‘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
Speak now, or forever hold your peace
“Marriage is the exclusive union between a man and a woman.”
“It wasn’t so long ago that making a statement like this wouldn’t even raise an eyebrow. In fact, if you’d said this, most people would have responded with a ‘Yes, and?’. It would be liking stating that the sky is blue, or the Australian cricket team had been disappointing.
Today in Australia, this is perhaps the most controversial statements you can make…”
– At Communicate Jesus, Steve Kryger pleads with Christian leaders to actually lead Christians in responding to the challenge of same-sex marriage.
‘Will the same-sex marriage push destroy the right of churches to dissent?’
“This raises the question about the real ideology of the same-sex marriage campaign. Is it merely to allow gays to marry? Or is its ultimate purpose to impose ‘marriage equality’ across the entire society, civil and religious. Ideologies do not normally stop at the halfway mark…”
– Andrew Bolt at The Herald-Sun quotes from an important article by Paul Kelly in The Australian (which requires a subscription to read in full).
Same-sex marriage: Coalition MPs to co-sponsor private member’s bill
“Prime Minister Tony Abbott has reminded Coalition MPs it is rare for a private member’s bill to even go to a vote in Parliament, as two of his backbenchers prepare to back a bill to legalise same-sex marriage.
Queensland Liberal National Party (LNP) MPs Warren Entsch and Teresa Gambaro will co-sponsor a private member’s bill, which will be seconded by Labor backbencher Terri Butler…”
– report from ABC News.
The Anglican Future Conference — A Report
A report by Rev Caitlin Hurley, ACL councillor.
In late March, 460 Anglicans gathered in Melbourne for the inaugural Anglican Future Conference.
The conference was a joint initiative of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans Australia (FCA-A) and the Evangelical Fellowship in the Anglican Communion (EFAC). Read more
Church and religious leaders send letter on Same-Sex Marriage to Prime Minister Abbott
“Archbishop Glenn Davies has joined other church and religious leaders in signing an open letter to the Prime Minister against same-sex marriage.
Parliament could take steps to redefine marriage as early as August.
The letter, signed by Dr Davies and the Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher as well as 36 other religious leaders including the heads of Pentecostal and orthodox churches as well as senior rabbis from the Jewish community and leaders from both the Sunni and Shia Islamic communities, expresses ‘grave concerns’ regarding ‘Bills that have or will be introduced into the Federal Parliament to change the definition of marriage in Australian law’.…
It ends with a request for a meeting with the Prime Minister and MP’s to further discuss the issue.”
– read the full report at SydneyAnglicans.net – and please be encouraged to pray about this matter.
and a Media Release from Catholic Communications.
Call for coalition to vote as one on marriage
Here’s a media release from the Australian Christian Lobby –
“The Australian Christian Lobby today renewed its call on the Liberal party to stand by its principled policy on marriage by continuing to vote as one on the issue…” – Read it all on their website.
Churches defend traditional meaning of marriage — NSW Council of Churches
“Changing the meaning of marriage would be a vast, risky social experiment. Children have the right to know and be cared for by their natural parents. The law should reflect and promote best practice.
Amid the emotion and hype, principled arguments in favour of retaining the current definition of marriage in Australian law deserve the consideration of every federal politician…”
– Dr Ross Clifford, President of the NSW Council of Churches in a media release.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…