippsland.

Colorado Wedding Cake Baker wins before US Supreme Court

“In Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd v Colorado Civil Rights Commission … the US Supreme Court by 7-2 overturned previous decisions against a Christian cake maker, Jack Phillips, who had declined to make a wedding cake for a same sex wedding. While the basis of the decision of the majority is fairly narrow, the outcome is clearly correct, and even in the narrow reasons offered by Justice Kennedy, there are a number of important affirmations which support religious freedom.

I have commented previously on cases which involve a claim that a cake maker or other “wedding industry professional” should not be allowed to decline to devote their artistic skills to the celebration of a relationship their religion tells them is wrong … But the Masterpiece decision is the first time such a case has made its way to the final appellate court in a common law jurisdiction, and for that reason is particularly important.”

– Assoc. Professor Neil Foster comments at Law and Religion Australia.

Response by former UCA President to Uniting Church Same-Sex Marriage Proposal

In July, the Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia will vote on a proposal, brought by the Assembly Standing Committee, to change the doctrine of marriage and understanding of marriage within the UCA to be for any ‘two people’. Many see this as a ‘make or break’ moment for the UCA.

Dr. James Haire, ninth President of the Uniting Church in Australia, has published his response to the proposals. Quite apart from Biblical reasons to oppose them, he believes they would make it impossible for the Uniting Church in Australia to continue to exist according to its founding documents:

“The final sentence of Paragraph 2 of the Basis of Union (Of the Whole Church) states: ‘The Uniting Church declares its desire to enter more deeply into the faith and mission of the Church in Australia, by working together and seeking union with other Churches’ …

proposals (b), (c)(ii) and (d).1 are likely to cause further fracturing of relations between the UCA and other Churches in Australia, and certainly are likely to go against any moves to seek ‘union with other Churches’.”

Read it all here. (PDF file.)

And, from Peter Bentley, National Director of the Assembly of Confessing Congregations within the Uniting Church in Australia:

“In a nutshell, my view is that the adoption of the proposals would make the Uniting Church cease to be the Uniting Church as we know it, even it still has the legal name. … The grand experiment of ‘Uniting’ that was begun in 1977 as a church movement that was not ‘its own denomination’, but part of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church would simply be no more.”

– Read this, and related articles, in the June 2018 edition (PDF file) of Confessing Congregations’ magazine “ACCatalyst”. (Photo: ACC.)

‘Melbourne Anglican church and clergy take part in same-sex wedding’ — report

“davidould.net has received video and photos from a same-sex wedding that took place on 12 May 2018 and involved a number of licensed Anglican ministers. …”

– A report from David Ould, who is seeking clarification on what took place on a Baptist church property in inner-city Melbourne.

The Irish Vote

“The world’s press are reporting expressions of relief and rejoicing all over Ireland since the vote on legalizing abortion. It is seen as a victory for justice and the right of women to control their own bodies. …

… it might be helpful to spell out what exactly is to be repealed as a result of the referendum vote. Article 40.3.3 of the Irish Constitution …

The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right.

The fact that the repeal of this provision in the Irish constitution was the immediate subject of the referendum frames the entire discussion in a different and highly significant way.”

– Read the full article by Dr. Mark Thompson at Theological Theology.

Image: togetherforyes.ie

Religious Freedom amendments introduced in NSW

On Friday “the Rev the Hon Fred Nile, for the Christian Democrat Party, introduced a Bill to add “religious beliefs or religious activities” into NSW legislation as a prohibited ground of discrimination. The proposed Anti-Discrimination Amendment (Religious Freedoms) Bill 2018 will add new Parts 3B and 5A into the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW) (“ADA”), making it unlawful in various areas to discriminate on the grounds of religion, or to subject religious bodies to a detriment. The proposals will also make it unlawful to penalise someone for holding views on marriage as the union of a man or a woman, or for holding the view that there are only two genders.

The CDP is a minority Party in the NSW Parliament, and the Bill is a Private Member’s Bill, so it is not clear whether it will be fully debated, let alone enacted. But it is an interesting and worthwhile proposal which may lead to clarity in the future on the need for changes to the law of NSW. …”

– At Law and Religion Australia, Assoc. Prof. Neil Foster summarises the provisions in the proposed amendments.

How free societies commit suicide

“In my first year as a university chaplain I was almost kicked off campus.

A gay-rights activist had it in for me, and for the Christian students I worked with. This gentleman didn’t like the fact we held to the Bible’s teachings (including on topics such as sexuality).

And the University authorities supported him, meaning I had to show-cause why the Christian student group and I should be allowed to stay.

(We managed to stay.)

It was a very sobering time for me. A wake-up call, in fact. …”

– Akos Balogh writes at The Gospel Coalition Australia.

Church of Scotland to moves toward conducting same-sex weddings

“The Church of Scotland has moved a step closer to allowing some Ministers and Deacons to conduct same-sex marriages in the future.

The General Assembly voted 345 by 170 to instruct the Legal Questions Committee to prepare legislation with safeguards in accordance with Section 9 (1A) of the Marriage Scotland Act. …”

– Report and image from The Church of Scotland.

Related:

NZ move prompts ‘deep regret’ in Sydney

“A move by the Anglican Church in New Zealand to allow for the blessing of same-sex unions has led to a strong statement from the Diocese of Sydney. …

At its first meeting since the decision, the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Sydney passed a motion which ‘notes with deep regret that the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia has amended its Canons to allow bishops to authorise clergy to bless same-sex unions’…”

– Read the full story at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Here’s the resolution in full:

Standing Committee conveys to the Primates of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia that it:

a.     notes with deep regret that the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia has amended its Canons to allow bishops to authorise clergy to bless same-sex unions;

b.     notes with regret that this step is contrary to the teaching of Christ (Matt 19:1-12) and is contrary to Resolution I.10 of the 1998 Lambeth Conference;

c.      expresses our support for those Anglicans who have left or will need to leave the Anglican Church in Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia because of its abandonment of biblical teaching, and those who struggle and remain; and

d.     prays that the ACANZP will return to the doctrine of Christ in this matter and that impaired relationships will be restored.

– Source, SydneyAnglicans.net.

All You Need is Love … ?

“Between writing a sermon and posting hilarious gifs from Suits, I watched a bit of the Royal Wedding on Saturday night. Of course—it was the sermon more than the dress that caught my attention. That’s no surprise—being a Christian, a preacher and having zero interest in dresses. What was a surprise was that everyone else focussed on the sermon too! When was the last time that happened?

It was also interesting to watch the reactions from fellow Christians on social media. ‘Great sermon!’; ‘Loved it!’; ‘I wish my minister preached like that!’ And then—‘Heretic!’; ‘Disappointing’; ‘Dangerous!’. How can fellow Christians have such opposing views when they listened to the same sermon? And what should we think about all this?

First of all, to understand the reaction from some Christians you need to understand who Michael Curry is. …”

– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Tom Habib provides crucial background for that sermon – and has some suggestions on how you can talk about it.

(Photo: Episcopal Church.)

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