Vocal NSW church leaders join anti-abortion campaigners

“Triumphant anti-abortion campaigners rallied outside the New South Wales Parliament last night, boasting they have the people power to ensure legislation to decriminalise abortion in the state gets voted down.

Their hopes have been buoyed by Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s decision to delay an upper house vote on the bill until next month.

Leaders of Sydney’s Catholic and Anglican churches and the Australian Christian Lobby urged the crowd to pressure MPs to vote the legislation down.”

– Story from ABC Radio’s AM.

Freedom19 Conference

Freedom for Faith’s Freedom19 Conference is planned for Wednesday 4th September at NSW Parliament House in Sydney.

Details and booking here.

‘Choose Life’ written in sky over Sydney as NSW Parliament goes into abortion tailspin

“NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has made an 11th-hour decision to delay a vote in parliament on a bill that would decriminalise abortion, appearing to cave in to the concerns of Liberal colleagues. …”

– Report from ABC News.

Betrayal of the Gospel of Life

“There are so many things that can be said about the passage of the abortion-till-birth bill through the Lower House last week.

We could talk about the ramming through of a Labor-Greens policy under the banner of a Berejiklian-Greenwich government.

We could talk about the ‘lipstick on a pig’ amendments that did nothing to make this evil bill any better.

Or we could talk about the chilling, cackling laughter from MPs that was heard throughout the Parliamentary chamber after the bill passed.

For anyone who heard it, the sound could only be described as demonic.

But I won’t explore those in any detail this week. Instead, I want to talk about two other aspects of last week’s debate that really struck me. …

It wasn’t only the MPs that were betraying the Gospel of Life (and the Gospel more generally) last week. Disgracefully, certain Christian leaders did too…”

– Monica Doumit, Director of Public Affairs and Engagement for the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, writes this opinion-piece for The Catholic Weekly.

The Lethal Corruption of Euthanasia

“Let me take you back 24 years to a moment of great significance during the first great euthanasia debate in Australia. It was a moment that crystallised the concerns of many that the so-called ‘right to die’ would come to be felt by the most vulnerable in our community as a ‘duty to die’.

The year was 1995, just before the Northern Territory passed its euthanasia law. At the height of the debate, our Head of State at the time, Governor-General Bill Hayden, addressed the Royal Australian College of Physicians on the Gold Coast about why he supported euthanasia …”

– Toowoomba GP, and university lecturer in palliative medicine, David van Gend writes in Quadrant.

MPs urged to ‘Care for the most vulnerable’

“Archbishop Glenn Davies has told a State Parliamentary inquiry that the catchcry of new legislation has been ‘decriminalisation’ but skates over the details that it radically extends abortion in New South Wales.

Abortion is not unlawful in New South Wales under certain circumstances because of a precedent set by the ruling of a District Court Judge in 1971.

The new legislation, which allows for abortions up to birth without effective safeguards, has had minor amendments in the state’s Legislative Assembly and now goes to the Upper House for scrutiny and then a vote.

After two weeks of media appearances and joint appeals with other religious leaders, Dr Davies was able to speak directly to the Upper House MPs who form the Social Issues Committee of the Legislative Council. …

The Archbishop also lodged a submission by the Social Issues Committee of the Diocese, which argued against the legislation on several grounds, including its impact on women.”

– Read the full report from SydneyAnglicans.net.

Further towards a culture of death?

“Another tragic milestone in our country’s history was put in place on Thursday night as the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, by a vote of 59 to 31, passed legislation to decriminalise the late-term abortion of unborn children. The tragedy lies not just in the vote, but in the arguments put forward in support of the Bill and the reaction of politicians and other advocates once it had been passed.

Of course, this was simply one more step along a road that Australia and the Western world have been travelling for some time. …

While there is still an opportunity we should petition those in the New South Wales Legislative Council not to give their concurrence to this Bill. Yet even more, we need to speak of life and hope in this context of death and fear and extraordinary self-righteousness in which we find ourselves.”

– At Theological Theology, Moore College Principal Dr Mark Thompson writes plainly about the Reproductive Health Care Reform Act 2019.

Pass the link around, and be encouraged to make a submission before 5:00pm Tuesday 13th August 2019.

Opportunity to make a submission concerning the Reproductive Health Care Reform Bill 2019

The Standing Committee on Social Issues of the NSW Legislative Council has called for submissions concerning the Reproductive Health Care Reform Bill 2019, which passed the Legislative Assembly last week.

Submissions may be made until Close of Business on Tuesday 13 August 2019.

See the Standing Committee on Social Issues web page for the text of the amended bill which was passed, as well as a link to make your own submission.

The Australian Christian Lobby has some suggestions …

“This week, the draft law will be sent to a committee to look in detail at the bill.

The committee has called for written submissions from members of the public. They are due by 5pm on Tuesday 13 August.

Please act TODAY by making a brief, written submission to the Inquiry, calling for the bill to be rejected or failing that, amended.

Here are some points you might like to make …”

Living for Others

“Here is a photo of my son Noah, when he was about 25 weeks old.

My wife and I had just been told that Noah had a massive hole in his heart, and that he was likely to have Down Syndrome. (He did.)

Put yourself in our shoes. There are many heavy emotions flowing thick and fast through your heart. Your mind races ahead, drawing out a narrative of the next few weeks, months, & years ahead. …

Now, you’d be amazed just how quickly all of the above thoughts can flash before your eyes.

And you have the power to make it all go away.”

– Thanks to The Gospel Coalition Australia for publishing a very personal reflection by Matt Dodd.

By way of contrast, this morning brought the news that the “‘Reproductive Health Care Reform Bill 2019” passed in the Lower House last night, and now goes to the Upper House of NSW Parliament.

“Members of Parliament were granted a conscience vote on the bill, which aims to remove abortion from the Crimes Act and define it as a medical procedure in its own legislation.

The bill was passed just before 11.00pm with 59 in favour and 31 against.…”

Lawyers commenting on NSW Abortion Law changes

Assoc. Professor Neil Foster writes, “I am a member of an informal coalition of practicing lawyers and legal academics which goes by the name of the ‘Wilberforce Foundation’. A number of us have signed off on a press release designed to make it clear that comments from the ‘Australian Lawyers Alliance’ supporting the proposed changes to abortion laws in NSW do not represent the views of all lawyers. The statement follows. …”

– It’s worth reading in full. At Law and Religion Australia.

Bishop Rick Lewers on the proposed Abortion Bill

“It is a little staggering that after weeks of writing articles on family I have to write in the hope of saving our children from the poor decisions of our politicians.

There is before our State Government the ‘Reproductive Health Care Reform Bill 2019.’  It is a Private Members Bill, but don’t let the title of the Bill deceive you. It would seem that those moving the Bill and those supporting it are too embarrassed to call it what it actually is.

This Bill, if it is passed by the NSW State Government, will significantly change the law on abortion. …”

– Bishop of Armidale, Rick Lewers, has written this column for his local newspaper. It’s also published on the diocesan website. Do read it all.

Unborn children need your help

In an e-mail, the Australian Christian Lobby is encouraging people in NSW to contact their MPs to ask them to vote against a bill which is scheduled to come before the Lower House tomorrow (Tuesday 6th August 2019).

In his e-mail, NSW Director of the Australian Christian Lobby, Kieren Jackson, writes:

“What is in the bill?

See also:

The Australian Christian Lobby.

Public Statement from Archbishop Glenn Davies.

Contact details for Members of the Legislative Assembly.

 

Religious leaders to lobby MPs ahead of abortion vote

“Religious leaders will lobby MPs ahead of a vote to decriminalise abortion, after the historic bill was introduced into NSW Parliament with support from across the political spectrum. …

‘This bill allows late-term abortions up to a week before birth, indeed, a day before birth,’ Dr Davies said.

‘When people realise that, I can’t believe for the life of me that these respected parliamentarians would ever put their name to a bill which would kill an unborn baby the day before birth.

‘And I don’t think anyone in NSW would think that is a good idea and why they would promote a bill like beggars belief in my view.’ …”

– Story from The Sydney Morning Herald.

Related:

Barnaby Joyce weighs in on NSW abortion decriminalisation bill debate – ABC News.

Abortion: Life or Death – Martyn Iles.

Contact your local MP.

Law allowing late-term abortions will pass – unless voters call their MPs

“Reader straw-poll: if the NSW parliament was poised to enact the most extreme abortion laws in the country (perhaps in the world), including unrestricted abortion until the moment of birth, should the people of the state be given the barest courtesy of an explanation – perhaps even a modicum of consultation?

That’s the question I have been forced to ask my colleagues this week, after legislators from across the political divide tried to ride roughshod over parliamentary procedure and pass abortion laws that barely anyone in the state has even heard of. If democracy dies in darkness, this week it is on life support in NSW. …”

– NSW Minister for Finance and Small Business, Damien Tudehope, writes an opinion-piece in The Sydney Morning Herald.

See also:

Contact details for Members of the Legislative Assembly.

A Prayer for the Protection of Unborn Children

Next week, a new bill to make abortion more available in New South Wales will be debated in NSW Parliament.

Archbishop Glenn Davies has urged Christians to pray, and to contact local MPs, who will be in the process of deciding how to vote on the legislation.

Archdeacon Kara Hartley has written a prayer you could use at home, or in church:

Heavenly Father, Lord of life, We thank you and praise you that you are the author and sustainer of life and that every person is created in your image and is precious in your sight.

We pray today knowing that our Parliament is considering significant changes to abortion law in this state.

Father, we pray for those among us for whom this is a very personal issue and a source of deep distress. Strengthen and uphold those who grieve the loss of their child. May the love, forgiveness and hope found through Christ be their comfort. As a Christian community give us compassion and understanding for any among us who have faced this situation.

We pray for our politicians, as they come to vote on this issue next week. May they show courage and commitment to the dignity and sanctity of each human life.

We also pray for ourselves. Help us to speak with grace and sensitivity to one another, among our friends and neighbours and with our local MPs. Help us to be courageous and wise in defending unborn children. Help us not to shy away from our convictions, but boldly stand firm in the truth that all life comes from you and is precious in your sight.

For Christ’s sake and in his name, we pray.

Amen.

Also available as a PDF file. (Photo of Kara Hartley courtesy Sam Law.)

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