The war over abortion is far from over. Indeed, three recent events have sparked a new battle in the conflict over abortion. The main cause of the renewed hostilities is the publication of a book containing stories of post-abortion grief.
A recent call by Major Brian Watters of the Salvation Army for random drug tests among our public servants has caused quite a reaction. Major Watters, who chairs the Prime Minister’s National Council on Drugs, said that it is possible
A recent court case involving a baby conceived by IVF for two lesbians has reopened the issue of homosexual access to children. A Melbourne court decided in late February that two lesbians had not mislead an IVF treatment centre. Six-month-old
There are a number of important reasons why marijuana use should not be decriminalised or legalised.
Legalisation of marijuana will greatly increase the number of users. By removing the penalties for usage, and by (in theory) reducing the costs, demand
Human Life International has done us all a real service in publishing this book. This is a comprehensive, up-to date reference guide to all the life issues. Abortion, euthanasia, contraception, biomedical ethics, sex education and the
A book appeared recently entitled The Loss of Virtue. It made the point that virtue, both public and private, is becoming a rarity today. Indeed, vice, not virtue, seems to be in the ascendancy. Old
There has been a lot of confusion both in the world and in the church surrounding the issue of homosexuality in general, and homosexual orientation in particular. This is partly due to the push by the homosexual lobby to force
Some statistics on the AIDS crisis, as of November 1998:
-In 1998 there was a 10 per cent increase in the number of people with HIV or AIDS.
-There are now 33.4 million people with the infection.
-Half of the
Australia has one of the highest youth suicide rates among the world’s developed nations, with 27.3 out of 100,000 Australian males aged 15 to 24 expected to kill themselves. In 1996, 2367 Australians killed themselves, and perhaps a quarter of
One never ceases to be amazed at the things that will turn up in the daily newspapers. A recent newspaper account of a new study will certainly put a new twist on an old excuse. A new study has been
Even in our biblically illiterate culture there is one verse which non-believers know and know very well: “Judge not, or you too will be judged” (Matthew 7:1).
It seems that whenever a moral point is being made, whether pornography, abortion
Although Australia is in many ways a thoroughly secular nation, it is interesting to note how biblical literacy comes to the fore when issues of morality and public office are raised. When a public figure is engulfed in a moral
There is a new shoot-em-up sci-fi thriller which has hit the big screen. Starship Troopers is another good guys (earthlings in the future) versus bad guys (giant nasty insects from outer space) film, great on special effects but low
The Senate Legal and Constitutional References Committee has released its “Inquiry into Sexuality Discrimination” report. This report follows from a number of oral and written submissions presented in 1996 to what was then known as the Spindler Bill. In 1995
The dilation and extraction method of abortion (D & X) is in the news after a Brisbane doctor proposed using the method in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. The medical doctor of Planned Parenthood Australia, Dr David Grundmann, is a proud proponent
In the brave new world of the 1990s, a number of emerging technological possibilities pose a threat to the family unit. The ability to ascertain various physical ailments in utero, and the ability to preselect the sex of the child
A recent survey found that 2.7 million (41 per cent) of Australia’s 6.6 million households had computers, with between a third and a half of these households hooked up to the Internet. In Victoria, every school is to be online
Many Australians are mystified and disturbed about the proliferation of pornographic, violent and obscene materials on television, in films and video, in magazines, in advertising etc. Many are also curious as to why our official censors and monitors seem to
Several recent newspaper articles underscore the intellectual confusion that is so rampant in our society. Writing in the Melbourne Herald Sun, for example, a staff writer, Ms Helen Elliott, offered an article entitled, “Men who die of shame”. One
At the moment the state of Victoria has relatively strong laws against drug possession and use, but various groups are attempting to change this. In 1995 there were about 16,000 drug offences in Victoria. About 11,000 were for cannabis, 2,600