Salt Shakers Journal
Summary April
2007
Editorial (Full version below)
Did you know it is Easter this
month?
The Easter eggs have been in the shops for so long one could be
forgiven for forgetting exactly when it was. Soon after Easter we will see
Christmas in July start to be advertised and in August, well it will be nearly
the time to start advertising Christmas in December! It must all get too
confusing for those who come from overseas and have not been ‘indoctrinated’
with our commercialisation of Christian events.
What makes them tick?
John Iary looks at politics and policies from
a Christian perspective for the lead up to the Federal Election, and recommends
a framework for understanding the process.
Victoria and SA: Cloning Bill
The Victorian government has
introduced a bill into the parliament to allow the creation of embryos by
‘therapeutic cloning’ for embryonic stem cell research.
News Update
South
Australia: Vilification law; Victoria: HIV;
South Australia: Abortions;
Peaceful Pill handbook banned.
Kevin Rudd- Faith in Politics
Jenny Stokes looks at the political
and religious views of the new Labor Opposition Leader and encourages us to
evaluate policies from a biblical worldview.
Click here
to read this article.
Sex Change Operations and Marriage
The question of same-sex
‘marriage’ is currently being considered and challenged in an unusual court
case.
A man who underwent a sex-change operation to become a ‘woman’
subsequently applied to have his details altered on the Victorian register of
births, deaths and marriages to declare that he is a woman.
Cervical Cancer, HPV and Gardasil
In November 2006, the federal
government approved a program to vaccinate all girls as they enter secondary
school to try and prevent cervical cancer.
Russia:
The Bear we can’t ignore
Kameel Majdali encourages us to see beyond the
communist stereotype that
Russia calls to
mind and paints a picture of a thriving new nation ripe for spiritual change.
Death threats against Fred Nile and other
NSW election Candidates
This proved to be a lively campaign mainly thanks
to Fred Nile being prepared to take a strong
stand against continued Muslim immigration. He called for a moratorium until our
nation could properly evaluate the effects of this religious culture.
National Solemn Assembly
Some 1,500 people gathered in
Canberra over the March 9-11 weekend to take part in
Australia’s
first ever National Solemn Assembly.
WA: Moral Values out- Prostitution In!
Moral values are unwanted in
Western Australia according to Jim
McGinty BUT government regulation and encouragement of ‘sex for entertainment’
is IN!
Mardi Gras Update
Jenny Stokes analyses this years Mardi Gras
figures fluctuations and exposes the inaccuracies.
Melbourne Relationships
Register
Melbourne City Council’s Community Services Committee voted on
13 March to establish a Relationships Declaration Program to register
same-sex and heterosexual relationships. The vote was 4 to 2.
Jesus’ Tomb: Has it been discovered?
Dr. Murray Adamthwaite looks
at the actual evidence for ‘Jesus’ tomb’ behind the sensational claims in the
news.
Homosexual Curriculum.. and Same-sex ‘marriage’
Jenny Stokes looks
at the shift in cultural attitudes and curriculum to ‘same-sex marriage’ and
homosexuality, highlighting some examples from
America.
World News
USA: Chaplain
and prayer; Environmentalism; Italy:
abortion; USA:
Ford sponsors homosexuality.
Editorial
Did you know
it is Easter this month? The Easter eggs have been in the shops for so long one
could be forgiven for forgetting exactly when it was. Soon after Easter we will
see Christmas in July start to be advertised and in August, well it will be
nearly the time to start advertising Christmas in December!
It must all get too confusing for those who come from overseas and have not
been ‘indoctrinated’ with our commercialisation of Christian events.
The great thing is, whenever they are mentioned we need to see them as a
positive opportunity to bring the real meaning of these events into our
discussions.
In the last month we had the attempt to convince the world that Jesus did not
rise from the dead. Many people went into hyper drive to denounce the film and
the Discovery Channel for showing it.
We sent out by email a 10 point ‘facts sheet’ so that Christians could debate
the issue from facts that clearly showed why the story was false, rather than
simply slam it as false without any evidence. We need to use these situations to
advance our cause.
Two days later I received an email from www.str.org - a great web site run by
Greg Koukl, who trains Christians to contend for their faith in constructive
ways. We use his DVD on the
‘Colombo’ tactic in our Worldview
Schools.
He stated “The documentary ‘The Lost Tomb of Jesus’ hadn’t even aired yet and
many Christians were already in a panic. Just the suggestion that someone found
Jesus’ bones in a limestone box had believers by the droves shaking their fists
or sticking their heads in the sand in a don’t-confuse-me-with-the-facts
posture. Apparently, many Christians don’t even
need to see the evidence to pass judgment.”
“Look, if the Bible says it and you believe it, that might settle it for you,
but it doesn’t settle it for millions who might be interested in your ideas and
are waiting to hear a thoughtful response to what appears on the surface to be a
fair challenge...
“There are good reasons to doubt the conclusions of this documentary, but no
one will ever know them if Christians pull up the drawbridge and bellow from the
parapet.”
He is right. All too often today people run away from a good debate.
Sometimes that is because they know too little about the issue. In those cases,
Greg says, “make notes and offer to get back to them”. That is sound advice we
should all heed. It suggests you are interested.
Sometimes, though, it is because we have been told we must ‘be nice’, not
confront, and “meet people where they are at”, “listen to, and learn from, their
journey”?
Jesus listened to people so he could ask the right questions; so that through
His questions they would expose the flaws in their own arguments or even their
lives. He would then use their own words to challenge them to change their
lives.
Sin was never treated with respect or given dignity by Christ, but
sadly it is by today’s world and even by many in the church.
The Message paraphrase of Jude 2-23 says “Go easy on those who hesitate in
the faith. Go after those who take the wrong way. Be tender with sinners, but
not soft on sin. The sin itself stinks to high heaven.”
People need to hear the truth, but they will only hear it after we have shown
we care enough to listen and ask questions.
Yours in His Service
Peter & Jenny
Stokes Author: Jenny Stokes | Modified: 10 July 2007 |
