Campaign to deregister doctor in ‘No’ TV ad
“Supporters of the Yes campaign for same-sex marriage have launched a bid to deregister a doctor who appeared in the first television advertisement for the No case in a move that threatens other practitioners.
Since appearing as one of three mothers in the Marriage Coalition advertisement, Pansy Lai, a GP in northern Sydney, has been subject to a petition organised by GetUp! seeking her deregistration…”
– Report from The Australian (subscription), via the Herald-Sun.
(Image courtesy Michael Smith News, who also has details of the petition.)
Update: Petition removed — ABC News.
Fathers’ Day ad pulled: Too ‘political’
“Here’s the militant new world forced on us by activists against the traditional definition of marriage – where even the word “dad” is a political statement.
More will come, of course, as traditional marriage is deemed by law to be oppressively restrictive …”
– Story from The Herald-Sun.
“Why I will vote No.” — Rev Neil Chambers
“… These are all the reasons why I will vote, and why I will vote no to same sex marriage. In the end, I do not believe it is love of neighbour to endorse and normalize a practice [same sex sexual activity] God calls sin.
But these reasons will not be the substance of my conversations. The root problem is idolatry, in this case the idolatrous claim to be able to remake humanity in our own wisdom while we reject the Creator, the worship of our autonomy. The conversation I want to have is about Jesus – that He is Lord, that He loves us and can be trusted to tell us what is best for us, and that He will be our judge at the last day.
So, when you are talking to others don’t get lost in having arguments about the consequences of the change, or about the fears you may have about the change. Be honest – tell them that you think Jesus can be trusted and the life of human flourishing is found in following Him.
Our goal is not to win an argument, but to commend a Saviour. And He will be Lord whatever way the vote goes, in the plebiscite and in parliament.”
– These are the concluding paragraphs of a pastoral article written by the Rev Neil Chambers to his congregation in Melbourne.
Be sure to read it all.
Neil Foster on the Media release from the Wilberforce Foundation
“In the ongoing debates about same sex marriage in Australia (shortly to be the subject of a voluntary postal survey conducted by the Australia Bureau of Statistics, if it survives a High Court challenge), a number of professional organisations have decided to weigh in, in support of the ‘Yes’ vote.
The most recent such statement was issued by a combination of lawyers and doctors (see a press report of August 19 here, and the full text of the joint statement, by the NSW Bar Association president Arthur Moses, president of the Law Society of NSW Pauline Wright, and president of the NSW division of the Australian Medical Association Brad Frankum, is here.)
A number of lawyers around Australia, myself included, were concerned that this statement was not made after consultation with members of the various organisations, and in fact was misleading precisely at the point where one would expect a statement from lawyers to be accurate, in its statements about the law. …
Finally, speaking of a lack of consultation, as I prepare this post I see that WordPress seems to have decided to add a “rainbow banner” to the top of my page, without asking me if I would like such.”
– Associate Professor Neil Foster gives some background to the Wilberforce Foundation, and the Media release they have issued (PDF file).
(The header seen by WordPress users who are logged in to wordpress.com.)
City of Sydney launches ‘vote yes’ campaign
“To support same-sex marriage, 260 rainbow ‘vote yes’ banners will be flown across the city [of Sydney] following unanimous support from Labor, Liberals and Greens.
The council voted to give $110,000 to the cause.
As well as flags, the city will send mail outs to encourage a ‘yes’ vote and promote ‘yes’ campaign activities through their communication channels. …”
– Story from ABC News. (Photo: Lord Mayor Clover Moore.)
‘Saying this Ad lies is a lie’
“Journalists and same-sex marriage activists claim the ad for the no campaign tells lies. But that is the real lie …“
– On SkyNews Australia, Herald-Sun’s Andrew Bolt looks at reaction to the first Coalition for Marriage television ad.
Related:
Fact checking the ‘No’ ad on same-sex marriage – ABC’s Triple J Hack.
Shorten blames Turnbull for ‘total rubbish’ TV ad from same-sex marriage opponents – SMH.
Not all Equality is Equal
“One of the central mantras of the campaign to redefine marriage is that it’s all about ‘equality’. We hear the language of ‘equal marriage’, ‘marriage equality’ and even the claim that homosexuals are, somehow, ‘second-class citizens’.
What are we to make of this claim? I think the key is to establish quite what proponents have in mind when they speak of ‘equality’. To get clarity on this question we should turn to the most consistent of those pushing hard for a ‘yes’ vote in the upcoming postal survey (notwithstanding their refusal to committing to honour the result). Here in Australia perhaps one of the proponents with most integrity in this regard is the MP Tanya Plibersek, member for Sydney. …”
– David Ould asks what exactly it is that proponents of ‘marriage equality’ are talking about.
(Photo courtesy of the website of The Hon. Tanya Plibersek MP.)
Related:
This short video tries the approach of logic.
“Let’s be clear. This isn’t personal. The people making the argument for same-sex marriage are our family, they’re our friends, they’re our colleagues. We love them and we don’t think they’re failures at all. It’s the argument being used to justify a change in marriage that is a failure. This isn’t personal, it’s logical.”
CBMW releases Nashville Statement on Biblical Sexuality
“The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW) announced August 29th the release of The Nashville Statement, an evangelical coalition statement on biblical sexuality. …
The statement, comprised of 14 affirmations and denials, addresses issues related to human sexuality, ‘in the hope of serving Christ’s church,’ according to the statement’s preamble.”
– Announcement from the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.
Read ‘The Nashville Statement’.
From the Preamble –
“Evangelical Christians at the dawn of the twenty-first century find themselves living in a period of historic transition. As Western culture has become increasingly post-Christian, it has embarked upon a massive revision of what it means to be a human being.
By and large the spirit of our age no longer discerns or delights in the beauty of God’s design for human life. Many deny that God created human beings for his glory, and that his good purposes for us include our personal and physical design as male and female.
It is common to think that human identity as male and female is not part of God’s beautiful plan, but is, rather, an expression of an individual’s autonomous preferences.
The pathway to full and lasting joy through God’s good design for his creatures is thus replaced by the path of shortsighted alternatives that, sooner or later, ruin human life and dishonor God. …”
Related:
In today’s issue of The Briefing, Albert Mohler commends the statement and gives some background.
He explains the huge importance of speaking clearly about such matters. He also relates some of the early responses, and how they demonstrate the worldviews of the commentators. Take the time to listen.
The Bible and Same-Sex Marriage: A Response to Robyn Whitaker and Amy-Jill Levine
“Christians seeking guidance in the upcoming same-sex marriage ballot will naturally turn to the Bible. But what does the Bible actually say about marriage and sexuality?
It can be confusing when there are so many claims circulating about biblical scholarship on these matters. However, the Bible itself is clearer than often claimed. The real question is not simply what the Bible says, but rather what we do with what it says.
Last week, the ABC republished an article by Robyn Whitaker, claiming to be a ‘summary of critical biblical scholarship on the issue.’…”
– ABC’s Religion and Ethics has published this response by Dr Lionel Windsor to claims published by the ABC last week.
Network Ten admits doctoring controversial footage
“Network Ten has admitted to digitally doctoring footage for a news item on the alleged spitefulness of the same sex marriage debate, digitally superimposing a homophobic image sourced online onto a stock image of a random bus stop. …”
– The Australian. (Subscription.)
See also:
Commentary from The Herald Sun. 28 August 2017.
Media Watch, ABC TV. 28 August 2017.
Screenshot of the stock image for purchase from Getty Images.
Constitutional challenge to anti-discrimination laws
“Two preachers subject to a complaint for preaching against homosexuality and same-sex marriage have launched action to halt the case on constitutional grounds, in a challenge that could invalidate state anti-discrimination laws.
A complaint against Hobart Presbyterian pastor Campbell Markham and street evangelist David Gee was accepted last month by Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Sarah Bolt. But the preachers have filed a Supreme Court application seeking to strike out the complaint on the ground the state’s Anti-Discrimination Act is unconstitutional…”
– Story by Matthew Denholm in The Australian. (Subscription)
Related:
I was born in a free country – Campbell Markham.
Why I fight for free speech – Campbell Markham.
Same sex marriage: Christian Lobby makes bias complaint against ABC
“A complaint of bias has been made against the ABC after a news presenter appeared to suggest gay marriage opponents had no right to cheer gay athletes, such as Ian Thorpe. …”
– Story from The Australian. (Subscription.)
Watch the full interview in question here. Image: ABC TV.
Archbishop Glenn Davies preaches on marriage at Moore College chapel
On Friday 25 August the Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Glenn Davies, preached in the Moore College chapel on the Bible’s teaching on marriage, focussing on Matthew chapter 19. Good to watch and share widely.
See it at the Moore College website.
Religious freedom and rights
Yesterday, 2GB’s Chris Smith spoke with Associate Professor Neil Foster, from the University of Newcastle, about the repercussions of same sex marriage and the necessary protections.
Listen here. (h/t SydneyAnglicans.net.)
Marriage redefinition: What does Romans 1:26-27 really have to say?
“Today, an article appeared on the ABC News website by Dr Robyn Whitaker, a lecturer in biblical studies at Trinity College Theological School, Parkville, Melbourne. The article is titled: “Same-sex marriage: What does the Bible really have to say?”.
Whitaker looks briefly at six key passages in the Bible that are relevant to the question of homosexuality. She argues that these passages cannot be used straightforwardly in the same-sex marriage debates, because they do not directly address the issue of same-sex marriage. She also argues that there are only a small number of passages about homosexuality in the Bible, compared to the many passages about other topics such as love and justice.
Close to the start of her article, Whitaker claims the following…”
– At Forget the Channel, Moore College’s Dr. Lionel Windsor examines a number of claims made in the article on the ABC News website. Read it all here.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…