Greens - and Humanists

With the federal election just days away, it's important that we take a close look at the real policies of the Greens.

And a close look at the Greens leader, Bob Brown - he has been named 'Humanist of the Year' for 2010.

Of course, humanism is a philosophy that is very opposed to the Biblical Christian worldview!
Humanism says people can do without 'religion' or faith.

The Greens reject religion in policy and focus on humanist ideals. So it isn't surprising to find that the Greens support same sex marriage, sex-ed for children to explain 'the diversity of sexuality' and abortion as a right.

They're not just about the 'environment' - and even with their 'environemnt' policies we need to carefully assess the consequences of say, closing coal-fired power stations!

Here's the email we sent today about the Greens and how they compare with the other parties on vital moral issues...
It includes information about the FamilyVoice survey results which gave the Greens a score of just 23 out of 100.

Voting - how to make your vote COUNT!

'How do we make the best use of our vote?'

'Should we just vote for the major parties?'

'If I vote for a minor party - like CDP, Family First and DLP - is my vote wasted?'

'How does the 'preferential voting' system work?'

These are some of the questions we get asked.

So we've written a report on how to make your vote count... and how to organise your preferences!

We sent it out by by email - but everyone needs to read it - so we've posted it online below...

The first part of the document is what was in our email - an overview of the situation.
We also provided a more detailed analysis of how to use your preference vote well - it includes information about Group Voting Tickets for the parties and so on ...

We've combined it into one document:  
How to Make your Vote COUNT! E-News plus detailed analysis

Make sure you read it before you vote!

AEC videos

The Australian Electoral Commission also has videos explaining how the House of Representatives and Senate votes are counted:

House of Representatives vote count video

Senate vote count video

These are really helpful!!!

Party positions and appealing for votes

In the run-up to the federal election this Saturday there have been an overwhelming number of articles and blogs by Christians - some opposing a vote for Labor or the Greens (one or the other or both) and some supporting the Greens policies on refugees and so on.

That raises the question 'Should we tell people who to vote for?'
The answer is 'No!'
HOWEVER, we can carefully analyse the policies of the parties on a range of moral issues and decide if particular parties have policies that we can support and that we can vote for!

We've just assessed the parties' policies on abortion and sent it by email...
The first document below is the E-News email with an outline of the issue.

The second document has a more detailed look at the policies of the parties on abortion.

We look at the Greens support for abortion - and also that fact that Labor's platform SUPPORTS abortion (they allow a conscience vote but so do the Greens!).
We also look at EMILY's List - that group that helps Labor women who support abortion get elected. Julia Gillard was a 'founding member'!

E-News - Voting for Life and Morality (sent 16 August 1010)

Detailed assessment of party policies on abortion: The political party positions on abortion

Last week we sent an email looking at how Julia Gillard has changed tack and is now trying to appeal to the 'Christian vote'!

Read the email:

E-News - Will the real Julia please stand up?

Mandarin version of Christian Values Checklist released

Pastors of some Chinese churches have asked for a Mandarin version of the Australian Christian Values Checklist for the coming federal election so they can help their congregations understand the views of the political parties on a range of moral issues.

With their help in translating the Checklist questions and introduction, and also the one page summary of the Supporting Statements, these have now been published.

If you have Mandarin-speaking friends, please let them know that these documents are now available and send them a copy! Or send them a link to this page!

Mandarin Version - Australian Christian Values Checklist for federal election August 2010

Mandarin version - 1 Page Summary of Supporting Statements for ACVCL

Will the real Julia please stand up?

Can you imagine a nation where the only real marriages take place in a few small churches which continue to preach Biblical Christianity, and where civil marriage means people of any gender construct?

Can you imagine a nation where as many babies are killed before birth, because they are an inconvenience, than are actually born in any given year?

Can you imagine a nation where socialist philosophy reigns supreme?  

Exaggeration?
Possibly, but only slightly, because this is certainly the direction towards which the 'real Julia Gillard' would take this nation if elected on August 21.  

Yet sadly, an article by The Agereligion writer Barney Zwartz last weekend, suggested that most Christians are not worried that the real Julia actually believes these things are OK or that she is an atheist living in sin.

In his article "Gillard, bid to win back the Christian vote" Zwartz states

"Mr Conner, senior pastor at Melbourne's biggest church, CityLife, said he was not concerned by Ms Gillard's atheism: ''Primarily you are looking at them to have what it takes to run the nation" - but felt Mr Rudd's dumping would cost Labor more than the party realised."

So the direction doesn't matter? We believe it should be a very important issue for Christians.  

Barney Zwartz also writes,

"ACL chief of staff Lyle Shelton said Ms Gillard's atheism might be a factor for some voters, but Christians were a discerning constituency."

"Might be a factor"? What about 'should' be a factor?  

After her appointment by Labor as Prime Minister social commentator Scott Stephens, (ABC Religion and Ethics 19 Jul 2010) noted that Julia Gillard was not concerned about the Christian vote.

Then just last week ACL announced that Julia would do an interview with them.
On August 6, after this interview was announced, Scott Stephens noted "Now, it seems, the "real Julia" has decided that she can't ignore the Christian vote."
He concluded "But this does raise serious questions concerning the authenticity of the Prime Minister's appeal to a lobby that, prior to this week, she seemed not to think she needed."  

Keep reading to find out what happened in the interview...

PLUS the other means Julia Gillard is using to appeal to the 'Christian vote' - such as funds for the canonisation of a Catholic saint and more chaplains in schools...