Archive for April, 2010


Religious liberty takes a beating

Filed under: human rights, multiculturalism, religious freedom — Leave a comment
April 19, 2010

Earlier this month, Christian nurse Shirley Chaplin lost her appeal against the UK’s National Health Service which demanded she remove the small cross she wore around her neck, as it might scratch patients.

 But Sikh nurses can wear religious bangles, and Muslim nurses may be exempted from wearing short sleeved clothing, on religious grounds.  And Muslims may throw shoes at British police since it is a form of ritual protest, and not criminal assault. 

Many Christians in Britain are confused and troubled by the way their religious freedom is being eroded in favour of minority rights.  Sure, refusal to allow a nurse to wear a cross on a chain around her neck is a small matter.  But it is symbolic of a fundamental clash of cultures and values. 

Christians everywhere are called to speak the truth in love, even if it comes at a heavy cost.  The future of Western civilization may well depend on it.

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, Sunday 18 April 2010.

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Philip Pullman mythologises Jesus

Filed under: atheism, books, Jesus — Leave a comment
April 19, 2010

You might remember Philip Pullman as the author of the children’s fantasy books titled, His Dark Materials, the first of which was made into the 2007 film The Golden Compass.

Pullman opposes organised religion, but he has just written a book on Jesus, one of a series inviting writers to retell what the publisher regards as “famous imaginary tales.”

Pullman’s tale has twin brothers born in Bethlehem – one named Jesus, who becomes an evangelical preacher and social reformer similar to the biblical Jesus; and the other, unnamed, brother who acts rather like a biblical Pharisee and who edits the gospel story to suit his own ends.

In Pullman’s imagination, the good angels are evil, God is the ultimate villain, and Christianity is a devilish conspiracy.  It’s a blasphemous fiction, but Pullman can be thankful that followers of the genuine Jesus will be praying for his enlightenment rather than baying for his blood. 

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, Sunday 18 April 2010.

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Debate over school ethics classes

Filed under: education, ethics — Leave a comment
April 19, 2010

Last year the NSW Government announced a trial of ethics-based educational classes for students who opt out of attending ‘Scripture classes.’  The NSW Council of Churches at the time expressed a number of reservations about the proposal.

This week, Sydney Anglican Archbishop Peter Jensen expressed similar concerns, noting that schools already teach ethics, so such a course is redundant; that it should properly be called secular philosophy rather than ethics; and that it reneges on promises made by governments since the 1880s that other lessons would not be taught in the time set aside for religious education.

Time set aside for Scripture lessons in state schools is time well invested, and it is not unreasonable to fear that these new ethics classes will eventually take the place of religious instruction in state schools. 

A secular society is not necessarily one devoid of religious traditions, or faith-based ethics. 

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, Sunday 18 April 2010.

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Addressing alcohol abuse in NSW

Filed under: alcohol, health, NSW politics — Leave a comment
April 9, 2010

For some months the state government has been trialling a crackdown on the sale of alcohol at Newcastle hotels. Restrictions include a 10.00 pm cut-off for strong drinks, a prohibition on the sale of more than four drinks to any patron at one time, a 1.00 am lockout, a ban on liquor sales 30 minutes before closing, and a closing time of 3.00 am.

The results are impressive, such as a 29 per cent drop in reported assaults after dark.  And who knows how many instances of domestic violence and other issues have declined as a result of more responsible drinking habits?

The Australian Medical Association, the NSW Police Association, the Nurses Association and the Health Services Union have now called for the restrictions to be rolled out across the state. 

The NSW Council of Churches strongly supports this move, and urges the government and the liquor industry to act in the community’s best interests.

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, Sunday 11 April 2010.

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The population debate heats up

Filed under: immigration, population, refugees — Leave a comment
April 9, 2010

It’s been simmering away, but our political leaders have turned up the heat.  The population debate is on again, raising questions like:

  • Can our continent really sustain a substantial human population?
  • Should we increase or decrease immigration quotas?
  • Are we already over-stretched in the number of refugees we accept?
  • Would a lower migrant intake stimulate or stifle economic growth?
  • If we need to limit natural population growth, what should the government do to discourage people from having babies?

And so on.  We are rich in natural resources, and we do have vast open spaces.  In fact, if you take the world’s population, form it into families of four, and give each family a quarter-acre block, the population would fit into Queensland – with space the size of Victoria left over.

But with growth come problems of infrastructure, ghettos, urban crime.  And some of us will give a nod to immigration, but “Not in my back yard.” 

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, Sunday 11 April 2010.

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