Labor plans to appoint discrimination commissioner to ensure LGBTI people ‘feel safer’
“Labor has announced it will appoint an LGBTI discrimination commissioner to the Australian Human Rights Commission if it wins government in July…”
– ABC News has this report.
(Photo: Senator Penny Wong’s website.)
Moore College Missions 2016
“How joyous and encouraging has it been to follow each Moore Missions team this week?
Having arrived at the mid-week mark of the annual missions week, we can praise God for how easy it is for us to share in what the teams are doing. Thanks to the one-stop-shop at the Moore Missions site, we are steadily updated about the 13 teams of Moore students and faculty.”
– Thanks to the new-fangled Internet, you can get the latest to help you pray for Moore College missions across Sydney and further afield. Please be encouraged to do so.
Greens promise to end religious exemptions to Sex Discrimination Act
“The Greens have promised to remove religious exemptions to federal anti-discrimination law and increase funding to the Safe Schools anti-bullying program.
The promises are contained in broad-ranging Greens policy for LGBTI rights to be released on Tuesday by their LGBTI equality spokesman, Robert Simms, and gender identity spokeswoman, Janet Rice…”
– From The Guardian. (h/t SydneyAnglicans.net)
See also The Greens policy statement.
Voting on July 2 — David Cook
David Cook, Moderator-General of the Presbyterian Church of Australia, turns to the Federal election in his latest comment:
“It is rare for an election to have as a major issue, a matter of morality, as much as this forthcoming poll.
The single issue is Same Sex Marriage, the ALP has said, that if elected they will legislate in the first 100 days for SSM. The Coalition parties, if elected, promise a national plebiscite on the issue.”
Full text below: Read more
Petition calls on Bill Shorten to support a marriage plebiscite
The Australian Christian Lobby has launched an online petition calling on Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to support the proposed plebiscite on same-sex marriage.
As the Australian Christian Lobby’s Managing Director Lyle Shelton notes, under current policy, an ALP win in the Federal election would mean same-sex marriage being legalised in Australia by early October.
Photo credit: ALP.
SMBC celebrates Centenary
Sydney Missionary and Bible College at Croydon is this weekend celebrating its Centenary, beginning with a Thanksgiving Service on Friday night April 15 2016.
Principal Stuart Coulton introduced past Principal, and now Presbyterian Moderator General, David Cook. Preaching from Hebrews 1:1-4, David exhorted his hearers to hold fast to the Bible, the revealed word of God, and to be constantly vigilant against drifting from the truth.
The Centenary celebrations will continue on Saturday April 16 with an Open Day.
A highlight of the day will be the launch of the College’s centenary history, Out of Darkness, by Academic Vice Principal Anthony Brammall (pictured).
The book is available from the College.
Government to retain Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission
“The Government will provide certainty to the charitable sector and community organisations by today announcing the decision to retain the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).”
‘Safe Schools’ program to face Government review
“The Federal Government will review the Safe Schools anti-bullying program that is designed to provide a safe environment for same-sex students.
Backbencher Cory Bernardi, who has accused the program of having a “radical agenda”, raised the issue in the Coalition party-room this morning and says there was widespread support.”
– Report and image from ABC News.
Related:
Local pastor stands up to ‘shocking’ school program – Australian Christian Lobby.
Sydney school to allow male students to wear female uniforms – ABC News.
Protecting free speech in the Same Sex Marriage Plebiscite debate
“An article in the The Guardian today, ‘Override hate speech laws to allow marriage equality debate, urges Christian lobby’ reports that Lyle Shelton, managing director of the Australian Christian Lobby, has made proposals urging greater protection of free speech for those opposed to the introduction of same sex marriage in the forthcoming Australian plebiscite on the topic.
Of course, the reader will see that the Guardian headline and my summary of the proposals seem quite different. In its support for same sex marriage, the Guardian and those it quotes describe the ACL proposals as follows: the ACL wants to ‘permanently override anti-discrimination laws’ …
I think the Guardian has slanted the ACL views unfairly. (Even more unfairly, the Sydney Morning Herald report on the story features a cartoon of an ACL representative complaining that they can’t be expected to make their case ‘without expressing hatred and bigotry’.) Let me suggest reasons why the ACL proposal, so far as can be ascertained from these press reports, sounds limited, moderate and sensible. …”
– Neil Foster, Associate Professor on Law at Newcastle, adds some clarity to reporting on those opposed to the introduction of same-sex marriage in Australia.
Update: See Part 2 here.
Malcolm in the Middle
“On Friday 12 February, at the invitation of the Australian Christian Lobby, I joined a delegation to meet Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, in his Sydney office. It was agreed that we confine our remarks to the issue of the plebiscite regarding single gender marriage which will be held, in the event of a coalition victory, soon after the next Federal election. …
When the PM was asked about freedom of conscience for those in the marriage industry, florists, caterers, etc, he said that he was sure that common sense would prevail…”
– Presbyterian Moderator-General David Cook reports that he was ‘profoundly disappointed’ after a meeting with the Prime Minister last week. Read it all here.
Churches offering sanctuary to asylum seekers — some context
“In a high-profile decision of the High Court of Australia yesterday, Plaintiff M68-2015 v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2016] HCA 1 (3 February 2016), a 6-1 majority ruled that the Australian government is entitled to continue its policy of detaining certain asylum seekers off-shore in the Pacific nation of Nauru. …
Today a number of Christian churches went public with an offer of ‘sanctuary’ for those who are supposed to be returned.”
– What is ‘sanctuary’, and does it still apply in Australia today? Here’s some legal context from Neil Foster at Law and Religion Australia.
Related:
“The Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Glenn Davies, says Anglicans and other Christians in Sydney are concerned by the prospect of 91 asylum seeker children being returned to Nauru following the recent High Court ruling…” – SydneyAnglicans.net
Armidale’s Anglican Bishop urges caution on calls to defy the law to safeguard refugees – ABC News 05 February 2016.
Australia Day Honours 2016
In the 2016 Australia Day Honours List, a number of Anglican Christians whom we know and love have been recognised. Included among them are:
Mrs Christine Jensen, who has been awarded Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia, “For service to the Anglican Church community in Sydney”, including her many years of encouragement to women of the Moore College family and through Mothers’ Union.
In 2010, Christine was interviewed for the In Tandem ministry wives’ blog. In it, she shares some excellent advice:
“Love Jesus, read your Bible, say your prayers and ‘do the good works he’s prepared for you to walk in’ (Ephesians 2:10)”.
Mr Peter Kell, has been appointed Member (AM) of the Order of Australia, “For significant service to the Anglican Church of Australia, to social welfare programs and delivery, and to the community of the Illawarra”.
Peter is well known through his many years of gospel-driven service, including as CEO of Anglicare Sydney, 2004-2011.
Our congratulations and best wishes go to them both, and to all who have been honoured.
Sydneyanglicans.net has more here.
(Photos courtesy Mothers’ Union Sydney and Anglicare Sydney.)
Face 2016 with Prayer
“We live in a disturbing, unsettled world. This year we will face a Federal election in Australia and the possibility, if the Coalition is returned, of a national plebiscite on the nature of marriage…”
– Amid all the challenges 2016 will bring, Presbyterian Moderator-General David Cook calls Christians to prayer.
Nungalinya College vacancies
Nungalinya College in Darwin is seeking to fill three vacancies. Perhaps you know (or are) the right person for one of them.
Either way, we are sure the College would be glad of your prayers. Details here.
Free speech and religious freedom even for ADF members
“The Federal Court has recently handed down a very important decision on free speech, with connections to religious freedom, in Gaynor v Chief of the Defence Force (No 3) [2015] FCA 1370 (4 December 2015). It encouragingly reaffirms the right of Australians, even members of the Defence Force, to be able to speak their minds, even when their views are not popular…”
– Associate Professor Neil Foster bring us up to speed on another legal ruling – this one with important implications for free speech in Australia.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…