Abortion, Obscenity and Free Speech
Posted on March 26, 2017
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“Sometimes a powerful visual image is what is needed to shock us into action. But can an image be so powerful and horrifying that it becomes “obscene” and hence unlawful to use in public?
That, it seems, is now the view being taken in Victoria of a particular type of image: pictures of unborn babies who have been killed. While the decision of a Victorian court, it may be followed elsewhere in Australia. …”
– At Law and Religion Australia, Neil Foster (Associate Professor in Law at Newcastle) discusses the decision in Victoria, and implications for free speech.
Image: Australian Christian Lobby.
Anglican renewal in Brazil
Posted on March 25, 2017
Filed under GAFCON Comments Off on Anglican renewal in Brazil
“Most Christians in the UK probably have only the haziest idea of what Anglicanism looks like in South America.
The Edinburgh Missionary Conference of 1910 inhibited Protestant and Anglican missionary work in the continent at a time when the English language was (and still is) marginal. This is unlike most other areas of the Anglican Communion where the British influence was much stronger.
And yet, out of the continuing crisis in the world wide Anglican Communion, and in spite of official persecution in the area, a reinvigorated and missionary church is emerging in South America.
In fact, the pattern of North America is being repeated – just as a new GAFCON recognised Province, the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), arose out of the aggressive and assertive revisionism of the American Episcopal Church (TEC) and the Anglican Church of Canada, so in South America a new orthodox Province is coming into being as the Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil (IEAB) and various TEC satellite provinces in central and northern South America follow the lead of their North American counterparts.
This new emerging Province is based on the Anglican Diocese of Recife …”
– Charles Raven with more encouraging news about GAFCON.
Photo, left to right:
Canon Charles Raven, GAFCON Membership Development Secretary;
Canon Dan Alger, ACNA;
Bishop Flavio Adair Torres Soares, Anglican Diocese of Recife;
Canon Alan Hawkins, ACNA
— meeting in Sheffield in January 2017.
Gospel Speech Online
Posted on March 24, 2017
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“I’ve written this Brief Book to help Christians to speak the gospel of the truth in love in the online world. I draw on principles of Christian speech from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. In many ways it’s a sequel to my earlier book Gospel Speech. …”
– from Lionel Windsor at Forget the Channel. A very timely resource!
Justification – “A Most Wholesome Doctrine”
Posted on March 24, 2017
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“The eleventh article introduces us to the most important point of controversy in the sixteenth century. It would not be an exaggeration to say that polemics raged round the question of Justification by Faith. …”
– The Australian Church Record is continuing to reprint Archdeacon T.C. Hammond’s series on The Thirty Nine Articles. This from April 1956.
Why Princeton’s snub of Tim Keller should outrage progressives
Posted on March 24, 2017
Filed under Culture wars, Opinion Comments Off on Why Princeton’s snub of Tim Keller should outrage progressives
“If you’re a conservative evangelical Christian who feels called to ministry, you’re welcome to attend Princeton Theological Seminary. But you’re not worthy of honor there. That’s the message sent by PTS’ president, Craig Barnes, today. …
If Christians like Tim Keller are unworthy of honor and deserve to be marginalized, American Christianity is in serious trouble. …”
– Jonathan Merritt writes at Religion News Service.
Related: What Hath Amsterdam to do with Princeton? – Reformation21.
“In 1898 B.B. Warfield invited the Dutch Reformed theologian Abraham Kuyper to deliver six lectures at Princeton Seminary for the inaugural Stone Lectures. These lectures were eventually bound and printed as Kuyper’s Lectures on Calvinism. In these lectures, Kuyper discussed what he believed to be the manner by which a Calvinist and Reformed worldview ought to be applied to quite a number of spheres of life.
The inaugural Stone Lectures forever linked the theology of Dr. Kuyper with Princeton Seminary. This connection was further solidified in the creation of the Kuyper Prize, awarded by the Kuyper Center for Public Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary.”
The history and theology behind Princeton’s decision not to honour Tim Keller
Posted on March 24, 2017
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Albert Mohler unpacks Princeton’s decision not to award the Kuyper Prize if it means giving it to Tim Keller.
The GAFCON vision in action
Posted on March 23, 2017
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“The Anglican Communion worldwide is a most amazing gift of God, but it is being squandered by false teachers determined to substitute their own ideas for God’s revealed will in Scripture. They do this without rebuke from the Communion’s traditional leadership.
Gafcon is the future. Through Gafcon the true gospel is being proclaimed and the Bible guarded. We hope this snapshot will demonstrate that the faithful of the Anglican Communion have risen and have begun to reclaim the Communion for a confident and clear witness to Jesus Christ. …”
– GAFCON has produced this overview of what they do, with the hope of gaining your support.
How showing a picture of a dead foetus has become a crime
Posted on March 23, 2017
Filed under Australia, Culture wars Comments Off on How showing a picture of a dead foetus has become a crime
“Showing a picture of a dead foetus in public is now a crime following a ruling in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Tuesday which will strengthen the hand of the abortion industry lobby across Australia, warns the Australian Christian Lobby.’…”
– from The Australian Christian Lobby.
On Leaving the Church of England — Gavin Ashenden
Posted on March 23, 2017
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The Rev. Gavin Ashenden gives his reasons for leaving the Church of England in this video released overnight.
While our readers might hold to a somewhat different theological perspective (Gavin speaks from an Anglo-Catholic position), he raises concerns which many would share. The video runs for 27 minutes.
Related:
Princeton Seminary cancels award to Tim Keller after LGBT complaint – Christian Post.
Princeton Seminary reforms its views on honoring Tim Keller – Christianity Today.
Northwest Network March 2017
Posted on March 23, 2017
Filed under Australian dioceses Comments Off on Northwest Network March 2017
“Mining towns in Australia are well known for boom and bust cycles.
Old timers who have survived previous boom and busts usually just laugh at the reactions of newbies. They make comments like, “what do you expect, it’s mining” or “what, you expected the good times to last forever”.
Sadly, this bust period saw many of the ‘old timers’ pack their bags and leave town. Some with nothing to show for their time in the Pilbara and so unable to afford to live here any longer; others with pockets bursting from new found wealth through selling their property. These were followed by the people who bought those properties at the height of the boom, but now unemployed, houses repossessed by the banks, filing for bankruptcy, or contemplating suicide (with some succeeding).
This is the gloomy reality for many in the ‘City’ of Karratha.”
– The latest issue of Northwest Network is out.
Use it to fuel your prayers for the churches and the people of North West Australia. (575kb PDF file.)
Christianity in Iraq is finished, says Canon Andrew White, ‘Vicar of Baghdad’
Posted on March 22, 2017
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“He is one of the world’s most prominent priests, but Canon Andrew White – known as the ‘Vicar of Baghdad’ – has reached a painstaking conclusion: Christianity is all but over in the land where it all began.
‘The time has come where it is over, no Christians will be left. Some stay Christians should stay to maintain the historical presence, but it has become very difficult. The future for the community is very limited,’ White told Fox News this week.”
– From Fox News. (via Anglican Mainstream.)
Royal Commission ends Anglican phase
Posted on March 22, 2017
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“The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has finished its investigation of the Anglican Church, with a summary hearing in Sydney that revealed some statistics on offences against children.
The commission set aside four days for its hearing into issues such as the structure of the church, training and formation, professional standards and redress. …”
– SydneyAnglicans.net has published this report on the Royal Commission.
Related:
Anglican leaders promise unity on child protection: royal commission – Sydney Morning Herald.
“Not every Anglican diocese has robust child protection measures, with Sydney Archbishop Glenn Davies telling a royal commission the lack of national consistency is ‘extremely disappointing’.”
NEXUS17 coming up on April 3rd
Posted on March 22, 2017
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NEXUS17 is at MBM Rooty Hill this year.
“Four outstanding talks, morning and afternoon tea, a spit-roast lunch, time to talk with old friends and meet new ones…”
Theme: The Reformation we need today.
Details at the Nexus website.
Church Society pays tribute to former Director
Posted on March 21, 2017
Filed under Church of England, People Comments Off on Church Society pays tribute to former Director
“Members of Church Society will be saddened to hear of the recent death of the Revd David Streater who was Director of the Society 1991 – 1998.”
– Michael Walters pays tribute at the Church Society blog.
(On this anniversary of the death of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, it might be appropriate to read this article by David Streater on another Anglican Reformer who died for the gospel, Bishop Hugh Latimer. – PDF.)
‘Gay rights activists target IBM executive’
Posted on March 21, 2017
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“Marriage equality advocate IBM Australia is being targeted by militant gay rights activists who have condemned the company over a senior executive’s links to a Christian organisation. …
The social media campaign comes after the same activists shamed Adelaide brewer Coopers into pledging allegiance to Australian Marriage Equality after its ties with the Bible Society were exposed.”
– Report from The Australian. (paywalled)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…