Rev. Dr Andrew Cameron, Chairman, Social Sciences Executive, Anglican Archdiocese of Sydney, in Deborah Smith ‘The Cell Division’, Melbourne Age, 30 Sept. 2005, re stem cell research:

I don’t agree with the rhetoric that we have to be up with the rest of the world.

[Quite right, Andy, much safer to stay a century or so behind it.]

Helen Woodall, Blackburn Vic., letter in Melbourne Age, 30 Sept. 2005:

It is a waste of time Australian scientists blaming the Government because they backed the wrong horse and have been working on embryonic stem cells which have not healed anybody of anything.

[Yes, how dare scientists go around working on something that doesn't produce instant results? A complete waste of money, as computer scientists and NASA will tell you. You want to get healed, go to a Pentecostal faith healer.]

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Filed in: Their Own Mouths

A few months ago I pointed out that many evangelical pastors and numerous members of their flocks often succumb to the lure of internet pornography [Pastors and porn, 30 Apr. 2005]. Newspapers still carry regular reports of child sexual abuse by priests and ministers, crimes which often date back decades. ‘Christian schools’ are supposed to be safe havens from these perils, but just a few weeks ago a male teacher at a Victorian Christian school was banned from teaching after inappropriately touching female students and manipulating them into sexually explicit conversations (Chee Chee Leung, ‘Teacher banned over sexual remarks’, Melbourne Age, 20 Aug. 2005).

For many years, Rev. Graham Capill of New Zealand’s Christian Heritage Party was an honoured visitor at Australian Religious Right conferences. Fred Nile’s Christian Democratic Party (CDP) was particularly eager to welcome Capill as a speaker at its functions. In 2002, for example, he headed a star-studded list of ‘leading pro-family and pro-life activists’ at the CDP’s International Christian Political Action Convention in Sydney. He shared the limelight with personalities like Babette Francis (Endeavour Forum), Gail Instance (NSW Right to Life), Bill Muehlenberg (Australian Family Association) and Peter and Jenny Stokes (Salt Shakers) (CDP media release, ‘Successful International Convention’, 9 Oct. 2002).

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Filed in: Evangelicals, People, Politics

What do you think about people who tell young children that all non-Christians will go to hell? And what do you think about telling young kids that they themselves are bound for hell unless they accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour?

The Child Evangelism Fellowship of Australia (CEFA) does just that:

Can you imagine what it will be like when Jesus is king? He is going to make a new earth. There will be no death, no tears and no pain. What a wonderful place it will be!

All of those who have trusted the Lord Jesus as Saviour will be with Him forever! Those who haven’t will be separated from God in a terrible place of punishment. (CEFA Tough questions from kids: ‘What will Jesus do in the future?’, New Life, 8 Sept. 2005)

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Filed in: Evangelicals