Two Brands of Christianity?
An article in the Spectator Australia by Terry Barnes applauded Scott Morrison’s squishy love Gospel and harpooned Israel Folau’s fierce “fire and brimstone” Gospel. It juxtaposed the two Pentecostals as altogether different brands of Christianity: one of unforgiveness and damnation, the other of forgiveness and love. Naturally, having carefully crafted such a context for comment, Terry praised Morrison’s interesting as it is an ambiguous exhortation, “Wherever you are, be who God made you.” Barnes inferred from this a divine endorsement on the entire list of Scripturally prohibited behaviours which Folau quoted, contrasting the “heartless” footballer’s meme and the Prime Minister’s positivity.…
Government bans advert that says ‘a heart beats at four weeks’ after Facebook user is offended by the fact
An Emily’s Voice promotional which featured the words, “a heart beats at four weeks”, on four Newcastle buses has been removed. The action was taken after an outraged Newcastle resident accused the pro-life promotional material of being “dangerous propaganda; a guilt driven directive on what [a woman should] do with their body.” The complaint was posted on Facebook to the NSW Transport Minister’s page and “action was immediately taken” to tear the material down. Emily’s Voice is an organization that seeks to encourage people to consider alternatives to abortion. Their mission is to “help Australians fall in love with the…
The Separation of Church and State: What it is and what it’s not
The separation between Church and State is not a divide between secular and sacred. Nor is this separation a divide between public and private. Church and State are spheres of authority within the structure of good government. Simply put: one wields the sword, the other the truth of the Gospel. As such the Gospel balances out the ideology behind who gets to yield the sword, when, why and how. This is why every totalitarian state either twists theology or purges Christians and the Christian faith. They need to suppress God’s moral standard for His creatures, in order to justify their…
The Lynching of Fraser Anning
Freedom of the press requires a societal framework that empowers free speech. So it’s rare to witness the Australian media unite together in order to tear down an Australian politician for speaking his mind. However, what most in the Australian media expressed to the world in their dealings with Fraser Anning this week, is that free speech is only available to a select, and authorized few. It would appear that Senator Fraser Anning’s biggest sin wasn’t his poorly timed press release, but the fact that he spoke out of turn about things that should not concern him. In other words,…
Three Reasons why you should be concerned about Silicon Valley’s Connection to Communist China’s Golden Shield Firewall
If you’re not really into Information Technology and are not aware of what the Golden Shield project is, you’re forgiven. The majority of Chinese people either don’t care or aren’t aware of its existence either. The Golden Shield Project is Communist China’s massive firewall. It’s designed to keep a lid on dissent and ward off foreign influence on Chairman Mao’s, carefully constructed Communist culture, which was largely forced on the Chinese people during the Marxist/Maoist Cultural Revolution. Some basic history: ‘The Golden Shield project has been in development since the 1990s’. According to a Tom McDonald field study published by…
“I’m an atheist, and I believe Australia needs to be re-evangelised.”
I experienced a variety of feelings at one of the first live events I organised as an independent activist, one I hosted with Mark Latham in the middle of 2017, when a gentleman stood up during the Q&A portion of the evening and said for everyone’s information, “My name’s Chris, I’m an atheist, and I believe Australia needs to be re-evangelised.” On one hand you could have knocked me over with a feather, often being more familiar with irrational aggression from atheists than affection. On the other hand, he was substantiating a belief I’ve long held that the real world…
French President Emmanuel Macron wants to build a European army to oppose the United States.
The speech delivered by Emmanuel Macron, at the Armistice Centenary this week, was a carefully targeted rejection of Donald Trump and his popular platform. French President Emmanuel Macron remarked: The old demons are rising again, ready to complete their task of chaos and of death. Patriotism is the exact opposite of nationalism. Nationalism is a betrayal of patriotism. In saying, ‘Our interests first, whatever happens to the others’, you erase the most precious thing a nation can have, that which makes it live, that which causes it to be great and that which is most important: its moral values. Macron…
Who Are the Real Fascists?
If the facts cannot be squeezed into a meme the level of attention those facts receive is reduced. Attention to detail is overlooked for what will best attract a view, a like, a follow or a share. Information is seen purely as a commodity.
WATCH: Christian preacher arrested for ‘angering’ Muslims after he ‘challenged’ them with Bible verses.
The failure of multiculturalism is that it generally assumes all cultures are equal, or at least, that all cultures share the same vague commitment to the arbitrary notion of diversity in harmony. In reality, this is simply not the case. Time after time we witness countless examples of those, particularly from Islamic cultures, refusing to harmoniously exist alongside those who do not share their religious, moral or political beliefs. Today we have just another example of this very thing taking place, but what’s worse, we now have authorities and people in power operating to preserve the sensitivities of people from…
Mark Latham: ‘Class warfare has been replaced by identity warfare.’
I worry that Australia is sleepwalking its way to disaster. Political correctness, identity politics and cultural Marxism have run through our institutions at an astonishing rate. Sometimes I’m asked why I wasn’t saying these things when I was leader of the Labor Party in 2004. The answer is straightforward: none of these issues were current 14 years ago. They simply didn’t exist. Australian politics has been through a remarkable period of change. Prior to the election of the Rudd Government in 2007, the budget was in surplus, our electricity supply was stable and affordable, political correctness had disappeared and only…
Ford Vs. Kavanaugh: The Attempted Hijacking of Justice?
Judgement based on raw emotion is the reason for why we have due process and habeas corpus. This system is not without flaws, but erasing due process is equal to denying the right of habeas corpus. If that happens then everyone is bound; subjected to the whim of the mob or the mood of the ruler. Due process is as important as habeas corpus. Habeas corpus being ‘the removal of illegal restraint on individual liberty.’ (Burke) Any removal, or denial of due process, would easily lead to the same thing happening to habeas corpus. Conclusions based on raw emotions about…
Two Christian women threatened with jail time for refusing to use their artwork to promote same-sex ‘weddings.’
Two Christian women from Phoenix, Arizona have been threatened with jail time and heavy fines after they refused to create custom artwork to promote gay “weddings.” The Arizona Court of Appeals ruled that Joanna Duka and Breanna Koski, owners of Brush & Nib Studio, are required by Phoenix law to create artwork for same-sex wedding ceremonies because they “cannot discriminate against potential patrons based on sexual orientation.” According to Life Site News, “Not only are the Christian women threatened with jail time and fines should they refuse to create artwork celebrating gay ‘marriage’ because of Phoenix law, they could also be…
Donald Trump’s “No” to Imperialism
From the start of his candidacy, I’ve considered Donald Trump a diamond in the rough. It’s a working hypothesis that I’ve held onto in the face of an onslaught of fear and dire predictions about his alleged “reign of terror”, a lot of which came from almost everyone I know (theologians and pastors included). Joining the bandwagon condemnation of Trump, in order to spread fear, was always a darkened side-road best left in the rear-view mirror. Minus a few friends and two years on, this hypothesis still stands strong. While I believe that God can transform, and still is in…
Did Hitler borrow ideas from American Democrats?
“Hordes of people [are] born, who live, yet who have done absolutely nothing to advance the race one iota. Their lives are hopeless repetitions… Such human weeds clog up the path, drain up the energies and the resources of this little earth. We must clear the way for a better world; we must cultivate our garden.” You’d be forgiven for thinking these were the words of Adolf Hitler. Truth is, they’re not. They’re the words of a woman Hilary Clinton claims she “admires… enormously.” Barack Obama has said he is “truly grateful” to the organisation she founded. And Dinesh D’Souza…
When #EqualityForAll does not include Christian bakers
Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, opens his doors to everyone. “People of all walks of life are always welcome in the store… I serve everybody, I just don’t make cakes for every event,” Phillips has said. Phillips is a Christian, which means he refuses to use his artistry to decorate cakes that endorse a message contrary to his faith and conviction. “There are certain messages that I don’t create,” Phillips states. “I don’t do cakes for Halloween, I don’t do cakes that would promote sexual things, or anti-American things, or things that would disparage other people, including [those] that identify as…
Religious liberty and Australian culture
Roughly 40% of Australians voted No to same-sex marriage and, according to a recent Newspoll, roughly 40% also reject the legitimacy of religious protections for Australians who disagree with same-sex marriage. The debates taking place in Federal parliament regarding religious liberty are culturally significant. The cultural reformation of the 1960s has transformed social views on sex, marriage, family, and, increasingly, gender. And yet clearly not all have gone with the tide. What became increasingly obvious during the same-sex marriage debate and now with the debate over religious protections is that culturally Australia is shifting back to the acrimonious sectarianism that…
New Attacks on our Freedom of Conscience
Last week the Federal Group denied service to a Coalition for Marriage gathering. The Plenary Hall at Wrest Point Casino was booked and paid for, and then cancelled forty-eight hours before the event. The University of Tasmania was approached. The Stanley Burbury Theatre was free, but the University also denied service. The event “did not fit within the terms of hire for university facilities.” Thankfully the Vice-Chancellor reviewed the refusal, and the evening went ahead. We could say a lot about the Federal Group’s discourteousness, cancelling very late a booking made in good faith. And we could say a lot…
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