Mr Eternity: The Story of Arthur Stace

Posted on September 4, 2017 
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The forthcoming book, Mr Eternity: The Story of Arthur Stace, by Roy Williams and Elizabeth Meyers, is now available for pre-order from The Bible Society.

It’s expected to be published at the end of October.

Praying Together for Marriage

Posted on September 2, 2017 
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Archbishop Glenn Davies has written a prayer for marriage, and is also calling on Anglican churches in Sydney to pray.

The prayer was was printed in Southern Cross, September 2017, and we reproduce it here with permission:   Read more

Fathers’ Day ad pulled: Too ‘political’

Posted on September 2, 2017 
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“Here’s the militant new world forced on us by activists against the traditional definition of marriage – where even the word “dad” is a political statement.

More will come, of course, as traditional marriage is deemed by law to be oppressively restrictive …”

– Story from The Herald-Sun.

“Why I will vote No.” — Rev Neil Chambers

Posted on September 2, 2017 
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“… These are all the reasons why I will vote, and why I will vote no to same sex marriage. In the end, I do not believe it is love of neighbour to endorse and normalize a practice [same sex sexual activity] God calls sin.

But these reasons will not be the substance of my conversations. The root problem is idolatry, in this case the idolatrous claim to be able to remake humanity in our own wisdom while we reject the Creator, the worship of our autonomy. The conversation I want to have is about Jesus – that He is Lord, that He loves us and can be trusted to tell us what is best for us, and that He will be our judge at the last day.

So, when you are talking to others don’t get lost in having arguments about the consequences of the change, or about the fears you may have about the change. Be honest – tell them that you think Jesus can be trusted and the life of human flourishing is found in following Him.

Our goal is not to win an argument, but to commend a Saviour. And He will be Lord whatever way the vote goes, in the plebiscite and in parliament.”

– These are the concluding paragraphs of a pastoral article written by the Rev Neil Chambers to his congregation in Melbourne.

Be sure to read it all.

Neil Foster on the Media release from the Wilberforce Foundation

Posted on September 1, 2017 
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“In the ongoing debates about same sex marriage in Australia (shortly to be the subject of a voluntary postal survey conducted by the Australia Bureau of Statistics, if it survives a High Court challenge), a number of professional organisations have decided to weigh in, in support of the ‘Yes’ vote.

The most recent such statement was issued by a combination of lawyers and doctors (see a press report of August 19 here, and the full text of the joint statement, by the NSW Bar Association president Arthur Moses, president of the Law Society of NSW Pauline Wright, and president of the NSW division of the Australian Medical Association Brad Frankum, is here.)

A number of lawyers around Australia, myself included, were concerned that this statement was not made after consultation with members of the various organisations, and in fact was misleading precisely at the point where one would expect a statement from lawyers to be accurate, in its statements about the law. …

Finally, speaking of a lack of consultation, as I prepare this post I see that WordPress seems to have decided to add a “rainbow banner” to the top of my page, without asking me if I would like such.”

– Associate Professor Neil Foster gives some background to the Wilberforce Foundation, and the Media release they have issued (PDF file).

(The header seen by WordPress users who are logged in to wordpress.com.)

City of Sydney launches ‘vote yes’ campaign

Posted on September 1, 2017 
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“To support same-sex marriage, 260 rainbow ‘vote yes’ banners will be flown across the city [of Sydney] following unanimous support from Labor, Liberals and Greens.

The council voted to give $110,000 to the cause.

As well as flags, the city will send mail outs to encourage a ‘yes’ vote and promote ‘yes’ campaign activities through their communication channels. …”

– Story from ABC News. (Photo: Lord Mayor Clover Moore.)

Fallout in Australia over Lines consecration

Posted on September 1, 2017 
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Interesting developments ahead of next week’s General Synod meeting in Maroochydore:

“The Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia has asked the church’s Appellate Tribunal to offer a ruling as to whether its bishops may participate in the consecration of bishops who are not members of the Anglican Communion.

On 16 August 2017, the Most Rev. Philip Freier, Archbishop of Melbourne, wrote to the registrar of the tribunal stating he had received a request from the Bishop of Bendigo, the Rt. Rev. Andrew Curnow, supported by four other bishops that raised objections to the consecration of the Rt. Rev. Andrew Lines of the Anglican Church in North America by the Archbishop of Sydney and Bishops of Tasmania and Northwest Australia. …

Bishop Curnow, joined by the Rt. Rev. John Stead of Willochra, the Rt. Rev. Kay Goldsworthy of Gippsland, the Rt. Rev. William Ray of North Queensland, and the Rt. Rev. Allan Ewing of Bunbury, asked the Tribunal to address three issues …

While Drs Davies and Condie had kept the primate, Dr. Freier, fully informed of their plans and had had communicated with him before they acted, Bishop Curnow and his colleagues had not shown the same courtesy to Drs. Davies and Condie.”

– Report from Anglican Ink.

Related:

Bathurst schools bombshell: Scots buys All Saints’ College

Posted on September 1, 2017 
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“The Presbyterian Church of Australia in NSW – owner of The Scots School, Bathurst – has been confirmed as the new owner of All Saints’ College. …”

– Report from The Western Advocate.

See also: Presbyterian Church agrees to buy All Saints’ College – Diocese of Bathurst.

Image: All Saints’ College.

‘Saying this Ad lies is a lie’

Posted on August 31, 2017 
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“Journalists and same-sex marriage activists claim the ad for the no campaign tells lies. But that is the real lie …“

– On SkyNews Australia, Herald-Sun’s Andrew Bolt looks at reaction to the first Coalition for Marriage television ad.

Related:

Fact checking the ‘No’ ad on same-sex marriage – ABC’s Triple J Hack.

Shorten blames Turnbull for ‘total rubbish’ TV ad from same-sex marriage opponents – SMH.

Key posts from August 2017

Posted on August 31, 2017 
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Here are some key posts you might have missed. Not surprisingly, most of them are relevant to the postal plebiscite on proposals to change the definition of marriage:

God and ‘The Wrath’

Posted on August 31, 2017 
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“C.H. Dodd prefers the translation ‘the Wrath of God’ to Moffatt’s ‘God’s anger’ in Rom. 1:18, ‘because such an archaic phrase suits a thoroughly archaic idea,’ while Nicolas Berdyaev writes ‘Anger in every shape and form is foreign to God.’ …

In such words many modern writers give expression to their conviction that God cannot be thought of as exercising wrath towards men, so that where the Scripture speaks of ‘the wrath of God’ it must either be explained away or abandoned. …”

– The wrath of God, in passages such as Romans 1, is never popular. Leon Morris, writing in 1955, explains that the concept of the wrath of God is necessary if he is also a righteous God. Republished online at The Australian Church Record.

Not all Equality is Equal

Posted on August 31, 2017 
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“One of the central mantras of the campaign to redefine marriage is that it’s all about ‘equality’. We hear the language of ‘equal marriage’, ‘marriage equality’ and even the claim that homosexuals are, somehow, ‘second-class citizens’.

What are we to make of this claim? I think the key is to establish quite what proponents have in mind when they speak of ‘equality’. To get clarity on this question we should turn to the most consistent of those pushing hard for a ‘yes’ vote in the upcoming postal survey (notwithstanding their refusal to committing to honour the result). Here in Australia perhaps one of the proponents with most integrity in this regard is the MP Tanya Plibersek, member for Sydney. …”

– David Ould asks what exactly it is that proponents of ‘marriage equality’ are talking about.

(Photo courtesy of the website of The Hon. Tanya Plibersek MP.)

Related:

This short video tries the approach of logic.

“Let’s be clear. This isn’t personal. The people making the argument for same-sex marriage are our family, they’re our friends, they’re our colleagues. We love them and we don’t think they’re failures at all. It’s the argument being used to justify a change in marriage that is a failure. This isn’t personal, it’s logical.”

CBMW releases Nashville Statement on Biblical Sexuality

Posted on August 30, 2017 
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“The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW) announced August 29th the release of The Nashville Statement, an evangelical coalition statement on biblical sexuality. …

The statement, comprised of 14 affirmations and denials, addresses issues related to human sexuality, ‘in the hope of serving Christ’s church,’ according to the statement’s preamble.”

– Announcement from the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.

Read ‘The Nashville Statement’.

From the Preamble –

“Evangelical Christians at the dawn of the twenty-first century find themselves living in a period of historic transition. As Western culture has become increasingly post-Christian, it has embarked upon a massive revision of what it means to be a human being.

By and large the spirit of our age no longer discerns or delights in the beauty of God’s design for human life. Many deny that God created human beings for his glory, and that his good purposes for us include our personal and physical design as male and female.

It is common to think that human identity as male and female is not part of God’s beautiful plan, but is, rather, an expression of an individual’s autonomous preferences.

The pathway to full and lasting joy through God’s good design for his creatures is thus replaced by the path of shortsighted alternatives that, sooner or later, ruin human life and dishonor God. …”

Related:

In today’s issue of The Briefing, Albert Mohler commends the statement and gives some background.

He explains the huge importance of speaking clearly about such matters. He also relates some of the early responses, and how they demonstrate the worldviews of the commentators. Take the time to listen.

New Primate of the Indian Ocean

Posted on August 30, 2017 
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“Bishop James Wong of the Seychelles has been elected as the new Archbishop and Primate of the Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean. He succeeds Archbishop Ian Ernest who served for 11 years. …

Before his episcopal election, he was … Chairman of Scripture Union Mauritius.”

– Report from The Anglican Communion News Service.

Church flees into exile

Posted on August 30, 2017 
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“An entire Diocese of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan is operating from Northern Uganda after being forced to flee from civil unrest, leaving the main centre, Kajo-Keji, a ghost town.

The diocese was home to hundreds of thousands of Sudanese, including 280,000 Anglicans. As long-standing partners of the Archbishop of Sydney’s Anglican Aid, operations and project manager Eddie Ozols flew to Uganda last month to investigate further ways of helping a church plunged into exile in makeshift refugee camps. …”

– A heartbreaking story from SydneyAnglicans.net.

Related: Anglican Aid.

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