Voting on July 2 — David Cook

Posted on May 13, 2016 
Filed under Australia, Opinion

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:  

“The Sermon on the Mount is not a list of duties for us to tick off, rather they are the qualities which have God’s tick of approval, these are the ways His redeemed are to live.

‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied‘. (Matthew5:6) God’s people have a passion for both personal and communal godliness.

This beatitude is related to the one about those who mourn for the state of the world (Matthew5:4) and to those who are concerned to have live in purity (Matthew5:8).

This week,  the issues of this very long Federal electoral campaign have been superannuation reform, refugee policy and education funding.

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.

A change to the Marriage Act to provide for SSM will add momentum to Australia’s moral decline and will very much change the type of society we leave to our children and granchildren.

Those who are inclined ALP voters need to add their names to the various petitions to Bill Shorten for the ALP to reverse their catastrophic policy.

I had given serious consideration to voting informally in this election, at least in the House of Representatives, I have no enthusiasm for either my sitting Liberal member or his ALP alternative.

However this is a big single issue and such issues  rarely arise. Abortion reform is one such issue, however both major parties are equally unacceptable on this issue and give us no real choice.

SSM however offers us an alternative, at least we get to have a say in a national plebiscite. As time passes by in this campaign, this issue may get buried in many other emerging policies, I urge you not to lose concentration, this is a generational opportunity to vote responsibly in a way which may forestall moral decline and promote societal stability.

You can expect to hear much more from the Federal, ‘Church and Nation’ committee and the local state,’ Gospel, Society and Culture’ committees.

The Church is always a reluctant participant in an election campaign, but this campaign is unique and ongoing silence is irresponsible.

Next week Maxine and I travel to Alice Springs and Darwin to see the vital work being carried on by PIM.

Sunday week we go to Timor Leste for a week of teaching of the church leaders bith in Dili and in regional areas, we would appreciate your prayers for the church in these areas.

David Cook.”

From the Presbyterian Church of Australia website.