UNSW Campus Bible Study 40th Anniversary
Campus Bible Study at the University of New South Wales held a 40th anniversary thanksgiving and reunion event on October 31st.
There is much cause for thanksgiving to the Lord for a ministry that has been such a blessing to so many around the world.
Video from the day has now been posted at phillipjensen.com.
First they came for the Catholics…
“The proposed action for sexual orientation vilification against a Roman Catholic bishop for teaching what the Roman Catholic church believes about marriage, which I noted at an early stage in a previous post, is now becoming broader…”
– Associate Professor Neil Foster expands on his previous posts about the anti-discrimination case brought against the Roman Catholic Bishop of Hobart.
Related: Bishops face discrimination case – The Australian.
“All Australia’s Catholic bishops have been drawn into a national test case for freedom of religion and speech after Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Commission found they have a case to answer over humiliating gay, lesbian and transgender Australians by distributing a booklet supporting traditional marriage.”
Abortion ‘buffer zones’, free speech and religious freedom
“Governments around Australia are showing a sudden enthusiasm for introducing restricted ‘zones’ around clinics offering abortions, in order to prevent protestors from operating in those areas. Tasmania has introduced such legislation…”
– Neil Foster looks at some of the ethical and legal implications of ‘buffer zone’ legislation. Where does freedom of religion fit in?
Sydney Synod reaffirms marriage
“A capacity-crowd at the Sydney Synod has voted for a re-affirmation of marriage as between a man and a woman and called for all Australian Christians to respectfully engage in the public debate on redefining marriage.
‘If we don’t do this – what will our silence say?’ argued Tara Sing [pictured], who spoke as seconder of the reaffirmation motion…”
– Read the story at SydneyAnglicans.net.
‘Turnbull Govt victim of abortion lobby push to silence Troy Newman’
“The Australian Christian Lobby has expressed concern that the Turnbull Government has acted hastily at the request of the abortion lobby to deny a visa to an American pro-life advocate…
‘Australian taxpayer money funds Planned Parenthood operations in the Asia-Pacific region and Mr Newman’s visit promises to shed light on the abortion provider’s murky activities.’…”
– strong words from the Australian Christian Lobby, who have also launched a petition calling on the Immigration Minister to reverse the decision to deny Mr Newman a visa.
From Bible Society Australia:
The SMH is reporting, “Counsel for the Commonwealth gave the undertaking not to immediately remove Mr Newman at a hearing in Melbourne before High Court justice Geoffrey Nettle on Thursday evening, at which counsel for Mr Newman sought to have the decision to bar him from Australia overturned.”
On Thursday afternoon Immigration Minister Peter Dutton agreed to not deport Newman for 24 hours.
Eternity understands the matter will be decided this afternoon.
Update: What the Aussie Media has not told you about Troy Newman – John Sandeman.
‘Anglican Church concerned gay marriage would force Christian wedding suppliers to cater for same-sex couples’
“Conservative elements within Australia’s Anglican Church want new laws giving devout Christians the right to discriminate against same-sex couples, as the Federal Government pushes ahead with plans to hold a national plebiscite on the issue of gay marriage. …
The synod of the Anglican Church’s Sydney diocese will next month consider a report from a senior bishop which argues that wedding service providers should have the “religious freedom” to refuse to cater for gay couples.”
– Report on ABC Radio’s The World Today.
Free to live by one’s beliefs
“Many Australians are uncomfortable talking about religion or God. Sometimes we are surprised when one of our sporting heroes, like Jarryd Hayne, comes straight out and says: ‘All the glory goes to God, because without him none of this is possible.’ Some commentators are quick to criticise.
But there are many Australians who are very serious about religious belief. …”
– Associate Professor Neil Foster (who runs the Law and Religion Australia blog) has this opinion piece in today’s Newcastle Herald, ahead of a conference at the University of Newcastle on Friday September 25th. (Conference programme.)
‘Syrian migrant crisis: Christians to get priority as Abbott faces pressure to take in more refugees’
“The Abbott Government wants to restrict any intake of Syrian refugees to minorities which are largely Christian, as passions run high in the Coalition over the way Australia should handle the crisis in Syria…
Government ministers, like Malcolm Turnbull, have argued for accepting more Syrian Christians, and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has nominated minorities like the Yazidis.”
– Report from ABC News.
Related:
Operation rescue: the Christians of the Middle East face extinction – Paul Sheehan, Sydney Morning Herald, 7th September 2015.
“For the past 20 years Christians have been ethnically cleansed across much of the Middle East as part of the rise of Muslim militancy.
In Syria, before the civil war, more than 1 million Syrian Christians lived in security and were better educated than the general population. That number has been decimated. …
Would it be in breach of our discrimination laws to prioritise Christians as refugees? No. I’ve checked.”
‘NSW Education Minister bans school from screening gay film’
“Public pressure appears to have forced a Sydney girls’ high school to screen a documentary on gay parenting after school hours, instead of during scheduled lesson time…” – Report from The Sydney Morning Herald. (School flier here. PDF.)
‘Religious instruction scrapped from [Victorian] curriculum’
“Victorian schools will scrap special religious instruction from class time, with changes to the state’s curriculum throwing the future of the controversial program in doubt.
The Andrews government has ordered that the weekly 30 minute program move to lunchtime and before and after school in 2016 to make way for new content on world histories, cultures, faiths and ethics…”
– Report from The Age. More from Bible Society Australia.
Bible Society Australia ‘acquires’ Koorong
Here’s an interesting development:
“Bible Society Australia – whose core cross denominational mission is to translate, distribute and engage people with the Bible – has acquired leading Christian retailer Koorong…”
– Real the media release (PDF), or watch the announcement video from Bible Society Australia CEO, Greg Clarke and Koorong Managing Director Paul Bootes.
And some more info here from Bible Society Australia.
Archbishop of Sydney backs plebiscite plan
Here’s a media release from the Diocese of Sydney, Friday 14th August 2015:
Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney
Media Statement August 14th, 2015The Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Glenn Davies, has congratulated the Prime Minister and the Coalition for backing a plebiscite on same-sex marriage.
“I believe that marriage is a foundational concept to our society and indeed to human civilisation as a whole, in accordance with God’s own plan for all people, and it is intrinsic to the continuation of the human race as the bedrock of the family from which succeeding generations are born.”
“Despite the relentless campaign by some sections of the community, it is only now that other views are starting to be heard in the media, not only from the churches. The discussion must include the implications for children and the family unit, not just sloganeering.”
“Mr Abbott has been consistent and forthright on this issue, and it is clear he recognises the national importance of a debate about the definition of marriage as well as the strength of feeling on both sides. Yet the debate has been unhelpfully politicised, which is why it should be decided by the people directly. If the majority of Australians desire a change to the time-honoured understanding of marriage, then so be it. The Prime Minister is graciously offering this option so that we, the people, may have our say on the future of marriage in Australia.”
– Source, SydneyAnglicans.net.
Related: Church and religious leaders send letter on Same-Sex Marriage to Prime Minister Abbott.
‘Parents push back against religion in public schools’
“Parents concerned about religious evangelism in public schools will launch a campaign urging families to opt out of scripture classes…”
– Read the full story from The Sydney Morning Herald.
See also: Why Christians don’t need to hate the new anti-scripture billboard – from Bible Society Australia.
“A billboard purchased by an anti-religion in schools group has been unveiled in south west Sydney today. Some Christian leaders think that it’s an opportunity to talk more about the gospel.
‘God says you are stuck in your sin and need to be rescued from his judgement,’ the ad from FIRIS group (which stands for Fairness in Religion in Schools) reads…” (emphasis added)
Image: Youthworks.
TV networks ‘refuse to show ad’ asking for more debate on same-sex marriage
“A television ad suggesting there’s more to same sex marriage than has been considered so far in public debates has been denied airings on Channel 10, Channel 7 and some radio stations this week.
The ad campaign, titled “There’s more to it than you think,” was created by newly formed group the Marriage Alliance and launched this week in Sydney. The ads depict same-sex marriage arguments around equality as just the “tip of the iceberg” of issues that haven’t yet had a proper public airing…”
– Report from The Bible Society.
ALP National Conference votes to enforce support for same-sex marriage from 2019
“After hours of negotiations the party’s Right faction cobbled together the numbers to amend a motion from the Left that would have forced MPs and Senators to be bound in the next term of Parliament.
Labor leader Bill Shorten moved the revised motion and pledged to introduce legislation to legalise same-sex marriage if he wins government…”
– Report from ABC News.
See also: ALP conference 2015: same-sex marriage conscience vote for two terms, binding after that – The Guardian.
The Australian Christian Lobby has issued a media release –
“The same-sex marriage debate entered a new phase of intolerance with Labor voting to expel parliamentarians who advocate man-woman only marriage. In two Parliaments time, Labor MPs and Senators who vote against redefining marriage will be expelled from the party…”
Image: alp.org.au
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…