10-Jun-06
Thanks, Bronny, for the following snippet from Toni Hassan’s interview with Sydney Anglican Archbishop Peter Jensen on the ABC’s Radio National Religion Report (June 7, 2006)

Hassan: … [M]any argue from a rational point of view that homosexuality is a variant, it’s neither moral nor immoral … Could you at all be irrational? Could you conceive that perhaps you’re just not facing the facts of how this has come to be practised in modern life?

Jensen: I’m pretty surprised at the question I think. Please explain yourself, what do you mean, homosexuality is, what did you say? I’m not even sure what you’re saying.

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Filed in: Sexuality

A very promising cervical cancer vaccine should be available in Australia soon. Studies have evidently shown that it’s best to vaccinate girls before they have sex and between the ages of nine and twelve because of their strong antibody response. (Melissa Fyfe US approves our cervical cancer vaccine, Melbourne Age, 10 June 2006)

Now this next bit falls into the ‘eyes drop out, chin hits floor’ department. Catholic ethicist Nicholas Tonti-Filippini has produced this astonishing piece of po-facery:

… Tonti-Filippini said a vaccination program would have to explain sex and sexual diseases to the young girls targeted. ‘To raise it with them before they understand the whole question of sexual activity would violate their innocence. I would expect most parents feel the same way.’

Yeah right, Nick - in 1906 maybe. There’s a huge difference between innocence and ignorance. And are you really prepared to expose girls to the threat of cervical cancer for want of a simple vaccination? Where’s the ‘ethics’ in that?

Filed in: Sexuality

Despite their disagreement over tactics, both Salt Shakers (SS) and the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) are working hard to prevent gay civil unions being legalised around the nation. On Thursday 8 June, Melbourne’s Herald Sun and Age newspapers ran online polls with similar wording. ‘Do you support gay unions?’ asked the Herald Sun. ‘Do you support gay marriage?’ asked the Age.

Both SS and ACL emailed their supporters asking them to vote and thoughtfully providing the ‘No’ vote number, but only mentioned the Herald Sun poll. This poll was promptly inundated with ‘No’ votes, finishing up with a whopping 82%-18% ‘No’ majority. ‘We WON’, exulted SS. ‘Australians have clearly voted’, intoned ACL.

Neither group even mentioned the Age poll result. By 9am, this poll was reporting a 73-27 split in favour of ‘Yes’. Similar figures were reported throughout the day, with ‘Yes’ drifting up to 78% early in the afternoon and closing at 76%. It’s worth noting that the form of the Age question was stronger than that in the Herald Sun, asking directly about ‘gay marriage’ rather than mere ‘unions’.

Interesting disparity between the two polls, isn’t it? Let us pray that our Christian brothers and sisters did not succumb to temptation and cast multiple votes and that they will be mindful of the maxim that ends do not justify means. In the meantime, I really think the Age poll result has much more credibility.

Filed in: Sexuality

In 2004, Warwick Marsh’s Fatherhood Foundation banded together with the Australian Christian Lobby and the Australian Family Association (a National Civic Council front organisation) to form the National Marriage Coalition. This little-known group successfully persuaded the federal government to amend the Marriage Act so as to exclude same-sex partners from marrying.

According to a Foundation email newsletter of 21 May 2006:

The Australian Government has now recognised the Fatherhood Foundation as a registered Harm Prevention Charity by granting Tax Deductible status to it. This means that all gifts of money, or in some cases property, can become a tax saving to the giver. This level of recognition as a Harm Prevention Tax Deductible Charity allows us to help the children of Australia in an even greater way than ever before.

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Filed in: Christian Right, Politics

The Canberra-based Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) and Melbourne’s Salt Shakers (SS) ‘Christian ethics’ group are still at odds over their different approaches to the ACT Civil Unions legislation (for details, see Brian’s Blog, 2, 8 and 10 May 2006). ACL, probably the more moderate of the two groups, is trying to occupy the high moral ground: Christians may have ‘different methods of achieving a joint aim‘ but must always support one another ‘despite their differences of opinion‘. (ACL National Newsletter, June 2006, 1)

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Filed in: Christian Right

The Australian evangelical weekly New Life has functioned for several years as an unofficial clearing-house for Religious Right groups and individuals. Fred Nile, Salt Shakers, ACL, Australian Family Association and lots of other ‘godly’ people and organisations could always get some space on the letters page or have their media releases printed verbatim.

Strangely enough, according to Rev Bob Thomas of the New Life board, it’s also over the last few years that:

… it has become increasingly difficult to maintain the viability of the newspaper and a point has been reached at which the present publishing schedule, format and staffing level can no longer be maintained. (’Time for a change’, New Life, 1 Jun. 2006)

The upshot is that New Life will become a fortnightly news magazine produced by a small, ‘near voluntary’ editorial team, which to my untutored eye looks to be chockfull of creationists.

The decline - and, I suspect, encroaching demise - of New Life is not a good sign for conservative evangelicalism in this country. It’ll be mildly annoying for this columnist too, as the journal provided a useful weekly roundup of Religious Right news and quotes.

All things considered, though, no great loss.

Filed in: Evangelicals