Freedom17 Conference – Religious Freedom in a Secular Age?
More relevant than ever. The 2017 Freedom for Faith conference in Canberra on June 14. Details here.
“Freedom 17 is a unique conference for church leaders, lawyers, policy makers and politicians to meet in Canberra and talk about the pressing public issue of religious freedom.”
And for a secular voice on some of what is at stake in western society, Andrew Bolt’s editorial from The Bolt Report on SkyNews Australia – “stopping the activist bullies is now more important than same-sex marriage”.
Margaret Court vs Sensible Evangelicals
“Margaret Court’s mistaken assumption, from what I can see, is that she talks to the world as if it should know better. It doesn’t and can’t, not because it doesn’t know better, but because it doesn’t know the one who is better – the Lord Jesus. …”
– In a long and thoughtful article, Stephen McAlpine in Perth considers the huge shift which has occurred in our culture, and how Christians can respond.
(h/t Tim Challies. Photo: Victory Life Centre.)
Church of Scotland Assembly agrees on apology to gay people
“The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has approved an apology to gay people for the history of discrimination they have faced in the Church.
Commissioners also approved a report which could pave the way to allow some ministers to conduct same sex marriages in the future. …
Professor Torrance told commissioners that the Church’s journey on the issue had parallels with the one it has taken on the ordination of women in the 1960s.”
– Report from The Church of Scotland. Photo credit: Church of Scotland.
Margaret Court Arena name change called for after star’s Qantas boycott over gay marriage support
“Martina Navratilova has joined calls for Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne to be renamed after the tennis champion said she would no longer fly with Qantas because of the airline’s stance on same-sex marriage.
Margaret Court, who is now a pastor at Victory Life Church in Perth, wrote an open letter to Qantas in yesterday’s West Australian saying she was disappointed that Qantas chief Alan Joyce had become an active campaigner for same-sex marriage. …”
– Contrary views no longer permitted. Story from ABC News.
Duty to Die? — ‘Australian Presbyterian’ on Euthanasia
In the light of today’s news of a proposed “Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill” to come before NSW Parliament (ABC News story here), the current issue (Winter 2017) of Australian Presbyterian magazine is particularly timely as it addresses the issue of euthanasia.
Article 1: Opening Pandora’s Box. Why Christians must stand firm against euthanasia. An interview with Dr. Scott Rae.
Article 2: A bad move. By Moore College graduate Dr Neil Chambers.
(In addition, Marylynn Rouse from the John Newton Project reflects on John Newton’s experience of God’s amazing grace.)
The issue is available as a PDF file at this link.
Abortion bill defeated in NSW Parliament
“The decision of the NSW Legislative Council to reject Greens MP Mehreen Faruqi’s extreme abortion bill is a win for both women and unborn children in the state, according to the Australian Christian Lobby.
The Abortion Law Reform (Miscellaneous Acts Amendment) Bill 2016 sought to make abortion legal up to birth, remove the rights of doctors to conscientiously object, and ban prayer vigils and sidewalk counselling outside abortion facilities or be subject to 12 months in prison or a $16,500 fine.
ACL NSW director Mark Makowiecki said the bill did not include any safeguards for women seeking abortion, nor did it require abortion practitioners to hold a medical qualification. …”
– from an Australian Christian Lobby media release.
And from Paul Green, MLC, Christian Democratic Party:
“We have received hundreds of emails and letters, including a correspondence from the Catholic and Anglican Archbishops. As well as support of over 55,000 people signing and promoting petitions regarding this Bill.
I also commend the work of organisations such as Australian Christian Lobby, Abortion Rethink, Canberra Declaration and many more for vocally standing against this Bill. Rather than decriminalising abortion, we need to review our attitudes and practices to ensure there are appropriate safeguards for the well-being of the unborn child, the woman, and others impacted by the decision.
We need to address the underlying causes and provide women with real alternatives to unplanned pregnancies that are not going to expose them to further harm.”
(both via e-mail)
Earlier post: Proposed Abortion Law changes in NSW.
Hotel hosting Christians targeted by ‘Safe Schools’ supporters
“A Melbourne hotel has been caught in the crossfire of debate about the contentious Safe Schools program.
Arrow on Swanston, in Carlton, had agreed to host an Australian Christian Lobby event last night with speakers discussing Safe Schools and gender reassignment.
Before the event, the hotel received harassing phone calls and online threats that called the ACL a hate group and condemned the business for associating with them. …”
– Report from The Australian.
Background: What is Safe Schools? – The Australian Christian Lobby.
Proposed Abortion Law changes in NSW
Update:
We understand that the proposed bills are likely to be debated this week – on Thursday 11th May.
Important news:
“Two NSW Private Member’s Bills relating to abortion may be debated in the NSW Parliament in the next month.
One in particular will completely remove any legal regulation of abortions in the State. It will also have serious consequences for religious freedom and free speech. …
This Bill was introduced into Parliament on 11 August, 2016, by Dr Mehreen Faruqi, Greens MLC. If enacted it would make sweeping changes to the law of abortion in NSW. It would allow the killing of an unborn child at any stage prior to birth.
It would impose a serious burden on the religious freedom of medical practitioners who have a conscientious objection to abortion. It would also seriously impede rights of religious freedom and free speech of those who would wish to protest against abortion near abortion clinics…”
– At Law and Religion Australia, Neil Foster, Associate Professor in Law at Newcastle, discusses proposed abortion law changes in NSW which, if passed into law, would have far-reaching consequences. (Emphasis added.)
Related:
The Australian Christian Lobby describes the first bill as “The Worst Abortion Laws… Ever.” and is one of the groups organising petitions to the President and Members of the Legislative Council.
If you wish to sign their petition, please note the important information to ensure it is acceptable.
Christians under siege, religious freedom inquiry hears
“A Melbourne IT specialist engaged to work on the Safe Schools program was sacked after privately expressing concerns about the contentious initiative during a staff meeting, with his employer later accusing him of ‘creating an unsafe work environment’. …
His predicament is just one of several cases of discrimination alleged by Christians or opponents of same-sex marriage that have come to light as part of the inquiry, which, in the wake of the Coopers Brewery fiasco, has heightened concerns about free speech and a growing intolerance towards traditional views.”
– Report from today’s The Australian.
Marriage booklets out
“More than 65,000 booklets discussing God’s plan for marriage in light of the current push for its redefinition are being distributed to Sydney churches.
The 20-page booklet opens up the question (which is also its title), What has God joined together? Jesus’ good message about marriage for Australia. The publication outlines the biblical view on marriage and answers some common challenges to that view in the context of the same-sex marriage debate.…”
– Story from SydneyAnglicans.net.
See above for Archbishop Davies’ video introduction to the companion website.
Michael Kellahan to be Reader in Religious Freedom at Moore College
“The Principal has announced the appointment of the Rev Michael Kellahan as Moore College Reader in Religious Freedom. This new position will see the College working with Mr Kellahan to address one of the most pressing challenges of the moment in Australia and many other parts of the world. …
Michael has resigned as Senior Minister of Roseville East to take up a full-time role as Executive Director of Freedom for Faith, a legal think tank that exists to see religious freedom protected and promoted in Australia and beyond. …”
– Read the full announcement from Moore College.
‘Win for parents as Safe Schools is scrapped in NSW’
Here’s a media release from the Australian Christian Lobby –
Parents will no longer need to be worried that their child is being taught radical gender theory after the NSW Government announced the scrapping of the controversial Safe Schools program.
This is a positive step for NSW and the government is to be congratulated, says Australian Christian Lobby. Read more
The Rainbow Ringwraiths
“Totalitarians and fascists have always sought to demonise their opponents, in part by marking them out from the ‘normal’ majority. They are clearly identified one way or another as recalcitrants, and treated accordingly. Simply consider how Jews fared as the Nazi regime occupied various European countries: being forced to wear a yellow badge in the form of a Star of David.
Millions of our young men gave their lives to fight these totalist regimes and to preserve our cherished freedoms. But a new totalitarianism is descending upon the West, and it comes in the form of the militant and totalitarian rainbow activists. …”
– Bill Muehlenberg at CultureWatch has more on the ‘voluntary’ wearing of rings to promote same-sex marriage.
‘A ring to bind them to their master’s will’
“Bosses at big companies like Qantas and Google have ‘suggested’ their employees wear black rings with a gap to show they support same-sex marriage. Or show that they have a future at their company, perhaps, because it’s not quite clear how this push for ‘tolerance’ quite works now. …”
– Andrew Bolt reports on a concerning move — Herald Sun.
More:
Firms ring in campaign for marriage equality — The Australian.
“Qantas staff and cabin crew would wear them, he said, while Google Australia has also provided rings for its 1300 staff to wear. ‘Our goal is to build momentum around the issue of marriage equality and spark those conversations about acceptance,’ Mr McDonagh said.
The move is likely to fire up the debate about the role of corporations as lobbyists for contentious social causes, which has attracted criticism from some conservative politicians and religious leaders in light of the recent public hounding of brewer Coopers into pledging support for Australian Marriage Equality.”
Airbnb calls for marriage equality — AdNews.
“Launched with support from some of Australia’s biggest brands including Qantas, Google, ANZ bank and eBay, and in collaboration with The Equality Campaign, ‘Until We All Belong’ marks the most public corporate declaration for marriage equality in Australia to date.”
Image: AdNews.
Anglican Archbishop Glenn Davies slams same-sex marriage activists
“The Anglican Archbishop of Sydney has branded radical same-sex marriage campaigners as a ‘barge of bullies’ who are swamping the public debate with an ‘introspective, authoritarian denial of free speech’.
Writing in The Australian today, Glenn Davies says the corporate world in Australia has been ‘press-ganged’ into supporting marriage equality and backing diversity by gay activists. ‘What kind of diversity is so monochrome that it does not allow differing expressions of opinion in the debate?’ he says. ‘This narrow-minded, freedom-restricting carping is what the same-sex marriage campaign has come to.’…”
– Story from The Australian.
Here is an excerpt from Archbishop Davies’ piece –
“There is only one upside from the recent attacks and unprecedented abuse directed at an academic and the directors of Christian organisations: people are beginning to wake up and take notice. They are starting to understand that the campaign for same-sex marriage is not sailing on a raft of rainbows but on a barge of bullies.
Last week there was the IBM executive whose position was questioned because he was a director of the Lachlan Macquarie Institute. He was the subject of attack in his previous employment as well.
Then there was the Christian academic who had not even entered the same-sex marriage debate, whose university was pressured over his employment which, it was claimed, conflicted with its membership in the so-called Pride in Diversity campaign. What kind of diversity is so monochrome that it does not allow differing expressions of opinion in the debate?
Not only has this minority view tried to swamp the public debate with its introspective, authoritarian denial of free speech, it has struck at the heart of Australian democracy and the freedoms that we all cherish. …”
– Read the full article – on page 14 of the print edition of today’s Australian – or in their digital edition (paywalled).
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…