Freedom18 Conference – The Limits of Religious Freedom

Freedom for Faith is holding their 2018 Conference –

“Join with lawyers, politicians, academics and faith leaders at the NSW Parliament for Freedom18.  Our conference theme is ‘the limits of religious freedom’.

The debates around marriage highlighted tensions between claims of religious freedom and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation – should religious freedom be curtailed by other claims to dignity and rights? How does freedom relate to security in our secular liberal democracy? Do we live in over-regulated times that are going too far in constraining civic freedoms?

Freedom18 is a unique opportunity to network with some of Australia’s leading thinkers and practitioners. In the contested intersection of culture, public theology, and law, we want to offer a platform for the best possible conversations. …”

– Read more about the Freedom for Faith conference to be held on Wednesday May 23 at NSW Parliament House.

FCANZ response to Motion 29 Working Group Final Report

“This is the formal response to the Motion 29 Working Group Final Report and Recommendations. The Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans New Zealand (FCANZ) is thankful for the opportunities the Working Group has provided the Province to offer feedback, and to some extent shape the final recommendations included within the report. …

The Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans has engaged fully and in good faith throughout the Motion 29 Working Group process. But, we repeat, if General Synod adopts recommendations allowing authorized services which contradict our existing doctrine and practice, many Anglicans will have been abandoned by their denomination and will have no alternative but to seek other ways of remaining authentically Anglican. …”

– The Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans New Zealand has released their response (PDF file) to Motion 29 Working Group Final Report.

When Facebook falls out of Like with your blog

“Sorry Facebook, it’s not me baby, it’s you.

Lots of people have fallen out of like with Facebook over the years, but when it’s the other way around, it stings a little.

So, Facebook, I’m starting to fall out of like with you – fast falling out of like with you actually – because you’ve fallen out of like with me.

Or more to the point, you’ve fallen out of like with my blog. You’ve gone all silent on me.  Don’t even talk about me to anyone anymore. It’s as if you’re ashamed of me. …”

– Stephen McAlpine in Perth has come to a realisation about Facebook.

Anglican cleric disciplined for entering same sex marriage

“The recent decision of the England and Wales Court of Appeal in Pemberton v Inwood [2018] EWCA Civ 564 (22 March 2018) upholds what was in effect disciplinary action taken against a Church of England clergyman, the Reverend Canon Jeremy Pemberton, on account of his entering into a same-sex marriage.

The decision is a sensible one which upholds the religious freedom of the Anglican church to operate in accordance with its fundamental religious beliefs. …

Since Australia now recognises same-sex marriage, there is now the potential for a similar case to arise in this country. …”

– Associate Professor Neil Foster comments on a development last week in the Church of England, and the possibility of similar cases in Australia.

J John’s Letter to the BBC

“Dear BBC,

I mix with many people in many different church circles and there is a consensus that the BBC has a problem with Christianity, to the extent that it is taken for granted that there is an ‘anti-Christian bias’.

I realise there are problems with this phrase, not least because it implies a deliberate and organised discriminatory policy which I’m not sure is actually the situation. Nevertheless, for convenience I will let it stand. …”

– Evangelist Canon J. John has written this Open Letter to the BBC, arguing that the BBC’s portrayal of Christianity is unfair and inadequate. (via Anglican Mainstream.)

UK Police allegedly investigate woman for tweets critical of transgenderism

“I’ve written often in this space that the trans movement will countenance no dissent in their attempts to remake our culture and implement their agenda in schools, universities, and beyond – but even I was stunned when the Christian Post broke the story of a stay-at-home mother of four being contacted by the police for making comments critical of transgender ideology on Twitter …”

– Story from LifeSiteNews. (Link via Anglican Mainstream.)

Sydney university lecturer cancels class in church for fear of LGBTQI offence

“University of Technology Sydney communications lecturer Dr Timothy Laurie emailed his students two days before lectures were due to begin saying class was cancelled due to ‘the suitability of a church as a venue’.

St Barnabas Anglican Church in Ultimo, inner-city Sydney, was a temporary venue the university turned to during planned construction. …”

– Story from Mail Online.

“Irrational and illogical” to believe that sexual orientation can never change: Federal judge

“A judge of the Federal Court of Australia, Justice Jagot, handed down a decision recently in which her Honour said that a Tribunal’s reasoning, based on the assumption that a person could never change their sexual orientation, was “affected by illogicality of the kind required to constitute jurisdictional error” …

The decision … was a sharp reminder that bureaucratic decisions must be based on evidence and not pre-conceived policy stances. The comments may have wider implications for arguments that are often unthinkingly presented about the possibility of someone changing their sexual orientation. …”

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

Two Churches Struggling with (Gender) Identity

“… the Free Church of Scotland and the Church of Scotland have both responded to the Scottish government’s proposals to allow people to self-identify as whatever gender they wish – without medical or psychological help and without having to have lived as the gender they wish to be for a couple of years. …

The Church of Scotland have… produced a 30 page ‘pastoral advice’  booklet which they have sent to every congregation. …

The trouble with this booklet is that it is government propaganda, promoting Queer Theory, with the blessing and backing of the State church.”

– Read all of David Robertson’s post at The Wee Flea.

‘Intersectionality, the Dangerous Faith’

“The demise of religion among American youth is greatly exaggerated. It turns out that America isn’t raising a new generation of unbelievers.

Instead, rising in the heart of deep-blue America are the zealots of a new religious faith. They’re the intersectionals, they’re fully woke, and the heretics don’t stand a chance. …”

– David French in The National Review.

Related:

Student mob smashes window in protest against Jordan Peterson – LifeSite. (Language warning in associated video.)

Wearing the Rainbow Badge

“Christians in Ancient Rome were regarded with deep suspicion.

In a nutshell, they did not attend the pagan temples or participate in their rituals and activities.

These were the centres of community. Participation made you ‘one of us.’ It was a seal of acceptance in society.

To walk away from it all was practically an act of subversion.

These people did not belong. They weren’t part of the fraternity. They were not part of society.

They were the subject of suspicion and rumour.…”

– Martyn Iles, Managing Director of the Australian Christian Lobby, writes this commentary.

(Photo: The Hon. Malcolm Turnbull MP / Facebook.)

Debate or theatre?

“I love our political process and I love the freedom we have in Australia to engage in it. There are many places in the world where old men cling to power without regard to the people. By comparison, Australia’s democratic governance is transparent, consultative and accountable. …

Last week I represented the PCA before the Ruddock Review Expert Panel – a panel charged with the responsibility of constructing an acceptable parliamentary legal framework for the protection of religious freedom in Australia. …”

– Presbyterian Moderator-General, John Wilson, reflects on his meeting with the Expert’s Panel, and encourages Christians to pray for Members of Parliament.

Slipping into the slumber of the Spirit

“Do you want to square an ethical circle? Then insist that holy matrimony can only be between people of the opposite sex, and, at the same time, approve monogamous, life-long sexual relationships between people of the same sex.

Very strange? Well, the argument in favour goes like this: …”

– GAFCON General Secretary Dr Peter Jensen asks when will the churches of the west wake from their slumber?

(Photo: The Pastor’s Heart.)

Will we be Free?

“Until last week, Sky News’ Paul Murray supported the same-sex marriage campaign.

But the goodwill is fading. Speaking on his nightly program, Murray conceded what we have always forewarned: rainbow advocates are now asking for all protections for religious freedom to be ‘blown up.’

That is, the scant protections that already exist. Not new ones.

Murray agrees that there are people in the activist parts of the rainbow movement who will force churches to marry same-sex couples and deny Christian schools the right to hire staff who share their faith. …”

– Martyn Iles, the new Managing Director of the Australian Christian Lobby writes about the battle ahead, and shares his organisation’s submission (PDF) to the Expert Panel on Religious Freedom.

Church Nightmare a Wake-up Call on ‘Tolerance’

“It’s absolutely crazy.” That’s all Pastor Jeremy Schossau [Metro City Church in Detroit] could say about all that his church has endured in the last several days. From shutting down their social media to being on a heightened security alert, the congregation of Riverside, Michigan never dreamed this much hate could exist over such a simple, Bible-based workshop.

“People have literally threatened to kill me and my family, to burn our house down, to burn our church down, to assault the people of our church and our staff.” … At one point, Metro City Church was getting 40 messages a minute. …

All Metro City church wanted to do was walk families through what the Bible has to say about the issue of gender and sexuality. And for that, legislators want Pastor Schossau to be formally investigated. …”

– A disturbing story from the Family Research Council. Link via the American Anglican Council.

Related:

Amid downriver church controversy, Michigan lawmakers propose conversion therapy ban.

Explanatory videos from the church.

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