The Left’s War against Christian Proclamation
Mix leftwing governments with out of control litigation, homosexual activism, and hatred of God’s truth, including his design for marriage and family, and what do you get? The end of the public proclamation of biblical Christianity. Throughout the Western world we see this happening on a daily basis.
Indeed, politically correct leftist governments are aiding and abetting the two groups most actively at war against Christianity and religious freedom: the radical Islamists and the radical homosexualists. With all sort of pseudo laws and legislation being pulled out of the hat, this is set to worsen.
Indeed, the proliferation of religious vilification laws, hate crimes legislation, and so on, is guaranteeing that the public proclamation of Christian truth claims will increasingly be stamped out. Whether the believer seeks to proclaim moral, social or theological truths, to do so in public is to risk facing the heavy hand of the law.
Examples of this are everywhere to be found, with two new cases of this just reported in Australia in the past day. The first case involves a Queensland political candidate who sought to affirm the fundamental truth that children deserve a mother and a father.
To affirm what most people know by common sense and what is backed up by a massive mountain of social science data is not enough for our radical social engineers. Now we have a lesbian couple suing Wendy Francis of Family First for daring to state the obvious.
A lesbian mother is dragging Francis to the anti-discrimination tribunal for her remarks that children deserve a mum and a dad, and to deliberately deprive them of both is akin to child abuse. The lesbian complained about “the bigotry and hatred stirred up by people like Wendy Francis”.
There you have it folks. To stand up for a child’s most basic and most urgent of human rights, to have his or her own mother and father is nothing but “bigotry and hatred”. But of course for the radical homosexual activists, anything that even remotely questions the homosexual lifestyle is seen as such.
And with hate crime laws and similar legislation being passed all over the place, to simply speak common sense and majority opinion, let alone biblical truth, is now considered hatred and a criminal offence. And much of the mainstream media is happy to join in on this witch-hunt.
Indeed, given such biased coverage from the MSM, Francis had to issue a press release today to give her side of the story. It reads in part:
“I hold no personal animosity against homosexuals. The way people choose to conduct their lives is up to them and I will defend the right of every Australian to live according to their personal beliefs as long as their choices do not infringe upon the rights and choices of other Australians or the nation as a whole.
“It is the latter part of the previous sentence that leads me to stand for marriage as it has traditionally been viewed. I believe that the foundation of Australia is strong families including marriage between a man and a woman. I furthermore believe that the best interests of the child are served by being raised by a mother and father. It is for this reason I stood against Queensland’s surrogacy laws and it is for this reason that, if elected, I will be a voice in the senate to protect marriage.
“I do not believe that upholding marriage or preventing children being raised in homosexual families is discrimination. We can’t govern Australia by legislation based on pleasing each group who wants things their way. I believe we must stand firm on principles and values that are the best for the good of the nation. Few Australians would – if given the choice – choose to forgo being raised with a mother and a father. If we would choose this for ourselves, how much more important is it that we make the same choices on behalf of children who cannot speak for themselves at birth? For this reason I will also work towards measures to strengthen marriage relationships and promote stable families.
“Having an opinion is not homophobic. Having an opinion is not discriminatory. Having an opinion is a part of democracy and by standing for the senate I am a part of the democratic process that gives every Queenslander the chance to agree with me or not.”
Another story just reported is equally troubling for committed Christians who see the high priority of publically proclaiming the gospel of Christ. It involves a street preacher at the Gold Coast who was told to stop by the police. Details seem to be a bit sketchy, and there seem to be varying accounts.
But evidently some police said this preaching was illegal, and a permit was needed to do it, while other police said it was fine, and no permit was needed. So just who exactly is correct remains to be seen. But this appears to be just one more example of Christians meeting governmental resistance as they seek to openly share their faith.
The bottom line with all this is as follows: a Labor-Green government will likely result in the floodgates opening on cases like this. It is most likely that we will see this occurring exponentially. More and more Christians will be turned into criminals as they simply seek to speak biblical truth in the public arena.
Critics will complain, ‘yeah, but these are just two isolated incidents’. If that in fact was the case, then yes, we could all just chill out. But it seems every week I am documenting more such cases. It is the cumulative effect of all this anti-Christian bigotry which slowly but slowly builds up, and soon enough full-strength persecution is on the way.
And there will be plenty of ways that these secular leftist governments will seek to silence these Christian voices: fines, imprisonment, being fired from one’s employment, and so on. It will become increasingly difficult for believers to simply make a living and be faithful to the gospel in such an environment.
While I have normally been a bit suspicious of those seeking to pinpoint when and where the alarming events described in Revelation 13:16-17 might occur, I am beginning to see that the direction we are now moving in the West may well make such a scenario increasingly likely and probable – even in our own lifetime.
Whether or not we are in actual end times, there is no question at all that a war has been declared against those who bravely and faithfully seek to proclaim biblical truth in the public square. Each new day sees the great good of religious freedom being whittled away.
We cannot say we have not been warned. Indeed, Jesus said as much two millennia ago: “I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you” (John 16:2-4). So expect the persecution to increase in the coming weeks and months – unless we now take a stand against it.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/10/2979275.htm
http://wendy4senate.com/2010/08/clarification-of-comments-by-wendy-francis/
http://networkedblogs.com/6Is45
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Hi Bill,
I’d say it is coming whether or not we take a stand against it. Not that that means we shouldn’t oppose it. Take heart though, if nothing else, history does show that the church grows and is strengthened by persecution. I’d rather it didn’t happen, but it seems western culture has gone insane and is bent on destroying itself and like the prophets of old, the culture will seek to crush any voices of sanity in its midst.
Jason Rennie
Thanks Jason
Yes you are absolutely right that the West is going insane. The question is, is much of the church as well?
And yes it is quite true to state that persecution can do much good: it purifies the church and certainly separates the men from the boys, weeding out fake believers from the real deal. Thus if it happens – God forbid – God can certainly use it for good.
But as I have said so many times before, we are nowhere in Scripture told to pray for persecution, or encouraged to seek it. Indeed, we should all thank God when genuine religious liberty exists, and we should all seek to work for the preservation of those freedoms. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of conscience are all tremendously important goods which we should not take for granted, and which we should not allow to be stolen away without putting up a good fight.
Whether there are enough true biblical Christians left in Australia to put up a fight remains to be seen however. If there are not, then it seems to me that persecution will be inevitable. But the choice in many ways is really ours. “And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none” (Ezekiel 22:30 ).
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Hi Bill,
We are quickly developing a Russian style democracy in the West. We can vote for any candidate we choose, but the state, through harrasment and persecution effectively limits which candidates may stand.
Mansel Rogerson
Thanks Mansel
Yes quite right. And even if a few good democratically elected MPs get in and make some good laws, the unelected activist judges will simply push what they want anyway. We are steadily losing it all, and most people do not seem to know about it, or do not seem to care about it.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
They are not even ‘Left’ Bill. I and many other people are ‘left’ as in Laborite. Bill, they are secularists and secularists can be found on both the ‘left’ and the ‘right’.
Michael Webb
Thanks Michael
I do use the phrase “secular leftist” in the article, and yes there are some secularists of the right. But my title wording is not amiss. As I state in the article, the election of a Labor-Green government will result in a great increase of anti-Christian bigotry and persecution. And generally speaking, around the Western world today the left tends to be more secular while the right tends to be more religious.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
I have a criminal charge of ‘offensive behaviour’ hanging over my head for silently holding this http://www.spuc.org.uk/shop/product_details?id=22 high school biology model on public ground outside at a prayer gathering outside an abortuary in Adelaide. The complaint amounts to a woman saying she had a miscarriage and felt offended – seriously. That the government had built a facility for the violent deaths of babies by the thousand didn’t offend her though!
The police are just as confused, they haven’t come to their senses yet its at the pre-trial stage for goodness sake. The QC and Senior Counsels defending me will all eventually get a big cost order against the Police for this frivolous intimidation. Taxpayers slugged again.
What is so hard to understand about our constitutional protections? Government cannot make laws establishing a religion. Radical liberalism might teach that the practice of human abortion should be protected from critical speech and that the police arm should enforce this – but too bad, its unconstitutional.
Police like many people, believe we live in a confessional state – though they couldn’t articulate why. Unconsciously adhering to liberalism they simply expect everyone to confess the creed they’ve picked up in the media (grand church of the ideology) and its principle of ‘radical autonomy’ or be threatened with criminal sanction.
I hope Wendy gets some great legal help and hurts these totalitarians in the hip pocket. And agreed, Bill we can’t expect a rational debate if we rely on those who control the TV microwave band and who can print ink by the barrel.
Martin Snigg
I should add R.R Reno’s thoughts:
[Orthodox Christian] views of morality, culture, and politics represent one of the most cogent and intellectually sophisticated alternatives to the secular liberalism that has gained the upper hand in the public square. In a word, orthodox Christianity remains ideologically powerful. For this reason, she is seen by the secular elites as an adversary to be defeated, which is why we’ve seen such an explosion of polemics against Christianity in the last decade.
In all likelihood, the orthodox Christianity will become still more ideologically powerful, because animated by a much clearer sense of her own vision of human flourishing. Meanwhile, postmodern liberalism will become increasingly unnerved by the extremes that seem to arise from its own first principles (e.g., euthanasia, infanticide, genetic engineering).
Martin Snigg
Bill you rightly say, a Labor-Green government will likely result in more and more Christians “turned into criminals as they simply seek to speak biblical truth in the public arena.” But are we going to hear this warning from the pulpits of our nation next Sunday morning? Are we going to be encouraged to vote for the candidate with the clearest Christian world view? ACL have distributed a guide outlining the position of the various parties on matters of interest to Christians. Are we going to be encouraged to read it? Will we be directed to the Christian Values Checklist? How many pastors will play it safe and preach on a passage such as Gen 27:11 “But my brother Esau is a hairy man and I am a smooth man.” At a vital time in our history, instead of sounding the alarm they will waffle about the wisdom of shaving or growing a beard.
Des Morris
Thanks Des
Sadly I suspect very few churches will be acting as a watchman on the wall, as in Ezekiel 3.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Here’s an idea: We should think of any incident like this as an opportunity to help people in general to get some things straight in their minds, especially on the subject of people needing a mother and a father. It has to be made clear that our preference and commitment on this has widespread social consequences affecting all of us. A child who hasn’t been attached to his mother is not likely to become attached to others in the community in a proper way and will therefore be much more likely to commit a criminal act. An older child who lacks the particular love and discipline that a father offers will tend to lack control over his own aggressive tendencies. The prisons are full of people like this, and the legitimation of homosexuality ignores these things that are basic to a human social order. We should take the offensive on these point and not just defend our right to certain beliefs.
John O’Connor
Thanks Bill
Wendy Francis should be commended for her stand and her clear sensible and uncompromising press release. Their are many sensible people in the land who see the foolishness of these radical agendas being forced down our throats by activists and a complicit media, but only the true church of Jesus Christ has the spiritual power to effect true and lasting change. This can only be done as the Bride of Christ takes up the mantle of preaching, teaching the whole counsel of God and by engaging in believing prayer. Sadly the first place to start, I believe, is in the churches themselves. Many of then anyhow.
Glenn Christopherson
Bill a very sobering post here. It brings to mind the words of Jesus who foresaw the persecution of the Church down the ages. He said things like if the world hated me it will hate you (believers) too but count it all joy when being persecuted for my sake…..Believers in the West in our lifetime at least have not suffered persecution where it really hurts, but the clouds of moral darkness have been building for some years now and gathering in intensity.
Listening to the debate on 7’s Sunrise between the Sex Party and Family First something Fiona of the Sex Party said caught my attention. Whilst discussing the internet filtering as proposed by Labour Fiona said “we all know about the “secret black list” the government has. This is the list of websites the government wants restrict access to. I would like that secret list made public before election day as I suspect that there are more the porn sites on it. I have a sneaky suspicion that some of the sites on that list will curtail freedom of speech from PC insensitive websites that war against the homosexual lobby and Islam and the like. If Labour gets in because of the greens preferences watch out Church and free speech!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS_gR6ahd3o
Keith Lewis
One of the ways we could and should I think support people in trouble for declaring what the bible teaches is to hold large non violent protests and demonstrations. What do you think? Should we expect to see protests held (locally) for people like this and the subjects of your previous posts:
“It is Now Illegal to Think in a Non-PC Manner” and “Coming Soon To a Gulag Near You”.
Of course, one needs to be careful to confirm the words / actual events, otherwise one could end up defending simply rude / insulting behaviour rather than biblical truth.
Who would organise such protests as well?
Just thinking out loud….
David Stanhope
To clarify, by “locally” I meant preferrably local to the event where it happened.
David Stanhope
Thanks Keith
But I just don’t take seriously anything the Sex Party tells us.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Thanks David
Good questions. I wrote about these matters here:
https://billmuehlenberg.com/2008/11/02/christians-and-civil-disobedience/
And here:
https://billmuehlenberg.com/2009/05/06/abortion-and-civil-disobedience/
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Secret Black List
Thank you Bill. I did a little digging and found a Lateline report on the subject of a secret black list. It leads to wikileaks who have a link to the Governments web page where you can download the list of websites on this list. It is horrifying even to read the names of the pornographic sites and the number of them soon explains the concerns of mums and dads everywhere. A quick look does not reveal any sites other then porn and violence. Here is a part of the Lateline report;
The list of websites banned by the Australian Communications Media Authority mostly relate to child pornography. But the list published on Wikileaks also includes online gambling websites, Wikipedia entries, euthanasia sites and links to YouTube.
Bill you may want to remove the links from this post as people who want to read the list would not have a problem finding them. Whether this is the only list who knows but to put them out of business would be a good thing. They come out of the pit of hell.
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2008/s2521213.htm
http://wikileaks.org/wiki/Australian_government_secret_ACMA_internet_censorship_blacklist,_11_Mar_2009
http://wikileaks.org/wiki/Australian_government_secret_ACMA_internet_censorship_blacklist,_6_Aug_2008
Keith Lewis
Thanks Keith
Thanks for doing the spade work for us. I have not looked at the links, but I will leave them on. I will simply say:
CAUTION: VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Hi Bill, thanks for the article.
I personally believe that this country needs the persecution of the saints to wake them from their worldly secularized slumber. For too long, many who profess to be ‘born again’ of the Spirit of God do not resemble the spirit of God at all. They look like the world, dress like the world, speak like the world and there is no evidence of Gods life transforming power in them at all. They argue over what is sinful when clearly it is the work of God’s Holy Spirit to convict a man of sin and turn his heart into one which hates sin as much as God does. There is no real repentance and therefore there is no real faith.
Pseudo Christianity borne on the back of a false gospel that teaches you only need to say a little prayer and ask Jesus into your heart and then you are saved. Imagine, people who think they are saved are really running full steam ahead into hell believing they are saved because someone told them they were. The man born of the Spirit of God does not require that anyone tell him that he is saved. HE KNOWS he is saved because there is evidence of his salvation through the life transforming, supernatural power of God through faith in his Christ. The Spirit of God also bares witness to the born again man’s spirit that he has been sealed through the Holy Spirit as one belonging to the father and the son. It is also the work of God’s Spirit to lead us into all truth concerning the scriptures. Jesus himself informed us that the man born again of the Spirit did not undertake this birth of his own accord. He was born from “Above.’
In a nutshell, it is a very sad and depressing truth that a great many who profess to be Christian are NOT Christian at all. There was never any ‘real’ repentance and therefore this no ‘real’ faith. When faith is given by God for one to believe, it is by faith from first to last. The man who is born again was once dead in his sins and transgressions. Dead to God. Only God can bring a man to life and call him to himself.
The true gospel of Christ is a message that shakes a man to his very foundation and reveals the truth of who HE is and who God IS. The ‘true’ gospel of Christ cost every disciple and apostle and prophet his own life. The gospel message being preached today is a gospel that offers Jesus as an accessory to fulfill a life and not as the perfectly sinless and righteous sacrifice for the atonement of our sins, who bore upon his own flesh the infinite wrath of a perfectly holy and just God.
Bring ON the persecution I say. At least we will learn who IS and who is NOT born again of the Spirit of God.
Regards,
Bennett Donelly
Thanks Bennett
I am with you on this for the most part. Indeed, seconds ago I just posted my newest article, dealing with many similar themes: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2010/08/12/living-in-sodom/
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Great article, Bill!
I agree with your comment, “And there will be plenty of ways that these secular leftist governments will seek to silence these Christian voices: fines, imprisonment, being fired from one’s employment, and so on.” And this “and so on” could also simply mean that we are silenced by the angry mob (‘mob rule’).
I learnt this first hand when I ran as an independent in the last South Australian state election in March. I had over three and half thousand posters put up on electricity posts (stobie poles) around the state. The posters had Save the Unborn emblazoned on them and a picture of a baby underneath, an abortsa.com website address, and my name, etc, eg http://www.borderwatch.com.au/archives/6499
Despite having State Electoral Commission and each council permission for the erection of the posters, within 2 weeks around two and half thousand of these posters were ripped down & stolen, and another two hundred or so posters were heavily spray painted or slashed.
Most of this was instigated and perpetrated by a number of facebook groups that were created (some boasting of a couple of thousand friends; even church folks) such as http://en-gb.facebook.com/pages/The-We-Hate-Trevor-Grace-Page/322100916942 etc
It is interesting to note, some of the loudest and most regular bloggers on these facebook sites — who were at the front of stirring up agitation toward me, and inciting the above criminal activity, were a number of South Australian MSM journalists (including several opinion columnists). One of these agitators, a Greens’ media writer, as well as a couple of abortion clinic staffers.
These people claimed that the posters were “offensive”. Offensive to women who had abortions, and also children — who might start asking questions about the posters and link it to abortion. I should add, even the Democrats (well, the last of them in our state) were kicking and screaming, saying, “They should be taken down! Immediately!” http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/22/2826296.htm
Anyway, I did the obvious when all this was happening, and went to my local police station several times, but to no avail.
Yes, the police went through the motion and took down the details of the various thefts (as we had caught some on video tearing down the posters and had clear pictures of their car regos and even a young man an assaulting one of my campaign supporters http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/10/2841450.htm, as well as myriad of facebook confessions, etc), but the police simply remarked that, “It was unlikely that anything would be done in the end.” Because, as I was told, they have more important things to do than chase after people who stole my election posters.”
Now, I wasn’t expecting a state wide man-hunt for the perpetrators of the thefts and vandalising of the posters, but as we already had already identified some of the criminals on video and had witnesses, I thought it was simple enough just to pay a visit to these people so as to thwart their likely “nightly” activities.
And to my knowledge, nothing was done.
Yet the question is, what sought of outcry would we have had, if two and half thousand Greens’ posters were stolen and several hundred vandalised; not to mention the abusive phone calls, stalking and death threats that I (and my family) received???
Very clearly, there are certain dissenting opinions which are not tolerated in our society, especially those who speak out on things which aren’t politically correct. To say something about the horridness of abortion and what it does to the unborn is an obvious example. And those who do speak out are left to their own devices to handle the mob.
Does this really surprise us? No.
However, as Christians we know that we have a mandate to speak into our society; lovingly but truthfully.
Trevor Grace
Thanks for sharing this Trevor. Very revealing stuff indeed. Keep up the good work.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Yes, I saw the news stories where those posters were taken down and spray painted etc Trevor…I was very displeased with the way the Adelaide media attacked the Save the Unborn campaign. I was constantly upset to see the AbortSA posters spray painted…Imagine the outcry if people vandalised feminist posters!
It’s terrible the constant articles by people like Tory Shepherd in the Adelaide Advertiser who almost weekly inflict us with an atheist flavoured sermon.
Don’t give up Trevor! I voted for you in the state election.
Jeremy Woods
Both left and right ideologies have dangers. Are only ‘right’
wing elements that support capitalism ‘godly’? So, ‘right’ wing now means ‘godly’ as its impossible for any ‘left’ wing politicians to be godly? I dont think so! And to polarise politics like this is to politicize the church. Remember, Jesus was not a politician. The rich always find ways of oppressing the poor, and sometimes ‘right’ wing ideologies help them do this. The Industrial Revolution, child labour, children working in chimneys etc workers having no rights, What could the churches do about this? Needed unions etc to protect peoples’ rights; so what is the role of ‘right’ wing governments? To help the rich get richer and the poor get thinner?
Angie Volmensky
Thanks Angie
But respectfully, you sound like you have just watched a Michael Moore film or some other far-left whacko. There is plenty of rhetoric but little solid fact or historical evidence. You need to feed on more than just leftist scaremongering. Perhaps some serious study of economics, politics and history will result in a bit of balance here.
And if you read carefully my article and comments you will see that I nowhere say the Liberals are God’s party, or that only conservative free market governments are godly. I have however here and elsewhere argued that some economic systems and political views may be closer to the biblical ideal than others.
If you want to see more of my reasoning here, please refer to these articles for starters:
https://billmuehlenberg.com/2007/01/05/conservatism-and-liberalism-christianity-and-secularism/
https://billmuehlenberg.com/2007/10/19/a-conflict-of-visions/
https://billmuehlenberg.com/2006/06/01/christianity-and-partisan-politics/
https://billmuehlenberg.com/2006/12/17/kevin-rudd-christian-socialism-and-the-new-labor-party/
Indeed, simply consider the issue of the Industrial Revolution. A lot of shallow and foolish thinking exists on this topic, and much more careful analysis is called for. See for example my discussion about this here: https://billmuehlenberg.com/1998/06/20/in-defence-of-the-industrial-revolution/
So please have a read of those, and then you will see more clearly where I am coming from. I do not expect you to agree with it all, but it may help you in future to offer a bit less generalising rhetoric on what are actually somewhat complex and nuanced debates.
But thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Many thanks for your continual work in standing on Christian principals. I have been involved in it myself and at times I get frustrated, it seems at times like trying to stop the tide from coming in.
The problem as I see it, is that Jesus said that Satan is the Prince of the Air. In our society I would see that as ‘airwaves’ because who gives these people of whom you speak their power? Clearly it is the MSM. On any issue we always hear the views of the Greens, Gay lobby etc. Their views are being constantly inflicted on us. Older people like myself who have witnessed the moral decline of our society pay them no attention, but it is the young and vulnerable who are being affected.
God bless you Bill
Gary Baxter
Cardinal Pell wrote that abortion corrupts everything it touches. Trevor Grace it seems has direct experience of that: politics, law, police, family, education, media. Its all cancerous. But of course abortion undermines the very concept of law no surprise the police did nothing. No surprise the unlawful had no scruples vilifying you and attacking your family.
Other Christian ‘leaders’ are paralysed by assimilation into this ‘culture’ – one that has baby corpses as a foundation. People just don’t realise that as the babies go so does law and its protection of life – and no one is safe.
Trevor, thank you for your organised defence of the city…
Martin Snigg
To Trevor Grace, mate, I had a quick look at the Facebook site and I was absolutely appalled at the vitriolic slander and some of the murderous overtones weaving throughout it. This is pretty disgusting stuff when a person campaigns for something and gets this sort of a response, I am still reeling from some of the comments, it shows just how mixed up we really are! Keep your chin up mate because greater is he in you than he who is in the world!
Steve Davis
Bill, while i respect your views as well as your work in standing up for the true meaning of marriage and family structures, i struggle to see how the election of a Labor Government will lead to, as you put it: ” a Labor-Green government will likely result in the floodgates opening on cases like this. It is most likely that we will see this occurring exponentially. More and more Christian will be turned into criminals as they simply seek to speak biblical truth in the public arena.”
What do you base this statement on? Would you be making the same statement of Rudd was still the prime minister?
I understand concerns regarding the Greens as I disagree with many of their policies, however I am beginning to feel that this anti-labor position is unfounded (but i’m happy to be proven otherwise).
I have recently reviewed the analysis of the political party policies you posted not long ago (i can’t recall the body that put it together) and was again concerned that when a comparison of policies was done (and i read the explanatory notes), where no obvious policy statement existed on a topic by Labor they were oftened viewed in the negative, whereas Liberal were viewed in the positive. I could see no evidence to support what i could only otherwise perceive as being prejudicial assumptions.
My question to you is, what consideration are you giving to those laws that affect families and those in lower level jobs when considering which party stands for christian ethics. I work in industrial relations and have seen the impact of the liberal government Workchoices laws. But topics such as this are given no conisderation in much of the debate here, though work comprises such a large part of a family members life and also impacts on the development of a child through the resources available to that family through their employment. Should you be considering some of the broader policies being debated during this election rather than focusing a narrow range of policies??
Though i may disagree with some of your statements, again I thoroughly appreciate your work and enjoy reading the email bulletins.
God bless,
Philip Pearson
Thanks Philip
I partly deal with your concerns here:
https://billmuehlenberg.com/2010/07/29/christians-and-the-election/
And here:
https://billmuehlenberg.com/2010/08/03/thinking-about-the-2010-election/
Please refer to those articles, so I don’t have to repeat myself here. As to the checklist, I already stated that some biblical concerns are clear cut, such as God’s design for marriage and family. However, something like fair working conditions is much more broad and generalised in Scripture, and it is silly to suggest that any one policy by any one party fully encapsulates all the biblical concerns.
Indeed, please point me to chapter and verse where we are specifically told that something like Workchoices is sinful. All parties deal with issues of workplace fairness, and none fully reflect all that God’s word has to say on the subject. Thus it is very difficult in a short phrase on a one page checklist to accurately assess where the parties stand on what are in fact rather complex and detailed issues. Indeed, please look at some of the links I posted above to Angie if you want to see more of my thinking on some of these rather nuanced and multi-layered economic and political issues.
As to more persecution under a Labor-Green government, I would have thought that this was rather evident. Even looking at what I have documented on this site over the past few years should dispel any illusions that biblical Christianity will do well under such a government.
Plenty of specific examples can be mentioned. We all have seen how the preaching of the gospel has been under attack in Victoria thanks to our horrendous Racial and Religious Vilification Act. Robert McClelland, the Federal Attorney general, has made it quite clear that he wishes to enact similar legislation on a federal scale. That, along with more hate crime laws and the like, will simply result in far more persecution of biblical Christians seeking to publically proclaim their faith.
And the push for same-sex marriage and adoption rights will be overwhelming under a Labor-green government. Labor already has the numbers for such a move, and is simply abiding its time until they win this election. No Christian should be naive about this very real danger.
And of course when something becomes a right, there are always corresponding duties. If SSM is legalised, you can bet your bottom dollar that it will be considered discriminatory for churches to not “marry” homosexuals. Those that refuse to do so may well be fined or put out of action. We dare not remain gullible and uninformed about such very real realities.
Sadly, it is just those who are living a rather cocooned life who cannot see what is happening here and all over the Western world with these sorts of laws. Indeed, how can we expect anything less in a fallen, anti-God political environment? We are not to be naive of Satan’s devices, Scripture informs us, and it is in the political arena where these clampdowns of the gospel are occurring with increasing pace and seriousness. We need to open our eyes and be aware of how fragile Christian freedoms are right now in the West, and take a stand to defend them, before we lose it all.
But thanks for sharing your thoughts. Perhaps we may have to agree to disagree on some of these matters here.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Bill, thanks for your response.
My comments were not aimed at being attacking of your views, rather I was seeking clarification. As to the Workchoices legislation, I don’t believe it to be a matter of chapter and verse sin, but rather I was attempting to point out that areas like workplace relations also impact on the family, and the life of a family and also deserve consideration.
However, I do not wish to get caught up in a debate over the WorkChoices legislation etc.
My point in respect to the Christian Values checklist was that I was querying why where no policy was evident that for Labor the negative was reported whereas in similar cases the position was reported for the Liberal/National Coalition. The supporting statements document is what illustrated this to me http://www.christianvalues.org.au/Supporting_Statements_2010_Federal_Checklist.pdf.
Item 3 on the checklist is now supported by Labor with funding continuing to be provided. Is there something I am missing (if so I am happy to be informed otherswise) from this, despite the list reporting labor in the negative. Items 8 and 15 are examples of where a policy does not exist Labor are reported in the negative.
I am not trying to attack the credibility of the list, but i’m curious as to the trend that i see when no policy is evident.
Is the main concern regarding labor their alignment with the Greens and the influence that the Greens will have in the Senate. I will admit i am also concerned about it.
Are many of the concerns because of Julia Gillard being the leader?
I also have real concerns about the move to have the definition of marriage changed, as well as the laws in respect to abortion.
I must admit, this is probably the first election where i have considered strongly changing my vote. I live in a safe Labor seat, but thanks to your articles i’m really re-thinking my vote.
Bill, I really appreciate your work as I would be naive to many of the topics you discuss, and the happenings around the world were you not so dedicated to raising the awareness of these matters. I confess that spiritually i have a lot of maturing to do, but your work is just one blessing in guiding me to that end.
Thanks for the response.
Philip Pearson
Thanks Philip
No, I did not take your comments as attacking me or my views, thanks. And I hope mine do not appear to be attacking you, just clarifying things.
As to your Labor query, I did not write the supporting documents, but can put you in touch with the person who did. As stated at other times, hundreds of hours went into this document, checking and rechecking policy positions, statements made by candidates, past voting records, party platforms, etc. A team of us also spent many hours on expensive phone hook-ups debating and discussing every decision we made, and seeking to be as fair, even-handed and accurate as possible. In a fallen world, there can be no perfect checklist, or anything else for that matter. So it is not an inerrant document, but one which we all strove as much as possible to be an accurate and faithful representation of where the parties stand on the various issues. If you want to take this further, let me know.
As to Gillard, no she is not the main concern, although a socialist, atheist, pro-abortionist fornicator – if we can put matters bluntly – will certainly not do much to help meet the conditions of Proverbs 14:24 (“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people”).
But as has been stated repeatedly here, the issue is not so much the leader but the party itself. Unlike America, where the leader does have real clout indeed, here it is the caucus which we must deal with. The caucus determines who is the leader of the party, what are the policies, and so on. Leaders come and go – witness the backstabbed Rudd. So the real focus of our attention should be on what are the actual policies and values of a party. The checklist seeks to do this.
Thanks again for sharing, and for engaging in a bit of Proverbs 27:17.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
I like Bennett Donelly’s comment – “Pseudo Christianity borne on the back of a false gospel that teaches you only need to say a little prayer and ask Jesus into your heart and then you are saved.”
Theology like this – and there is plenty of it out there – means a person could live a life of horrendous evil and on their death-bed say a nifty little two-line ‘salvation prayer’ and spend life in eternal paradise, presumably while the victims of their evil all go to hell.
But this seems to be a prevailing view in some Christian circles. Is it Biblical in your view. I’d be interested in your comments
David Williams
Thanks David
There are a lot of theological issues to untangle here, and it is worth an entire article, but the short answer is, I am with you. I am wary of death bed confessions; I do not think there is Christian salvation without making Christ as Lord as well as Saviour; and I think we must take seriously the warnings found in Scripture. See my thoughts here for example:
https://billmuehlenberg.com/2008/05/11/on-the-perseverance-of-the-saints/
https://billmuehlenberg.com/2009/01/16/christian-discipleship-asking-the-hard-questions/
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Bill, thanks for your observations on what’s going on – I check in every day now. The thought of Revelations end time scenario certainly sprang to mind as I was reading your post and seems a much nearer possibility. The war against Christianity is re-doubling at speed over the airwaves as sections of society need God to be gone so they can justify their own lifestyles. Most of my family and friends are Darwinian secularists! The trouble is we are clearly spiritual beings and we need the spirit of God to flourish. The prophecy of “the remnant” comes to mind.
Rachel Smith
Let market forces decide, how often have you heard that.
‘Market forces’ need to be taken into account but these forces can be psychopathic, not much compassion there but they’re hailed as a guiding light. We should not worship Mammon but keep a heart in political policies. I’ve been to India recently and seen how low human living conditions can get and how people suffer,( also due to the false gods some of them worship but Christianity has really taken root ) . There is a dirty grey haze over the sky that never goes away, its pollution,, probably from all the factories. Lots of beggars and homeless, but isnt that what’s happening here. …..should we only care about the ‘deserving’ poor?(easy to adopt a condescendidng attitude especially if we are the ones in charge of dispensing what they need to survive.) Sometimes people fall on hard times and they need a hand up, as a volunteer at ‘Loaves and Fishes’ restaraunt run by Rev.Bill Cruze I was amazed how the poorest people, some with their teeth missing and tattered clothing, seemed to have the greatest faith. On the issue of the earth, there is so much plastic and junk in the oceans, harming the marine life, polllution in the air etc
and unfortunately only the Greens seem to be addressing these issues with some gusto, could there not be a broader focus on these issues also? I do believe that God would not be pleased with what is happening to His earth; so if your a Christian and concerned about these issues there’s not much voter choice . Another option is to make political parties really aware before every election that there is Christian Values Checklist and so may taper policies to be more Christian friendly but please, dont forget the environment.
Its a silly argument to say that people are helping beached whales but dont do anything about abortion, as Ive heard Christians say, or hugging trees. We need trees, God created trees and Im not a nature worshipper. and yes, we do need to also stand up against abortion but then don;t we have to dismantle Peter Singer’s philosophical argument ?
Angie Volmensky
Thanks Angie
But I have no idea what your concerns about the free market have to do with poverty in India. Are you claiming that India is somehow a bastion of capitalism?
The Christian Values Checklist does contain questions on the environment. All believers have such concerns. The real question is this: what is the best way to help the environment? This is where believers and political parties can and do differ. The Greens are not the only party to have environmental concerns – all of them do. And many of the radical green environmental policies are clearly unbiblical and anti-human.
As to Singer, I and others have sought to do just that – dismantle his pernicious secular humanist green worldview:
https://billmuehlenberg.com/1996/10/14/peter-singer-and-the-gospel-of-death/
https://billmuehlenberg.com/2002/12/03/reflections-on-peter-singer/
https://billmuehlenberg.com/2002/11/15/a-review-of-rethinking-peter-singer-edited-by-gordon-preece/
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
I agree with Bill on the matter of secularists being largely of the Left. In my youth I was a member of Rationalist and Secular Humanist groups. Members were overwhelmingly leftwing, radical, and still are. The current Australian Humanist of the Year is Bob Brown, Greens leader and homosexual activist. The very same movement that chose him also rushed to endorse homosexual “marriage” years ago, most tellingly without the objective research and debate that they claim to be their “critical thinking” trademark.
John Snowden
Thanks for the tip about Bob Brown, John
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Is there anywhere online that I could access, today, 1 day before we vote, a list of believing/professing Christians standing for the Senate? It would help the 1-60 voters!
Brenda Rudolph
Thanks Brenda
Yes such a list would be a good idea, although it depends partly on how we define ‘Christian’. Just off the top of my head, a few quick obvious ones (who are already in the Senate):
-Steve Fielding, Family First in Victoria.
-Julian McGauran, Liberal in Victoria.
-Cory Bernardi, Liberal in SA.
-Guy Barnett, Liberal in Tasmania.
-Ron Boswell, National in Qld.
There would be others. And not all of these are up for re-election this term. But I don’t know of all the first-time candidates.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
A comment on Peter Singer & the concept of ‘specieism’. Suppose for a moment that it was true that humans were no more important than other animals. I then ask: What other creature puts the the good of another species ahead of that of its own?
Certainly some species live in highly symbiotic relationships with others and provide benefits to them, but only in the interests of their own survival, not through altruism.
It is only because of our higher intellect etc that we even think altruisticaly towards animals in the first place. And there is nothing wrong with that when it leads to caring for nature that we rely on for our survival.
But as for a cat or dog being more important than a human under any circumstances? Well Mr Singer & others who think like that, I’ll take you at your word. If I come across you and a cat in a burning house, I’ll definitely promise I’ll rescue the cat first!! Reckon the good of society will be better served with the cat than with you!!
David Williams