NEWS FOR PRAYER & ACTION - OCTOBER 2007
Please Pray for Australia ... the following are designed to keep
you in touch with Christian Frontline Ministries and also inspire Prayer
Scroll down for Events
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 New website and research results to be launched
On Monday 29th October at 11 am the ACL officially launch a new website www.australiavotes.org which will be a useful resource for Christians looking to make a wise and informed vote at the upcoming Federal election.
The website contains responses from six political parties to 25 issues ranging from homelessness and refugees to family life and film classification.
It also includes other useful election information and resources.
The media launch will be held in the boardroom of the National Press Club and we will also be releasing the results of specially commissioned research from the 2006 National Church Life Survey on the issues Christians care about most. Please start clicking on the new website from Monday and look out for more details about these initiatives next week! |
 28 Days of Prayer Leading into the Federal Election
24/10 Australian Prayer Network | The Australian Prayer Network is pleased to join with all the major National Prayer Networks in Australia in calling all Christians to a 28 day season of prayer leading into the forthcoming Federal Election. We are indebted to the Parliamentary Prayer Network, under the leadership of Pastor Lynne Klomp, who has prepared the following prayer themes and scriptures which are being used by all participating networks and Churches across Australia. The option to fast is available to those led of the Lord to also engage in that way. Read More |
 Thank you for Praying for Linda
22/10 Festival of Light, Australia | Thank you for praying for Linda last Wednesday! Her speech to the rally on the steps of Parliament House was compelling, but Premier Alan Carpenter was not there to listen.
The WA government gagged the second reading debate on the Prostitution Amendment Bill on Wednesday afternoon 17 October, preventing further speeches. The bill then passed the second reading stage, with voting along party lines.  |
 A Nation Prays for Rain and Biblical Christian Leadership
More then 600 people gathered in the Great Hall of Federal Parliament to pray for Rain and the future of our nation today, leaving standing room only for late-comers, Peter Stokes of Salt Shakers said.
Christians from around Australia, including as far away as WA and Qld, converged on our nation’s capital in answer to the call by Danny Nalliah of Catch The Fire Ministries which was supported by a number of other prayer networks and Christian ministries.
The Prime Minister John Howard apologised for not being able to make it but sent a message to the meeting encouraging Christians to continue to pray for rain. |
Protest against WA brothels bill
Around 100 people attended a rally outside Western Australia’s Parliament House on Wednesday to protest against proposed laws to decriminalise brothels. The rally was organised by Member for Alfred Cove (Indpt Liberal) Dr Janet Woollard and supported by a number of groups, including the Prostitution Law Amendment Working Committee (chaired by ACL’s WA Chief of Staff Michelle Pearse).
Speaking at the event, Shadow Attorney-General Sue Walker encouraged people to lobby Greens MLCs Giz Watson and Paul Llewellyn on the issue, as their votes could be critical in preventing the legislation from being passed in the Upper House. |
 Women Are Worth More
The Prostitution Amendment Bill 2007 seeks to legalise and regulate brothels. Brothel owners will be able to apply for a certificate to run a ‘sexual service business’ and to employ ‘sex workers.’ They will have to comply with certain regulations governing matters such as advertising, employment of over 18s only, the provision of free condoms and health information to clients and staff, and will face fines or imprisonment if they breach the terms of their certificate. People are banned from engaging in commercial sex if they have a prescribed infection, and this is punishable by fines for a first offence and imprisonment for subsequent offences.
External link to the Make A Stand Website for more information |
 Linda Watson Needs our Prayer
17/10 Festival of Light, Australia |She will be speaking on the steps of Parliament House in Perth today, where one hundred women in white T shirts will gather at 1 pm to send a message to MPs that the Prostitution Amendment Bill - to be debated and voted on later in the afternoon - will endanger WA children. Please pray that Premier Alan Carpenter may listen.
Linda - who turned to Christ in 1997 and quit the sex trade where she had been a prostitute and madam for nearly 20 years - knows what really goes on in Perth brothels. However Attorney-General Jim McGinty refused to consult her when considering the new legislation, even though Linda works at the coalface, helping hundreds of women and girls escape the prostitution trap through her House of Hope.
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 Caretaker Notice
In the period preceding an election the Australian Government assumes a caretaker role. It is important during that time that Australian Government resources are not used to communicate political material.
The Prime Minister's Media Alert Services will cease media transcript alerts from the beginning of the caretaker period (12pm Wednesday 17 October 2007) until after the election to ensure that political material is not included in the alerts.
Prime Ministerial transcripts will be available from the Liberal Party Website (at http://www.liberal.org.au/) which is not maintained or funded by the Commonwealth of Australia.
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The Law Governing Termination of Pregnancy
I, Rob Hulls MP, Attorney-General for the State of Victoria, refer aspects of the law governing
termination of pregnancy to the Victorian Law Reform Commission. The commission is to
provide advice on options to:
1. Clarify the existing operation of the law in relation to terminations of pregnancy.
2. Remove from the Crimes Act 1958 offences relating to terminations of pregnancy
where performed by a qualified medical practitioner(s).
In providing this advice the commission should have regard to the following:
A. Existing practices in Victoria concerning termination of pregnancy by medical
practitioners.
B. Existing legal principles that govern termination practices in Victoria.
C. The Victorian Government's commitment to modernise and clarify the law, and
reflect current community standards, without altering current clinical practice.
D. Legislative and regulatory arrangements in other Australian jurisdictions.
The commission should report no later than 28 March 2008.
Note: The government has given the commission terms of reference to develop legislative options for abortion decriminalisation and asked the commission to report back by 28 March 2008.
People who want to make a submission to the project should do so by Friday 9 November 2007. External Link
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PM Includes Indigenous People in Constitution - Aboriginal Leader Thanks God for Answer to Prayer
13/10 Australian Indigenous Christian Ministries | Aboriginal Elder, Ps Peter Walker, head of Australian Indigenous Christian Ministries has called the Prime Minister's promise to hold a referendum to include the Aboriginal people in the preamble to the Constitution, a miracle of prayer. Read More |
 Cloning debate 'should be ethical'
Queensland MPs, who were given a conscience vote, last night voted 48 to 34 allowing the controversial research to go ahead under strict conditions.
Australian Christian Lobby Queensland director Peter Earle (left) was unhappy MPs used examples of ill friends or relatives to explain why they supported the legislation.
He said he believed the issue should have been approached from an ethical perspective."
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/queensland/cloning-debate-should-be-ethical/2007/10/12/1191696132738.html |
Sadness as Cloning Bill passes Queensland Parliament, 48:34
12/10 Festival of Light, Australia | Festival of Light Queensland Branch Chairman Andrew McColl and his wife Susan were in the public gallery of the Queensland Parliament last night during the final eight speeches and the vote on the controversial bill to allow humans to be cloned for research.
"We and others were hopeful, after some of the earlier speeches, that the vote would be close and the bill might even be defeated," Mr McColl said. "But it was not to be - the bill passed by a clear majority, 48:34, with six abstentions. Most Government MPs voted for the bill although a significant number crossed the floor; most Opposition MPs voted against it. Read |
ACMA investigates after more than 40 firms say no to Californication
(10/10) Festival of Light, Australia | The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has informed Festival of Light Australia that it will investigate complaints about Network Ten’s Californication programs. The announcement came after more than 40 companies, including Holden, Arnotts, Ikea, Spotlight, Nestle, Cash Converters, Woolworths and BankSA, said they have asked the network not to show any more of their ads during the controversial series. Read More |
 Please Pray for the family of Trooper David Pearce
(9/10) Ministry of Defence Media Release | The Australian Defence Force has released the name of the Australian soldier who died as a result of a roadside bomb attack in Afghanistan yesterday.
Trooper David Pearce, 41, was posted to the Brisbane-based 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment in October 2006. He was serving with the Reconstruction Task Force when he died.
Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, and Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Peter Leahy, extended their deepest condolences to the family and friends of Trooper Pearce.
“Trooper Pearce was a highly professional, skilled and dedicated soldier. His comrades remember him as a loyal and reliable friend, ever willing to put the needs of others before his own.
“He died while serving his nation and his sacrifice will never be forgotten. This loss is felt by all members of the Defence community,” Air Chief Marshal Houston said.
Trooper Pearce is survived by his wife and two children who have requested that their privacy be respected at this difficult time.
External Link to Full Ministry of Defence Media Release |
 Australian Christian Lobby begins Compass Australia
(9/10) National Alliance of Christian Leaders (NACL) | There is a great need in this nation to assist those students and recent graduates who demonstrate a high potential to become influential leaders for Christ across strategic areas of our nation including politics, law, media, science, education, arts and philosophy. The Compass program aims to address this need.
Compass Australia is a joint initiative of the Compass Foundation (an independent charitable trust and the Australian Christian Lobby Read more
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Australian Christian Lobby initiates New Quarterly Public Policy Magazine called ‘Debate’.
(8/10) National Alliance of Christian Leaders (NACL) | In a major development, Fineline Design & Publishing in conjunction with ACL will be officially releasing before the upcoming election a new quarterly public policy magazine called ‘Debate’. ‘Debate’ is intended to generate and inform timely debate on current and future public policy issues from a Christian perspective. 'Debate' is a high quality, professional, refereed publication, targeted at policy and decision makers. Read more
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 Queensland Cloning Update
(5/10) Geoffrey Bullock, FOLA | It should come as no surprise that when ‘Children become trophies it leads to unhappy families. And that is one reason why ‘Gender Matters’. Yet governments continue to endorse gender confusion and unnatural relationships and thus they encourage child abuse.
Children are a gift from God – they are not a trophy or a commodity to be bought from a supermarket or an IVF clinic as an add-on to help unnatural couples pretend to be ‘parents’. Read
More |
 Children as trophies, lead to unhappy families
(1/10) Saltshakers | It should come as no surprise that when ‘Children become trophies it leads to unhappy families. And that is one reason why ‘Gender Matters’. Yet governments continue to endorse gender confusion and unnatural relationships and thus they encourage child abuse.
Children are a gift from God – they are not a trophy or a commodity to be bought from a supermarket or an IVF clinic as an add-on to help unnatural couples pretend to be ‘parents’. Read
More |
Western Australia - Prostitution
(1/10) Saltshakers | The Western Australian government is proposing the legalisation of brothels in Western Australia. A Bill has now been introduced into the Parliament called the "Prostitution Amendment Bill 2007". Committee opposing the legislation
A Coalition of concerned community groups and NGOs has been set up to oppose this law - called the "Prostitution Law Amendment Working Committee". Last week they brought Gunilla Ekberg to WA to speak against the proposed legalisation. Gunilla is "a Canadian-Swedish lawyer and international expert on human rights, gender equality and violence against women. Gunilla is now based in Brussels and formerly was the special advisor to the Swedish government on human trafficking."
Read
More |
Queensland Update (Australian Christian Lobby)
(9/10) Peter Earle, QLD State Director | It is with great regret that we say goodbye to ACL Queensland Chief
of Staff Carolyn Cormack on October 5th 2007. Carolyn has been a
tireless and sacrificial worker for the ACL. She was our first fulltime
staffer, although not fully paid. Carolyn has carried out the work of
the ACL during the terms of three managing directors. Read
More |
Update on Decriminalisation of Abortion Bill
Candy Broad’s Bill to legalise abortion on demand was withdrawn last week when Victorian Premier John Brumby seized control of this issue. In a move endorsed by Cabinet, Brumby asked the Victorian Law Reform Commission to advise the Government on how to remove abortion ‘offences’ from the Crimes Act and to clarify under what circumstances terminating a pregnancy would be legal. They are to report back to the government by March next year.
Put simply, if you remove ‘abortion’ from the Crimes Act then ‘abortion’ become legal.
 Asking the VLRC to clarify under what circumstances terminating a pregnancy would be legal is a furphy.
This is the group that recently recommended that lesbians and homosexuals should have full access to Assisted Reproductive Technology - IVF, Surrogacy and Adoption.
Unfortunately, what we are seeing is the state Labor government putting off a major issue because of the imminent federal election. Abortion on demand is a Federal and State Labor policy and voters need to look at POLICY rather than who actually leads the 'Party'.
Not that the Liberal Party are all 'white nights' - in Victoria, State Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu, also supports "in principle, the decriminalisation of abortion". Fortunately this is not Liberal Party policy.
Photo - A baby, ten-twelve weeks after conception! |
| Events: |
NATIONAL PRAYER SERVICE FOR RAIN AND THE FEDERAL ELECTIONS
Monday 22nd October
9.00am till 11.00am
Great Hall, Parliament House, Canberra
Led by Pastor Danny Naalliah, Organised by Catch Fire Ministries
No registration required
Love Offerings taken to cover expenses
Enquiries: 03 9794.8211 |
Summit Australia 13-19 January 2008
The International Conference in Victoria, Australia, will challenge you to examine your thinking, and renew your mind - to learn what the Bible says about important areas of ministry like Politics, Economics, Law, Psychology, Sociology, etc.
It will help you establish a solid foundation of biblical truth, equip you to champion the Christian faith, and empower you with ability to take positive and effective action in our world today
This is the fourth year SUMMIT have been in Australia to run these schools with Australian co-speakers.
SUMMIT has been running Biblical Worldview Schools in the US since 1962.
David Noebel, author of ‘Understanding the Times’ and ‘The Battle for Truth", one of 4 international keynote speakers.
If you have a Koorong Bookshop near you, you can pick up a few brochures from them. (Vic, NSW, SA, Tasmania)
If you want more than 5, then contact us and we will post them out to you. Please let us know how many you require.
Website: http://www.summit.org/conference/international/australia/
Email address: summitaustralia@optusnet.com.au
SUMMIT is being hosted in Melbourne by Salt Shakers and CultureWatch.
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