News for Prayer and Action

Gap MP Ian Hunter pleads to be allowed to marry his partner

17/06 Adelaide Now | A LABOR MP has made an impassioned plea to marry the man he loves, accusing the Rudd Government of standing in his way.

Labor MLC Ian Hunter today told parliament it was wrong for Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to continue to impose his personal beliefs on the rest of the community and disallow gay marriage. Mr Hunter has been openly gay since he was elected to parliament and been in a relationship with his partner Leith for almost 20 years.

... "I want to get married," he said.

"But I can't - I can't marry the person I love, not in my own country."

Redefining marriage on a whim is not the state's job

22/06 SMH.com.au, Response to Lisa Pryor Article | Lisa Pryor fails to appreciate that marriage does not belong to government ("Here's an idea: what if the Government introduced voluntary gay marriage?", June 20-21). Marriage is a social institution that predates nation states and was inherited by government. As such, all government can legitimately do is reaffirm why marriage warrants recognition and support.

Marriage is different from other relationships. The social benefits of committed, exclusive heterosexual unions include the generation of children and the raising of future citizens; a safe environment for the nurturing of those children; two complementary parents who can provide appropriate gender role modelling; parents who are biologically connected to their child and who are willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of that child; and a vital intergenerational connectedness within families and societies.

Such unions provide a mechanism for more effectively connecting children to their fathers - to satisfy children's longing for their father and to ensure a more equitable distribution of the parenting burden. State interests have never been based on the extent of private affections. We all have emotional ties in which the state has no interest. The reason marriage matters to government is what heterosexual couples offer as a social type.

More Jaundiced Journalism

Bill Muehlenberg | Consider as a typical example of jaundiced journalism a recent opinion piece in the SMH by Lisa Pryor entitled, “Here’s an idea: what if the Government introduced voluntary gay marriage?” It had all the elements of a great MSM piece: short on facts, long on ad hominem attacks; short on logical argument, long on twisted thinking; short on morality, long on perversity.

... Simply affirming that marriage is between a man and a woman is not in the least being bigoted. To affirm the heterosexual nature of marriage is of course no more bigoted that to affirm that parliamentary voting is for adults, not children; that a newspaper opinion piece  is for people, not horses; and that the Sydney Roosters is for rugby players, not jockeys.

Here's an idea: what if the Government introduced voluntary gay marriage?

20/06 Lisa Pryor, SMH.com.au | Isn't it heartening to see both sides of politics united in their determination to protect a vulnerable minority from the whims of the majority? Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull both oppose gay marriage against the wishes of the majority of Australians ... they have decided in this case it is more important to protect the persecuted minority of Australians who identify as bigots, a minority whose lifestyle is under attack.

Sorry, I shouldn't use "bigot"; apparently that's not politically correct these days. I'll be rapped over the knuckles by the thought police. I'm sure they prefer to be called something euphemistic like "People Living With A Need To Exclude Other People From The Institution Of Marriage Because It Makes Their Own Marriages Seem More Special".

Same-sex couples wary of changes to benefits

SMH.com.au |

IT IS TIME TO MAKE A STAND TO DEFEND OUR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

Australian Prayer Network | A rallying call has gone out to Christians across the Nation. It is time to take a stand or risk the loss of our religious freedom. Never in our lifetime has the Christian faith faced such opposition in this country. Apathy has played a big part in creating the situation we now face but IT IS TIME TO MAKE A STAND and it is not too late to do so. It is absolutely critical that the proposed Charter of Rights is defeated and activating thousands of people is essential to achieving this, as our opponents are at this time well ahead.

In recent months an enquiry has been taking place designed to usher in legislation that would establish a Charter or Bill of Rights. Those who have attended the public meetings of the enquiry have come away disturbed by their belief that there is an agenda behind the enquiry that would not serve the best interests of those committed to the Christian faith. The public enquiry is coming to a close and very soon it will make recommendations to the Federal Parliament recommending the nature and suggested content of a Charter or Bill of Rights. It is vital that we act NOW to stand up for our freedoms.

No one is as concerned for human rights as the Church, but the push for a charter or bill of rights threatens some of the most basic freedoms Christians and the wider Australian community take for granted and is not the best way to protect rights. A Charter of Rights will give unelected judges unprecedented power over moral and social policy, allowing minority interest groups to achieve agendas that they cannot win at the ballot box.

We are already seeing the right of churches and church schools to discriminate in employment being reviewed in Victoria after the passage of their charter of rights. The inability to discriminate in favour of Christians in employment would obviously threaten the ability of these organisations to work out Christ's purpose for them. Judges could overrule laws that define marriage as between a man and a woman, as they have done under Canada's charter, or even declare pornography free speech as they have in the US!

Charters or bills of rights have also not proven to be guarantors of human rights in other countries. For example, the United Kingdom has anti-terror laws far more draconian than Australia, and it still places children in immigration detention - something Australians remedied at the ballot box without a charter of rights.

The Australian Christian Lobby is doing an excellent job of making it as easy as possible (in fact leaving us all without an excuse no matter how busy we are) to make our voice heard. If you have not already done so you can go to makeastand.org.au where there are instructions on how to send a submission to the Government's consultation process. There is a second option which is to sign an online petition against a Charter of Rights which will be sent to the Senate.  At the time of writing this article some 6542 people have already signed the petition. If all our readers go to the website and sign the petition (it should only take 15 seconds of your time) the target of 10,000 signatories should be easily surpassed. 

Will you make a stand for the preservation of religious freedom in our nation?

Children As Trophies - Examining the Evidence on Same Sex Parenting

By UK Sociologist, Patricia Morgan, The Christian Institute | “I’m not in favour of gay couples seeking to adopt children because I question whether that is the right start in life. We should not see children as trophies.

Children, in my judgement, and I think it’s the judgement of almost everyone including single parents, are best brought up where you have two natural parents in a stable relationship. There’s no question about that. What we know from the evidence is that, generally speaking, that stability is more likely to occur where the parents are married than where they are not.”

The Rt Hon Jack Straw MP on the Today programme, 4 November 1998

Silencing Parachurch Ministries (and Other Christian Activities)

Bill Muehlenberg | Many of you would appreciate the ministry of Focus on the Family. James Dobson’s organisation has helped millions of families with its practical, faith-friendly resources. In the same way, Teen Challenge is another Christian organisation which has been helpful to so many drug and alcohol victims... What do these four organisations have in common? All are what are known as parachurch organisation. As the term implies, these are Christian ministries that come along side of the church, helping it in performing tasks it may not be able to do itself. They provide specialised ministries to help assist the church in carrying out its work.

And another thing they all have in common is that they might all be forced out of business, if restrictive options proposed in a discussion paper go through

Terror plot accused sold drugs, court hears

12/06 Larissa Cummings, The Daily Telegraph | FIRST it was parties at Bondi, now drug deals in Kings Cross have been drawn into the trial of five men accused of plotting a terrorist attack in Sydney. On his third day of evidence, Abdul Rakib Hasan told the Supreme Court his ex-business partner and one of four alleged co-conspirators Omar Baladjam sold drugs at Kings Cross before he was a devout Muslim.

Hasan, 39, said he met Baladjam in a prayer hall at Lakemba where they discussed opening a car battery repair business. He said Baladjam confided he used to work at a Kings Cross hotel and sold steroids but turned his life around to devote himself to raising money for Islamic charities.

When police look the other way

11/06 Miranda Devine, SMH Columnist | It's a rich irony that the Prime Minister and police commanders in Sydney and Melbourne are now admonishing Indian students who have decided to take responsibility for their own security instead of continuing to be passive victims of violent crime.

Sound familiar?

Assistant Police Commissioner Dave Owens warned Indian students protesting at Harris Park not to be "vigilantes" and "leave the detection of offenders and their arrest to us". In Victoria, a police spokeswoman said Indian students doing their own security patrols at crime-ridden western suburbs railway stations should "leave and let police do their jobs".

Well, if the police had done their jobs in the first place Indian students wouldn't feel like they have to escort each other home from railway stations late at night. Nor would 1000 Indian students have gathered on Sunday at Town Hall and this week in Harris Park to protest about the lax policing. But now that Australia's not-so-secret suburban law and order problem has become an international scandal, it's remarkable how vigilant the police can be.

Sydney Anglicans lose over $100 million 

Millions wiped out by church gambles

10/06 SMH | THE world's richest and largest Anglican diocese has lost more than $100 million on the sharemarket and is investigating ways to cut programs and ministries across Sydney. Two years ago the Anglican diocese of Sydney was able to allocate $30 million to educate new ministers, spread the Gospel and reach out to young people. But returns from investments have plummeted so steeply that the funds available next year have been slashed to $5.6 million.

The cuts will probably jeopardise funding for places at the ministry training institution, Moore College - causing either lower student numbers or higher fees - and Youthworks, which recruits young people for mission work...

Alleged bomb plot was all 'for charity'

10/06 Larissa Cummings, The Daily Telegraph | A MAN accused of plotting a terrorist attack in Sydney has told a court he placed bulk orders of chemicals and batteries in fake names to avoid alerting authorities. But Abdul Rakib Hasan said he planned to use the products for a battery reconditioning business, not for ingredients in home-made bombs.

Next Frontier? Polygamists demand multi-sex marriage

05/06 World Net Daily | A polygamy advocacy organization says the New Hampshire law that is intended to assure "equal access to marriage" for all instead specifically embeds in state statutes bigotry against polygamists. According to a statement posted on the Pro-Polygamy website, when on Wednesday New Hampshire "became the sixth U.S. State to codify the legal construction of same sex marriage," it was hailed by homosexuals as a "civil rights victory."

"Declaring that the new law advances fairness and equality for all, they proclaimed that New Hampshire had supposedly 'ended discrimination' for everyone," the statement said. "But the law did no such thing. Rather, it intentionally 'discriminates' against consenting adult polygamists – indeed, on purpose," the organization said.

LIVING A CHRISTIAN LIFESTYLE IN THE WORKPLACE

Australian Prayer Network - Featured Article |God's interested in what you do for work; He's also interested in how you do it. The truth is, your prospects for the future are determined by your work ethic. Let's look at the book of Proverbs and look at some work habits you may wish to avoid or acquire if you want God's blessing.

Sex Workers call for 'anti-discrimination' protection

05/06 Peter Stokes, Saltshakers |Sex workers marked International Whores Day (Monday June 1) by marching on the NSW Parliament House to demand anti-discrimination laws. Carrying red umbrellas, sex workers called for greater protection from councils, banks and advertisers. “Sex workers are calling for anti-discrimination protection throughout Australia,” Scarlet Alliance CEO Janelle Fawkes said.

According to Scarlet Alliance, sex workers are only included in two state's anti-discrimination laws.

Sex Workers call for 'anti-discrimination' protection

05/06 Peter Stokes, Saltshakers |"Civil rights battle" - with a Bill of Rights',  and activist judges, it's a battle they might win. Have you made your submission / statement to the 'Human Rights consultation' yet?

We have constantly said, "Once you extend 'benefits' and 'legal recognition' to one group, up jumps the next group wanting the same".  The 'rights' demand is one without foundations - so it can slide anywhere!

June 15 is the cut-off date for your 'Human Rights consultation' submission

Your 'submission' can be a simple short letter or statement -

* I don't want a Bill of Rights - I want our elected representatives to make the laws, not activist judges.
* We don't need another Bill of Rights - our rights are already guaranteed under our constitution and through our democratically elected parliamentarians.

Or something like that in your own words.

Here is the direct link for you to send in your submission:At step 2 you can put the text of your submission or at Step 3 you can attach your submission document

Our campaign page has details, links, articles and more...

Australia's Uighur urges Government to take Guantanamo detainees

01/06 Australia Network News | Australia's thousand-strong Uighur community is calling for the Federal Government to accept at least some of the Chinese Muslim detainees from Guantanamo Bay. It comes after the US president Barack Obama last week asked Australia to take around 10 detainees from China's Uighur minority.

Abdul Salam Alim from the East Turkestan Association of Australia says the men would be welcome and that the Uighur community has a good record in Australia.

Township residents win two-year fight as Islamic school ruled out

03/06 The Australian | A LONG, bitter wrangle over plans for an Islamic school in a rural township southwest of Sydney has ended, with the NSW Land and Environment Court finally rejecting the controversial proposal.

The court yesterday upheld a decision by Camden Council last year, ruling that the school proposed by the Quranic Society of Lakemba was not compatible with the rural zoning of the site.

Read also: Quranic Society appeal over rejected Camden Islamic school rejected - The Australian, June 02 -

Plans for Islamic school in Camden shelved - SBS, June 02 -

Don't call me a hero: shot NSW cop goes into bat for fellow officers

02/06 SMH.com.au | He served his community on Sunday when he was shot during a siege at a Rosebery hotel. Now police officer Stephen de Lorenzo wants the community to help him through his rehabilitation.

In an emotional speech today, at a Police Association meeting calling on the NSW Government to drop a plan to cut conditions for injured police officers, Sergeant de Lorenzo denied he was a hero.

"Please don't call me a hero," he said. "I'm just a simple guy doing a simple job." He received a double standing ovation.

As he showed his bullet wound - seeping through the bandage only an hour after being dressed and at risk of becoming infected - he also hinted at the invisible, psychological injury. Those who claimed there was nothing wrong with him were not, he said, "lying in bed at night having flashbacks about being shot".

ANZ's prayers are answered

Business Spectator | It appears that neither HSBC nor Standard Chartered have put in bids for Royal Bank of Scotland’s Asian businesses, so ANZ is now in the box seat – and is possibly the only bidder for the whole network.

... ANZ’s raising was the first for a clear purpose – that is, investing in Shariah compliant Islamic banking in Pakistan, which is the largest part of RBS’s Asian network. Hmmm. I wonder if ANZ’s underwriters, Deutsche, UBS and JPMorgan mentioned that in their phone calls yesterday.

They probably didn’t, but in fact Islamic banking is the safest and fastest growing segment of the banking business at the moment. The RBS Pakistan web site touts that the Islamic financial services industry currently stands at $US385 billion worldwide and is growing at 15 per cent compound because of the rapid development, from a low base, of the Islamic world.

Sydney scientists make Alzheimer's breakthrough

01/06 SMH.com.au | Scientists in Sydney have discovered a way to stimulate the brain's own stem cells, which has the potential to lead to a new treatment for neurological disorders such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.

Bryce Vissel and Andrea Abdipranoto at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research identified a chemical, called activin A, that is essential for the brain's own stem cells to form new nerve cells, and to repair the brain, following neurodegeneration.

Using a mouse model, the researchers showed that, following acute nerve cell damage, the brain immediately acts to repair itself by replacing the damaged nerve cells with new cells

Training tomorrow's leaders

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, an eight-day course in Christian worldview, aims to address this need.

For more information and to register interest for 2009, please go to www.compass.org.au .

Lyle Shelton
National Chief of Staff , Australian Christian Lobby