Can we remain silent? — a ‘Must Read’ post
From SydneyAnglicans.net, writing about a proposed bill coming before NSW Parliament,
“As the NSW Parliament considers widening access to abortion and forcing doctors to facilitate it – regardless of their conscience – two medical professionals urge Christians to speak out.”
‘I’ve been a doctor for 15 years and I love my work – I just love it. In general practice I’m in the privileged position of doing something I love, helping people and caring for them through all stages of life. …
if the Bill being considered by the NSW Parliament passes unamended … Christian GPs will be faced with the alternative of compromising either their faith and beliefs or their medical qualifications, and that’s a fairly nasty position to put people in.’
And this would be very good for congregations to know about / pray about this weekend. Image: SydneyAnglicans.net. Bold added.
See also:
Statement on Abortion Law Reform proposals – Media release from the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, 20 March 2025.
Doctors’ conscience protection under threat
An important alert from SydneyAnglicans.net:
The New South Wales Parliament is considering a bill to force medical practitioners to facilitate abortions, against their conscience.
At present, doctors can object and not take part in referring patients for abortion. But the Greens party has put forward a bill that would scrap that protection for doctors and force them to refer women for abortion in violation of their conscience.
The bill is designed to expand access to abortions, especially in rural and regional areas.
Christians are being urged to voice their concerns about the bill to MPs, with the Archbishop of Sydney and the Social Issues Committee of the Diocese (SIC), expressing strong objections to Premier Chris Minns and the Opposition leader, Mark Speakman.
The letter from the SIC, signed by its chairman Dean Sandy Grant, said many will find the measures ‘morally compromising’.
“Should these amendments be passed into law, many Christian health practitioners, services, organisations and hospitals may feel forced either to break the law, or to act against their Christian convictions, or else to leave their job to avoid both of those two alternatives,” the letter says.
“No government should put any of its citizens in a position where they are required to make such a decision. Furthermore, the proposed expansion of the categories of people eligible to perform abortions up to twenty two weeks to include nurses and midwives will increase the number of individuals likely to be faced with such an unjust moral dilemma.”
The bill is in the NSW Upper House with the option for MLCs to make amendments there, and if passed it will go to the Lower House, so there is opportunity for Christians to contact MPs of both houses to express their oppiosition.
Please share and check sydneyanglicans.net regularly for updates.
– Source. (Emphasis added.)
Image: Anglican Media Sydney.
“Hate speech” and religious freedom: Recent developments in Australia
“Recently there have been a number of legislative moves or proposals attempting to deal with issues around the area of ‘hate speech’. The term of course is problematic – we will try to unpack it shortly.
But the context, in Australia at least, is the shocking rise in the number of anti-semitic slogans and actual violence being seen in the last few months. Insults have been daubed on buildings and cars, fires lit at buildings associated with the Jewish community. And more recently…”
– At Law and Religion Australia, Neil Foster looks at what is happening in terms of Federal, NSW and Victorian legislation.
‘Religious groups split on changes to hate-speech laws’
“A proposal to criminalise hate speech in NSW has split religious organisations, with Australia’s peak Jewish body welcoming it as long overdue, but the Anglican and Catholic churches warning it could have unintended consequences of criminalising expressions of doctrine. …
Michael Stead, the Anglican Bishop of South Sydney, said his church was ‘deeply outraged and appalled’ by the spate of attacks against the Jewish community, but cautioned against the ‘unintended consequences‘ of such a law.”
– Report from The Sydney Morning Herald.
Image of Bishop Michael Stead courtesy of The Pastor’s Heart.
Religious Freedom and the NSW Conversion Practices Ban Act 2024
Associate Professor Neil Foster writes at Law and Religion Australia:
“I have prepared a paper exploring the operation of the NSW Conversion Practices Ban Act 2024 in relation to the freedom of churches and other religious groups to continue to provide teaching and guidance based on the tenets of their faith. The Act has received assent but will not commence operation until 3 April 2025.
Overall, the Act contains much better protections for religious freedom and the welfare of vulnerable children and young people than similar legislation elsewhere. But there are some areas where it is not clear, and it will require careful consideration by religious groups, as well those interested in so-called ‘gender transition’ issues even from a non-religious background.”
Explainer: NSW Conversion Practices Ban
Anglican Media Sydney has published a helpful explanatory post on the newly passed NSW “Conversion Practices Ban Act”.
See it out for an outline of what the law means, and how church leaders have responded.
Navigating new laws on Conversion Practices: A Pastoral Approach to Compassion and Legal Compliance
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“What is permissible and not permissible under new conversion practice laws in New South Wales – with Neil Foster, Matt Aroney and Michael Stead.
Sydney Anglican Bishop Michael Stead, who chairs Freedom for Faith and Living Faith, describes the new laws as the least worst that he has seen in Australia.
Associate Professor of Law at Newcastle University and author of the Law and Religion blog Neil Foster says the law is unnecessary, but better than has been implemented in other parts of Australia.
Professor Foster supports moves to ban oppressive or violent practices that are designed to change someone’s sexual attraction or impair gender identity. However, Professor Foster says the laws (which have a criminal and civil component) can go beyond those bad things to areas where a minister is explaining the teaching of the Bible and wanting to help people to live in accordance with the bible.
Acting Minister of Watsons Bay Matt Aroney says he doesn’t think the new laws will impact his pastoral practice. Matt wants to turn down the anxiety levels. He encourages to choose thoughtfully to respond to the people in front of us with the love and compassion that Jesus has.
Matt applies the principles of his new book ‘Renovated: How God makes us Christlike’ to caring well for those Christians experiencing same sex attraction or gender incongruence.”
– An important topic for ministers and churches to understand.
“Equality” bill — NSW Government Survey
From Freedom for Faith:
“The independent Member for Sydney, Alex Greenwich, has introduced his ‘Equality’ bill, which would significantly undermine religious freedom in NSW.
In collaboration with the heads of churches and a wide range of faith groups, Freedom for Faith has coordinated a campaign to call, write and meet with local MPs. We are also directly engaging with the Government and opposition on the future of the bill, and resourcing faith leaders in their advocacy.
The legislation has been referred to a Parliamentary Committee for Inquiry. The first stage is a public survey. We encourage everyone to participate, it will take less than a minute and help the Government understand our objections to this damaging legislation.”
The ‘Equality’ bill is a different piece of legislation from the ‘Conversion Practices’ legislation which passed a couple of weeks ago.
The NSW Legislative Assembly’s Committee on Community Services Survey is open until Sunday 14th April 2024.
Emphasis added.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…