theadvocate.tv
SEPTEMBER 2011
“Jesus loves me, this I know for the Bible tells me so.” KARL BARTHE PAGE 10
In conversation Sally Lloyd-Jones, inspiring adults and children with her books. PAGE 10 >>
Marriage debate
4 The Hub ECU
After more than a year in the planning, The Hub at ECU has become a reality >>
The only Greens member of the House of Representatives, Adam Bandt, who proposed the motion to the House in late 2010, opened the debate in the main committee room of Parliament House on 24 August. Of the 30 MPs who spoke in Parliament on the first day of the debate, 18 said an extraordinary majority of people who commented on the issue in their electorates supported retaining the current definition of marriage, six said they favoured change and six didn’t indicate the numbers in their electorate. “The numbers in support of the traditional definition of marriage were overwhelming,” the Australian Christian Lobby’s Managing Director, Jim Wallace, said. “This should give everyone heart that whatever happens in the rest of this debate, where people can silently put their view without fear of intimidation, there is very strong support for retaining marriage, especially given the numbers are as high as 90 percent of the electorate given by some MPs.” “This is not a matter of discrimination – it is about retaining a definition that is clearly very important to a great number of people,” Mr Wallace said. National President of Australian Baptist Ministries, Reverend Dr John Beasy, said that members of Baptist churches in Australia overwhelmingly support the current definition of marriage as between one man and one woman, and reject moves to extend the definition to include same sex relationships.
“Australian Baptists strongly urge Prime Minister Julia Gillard, and politicians across the political spectrum, to oppose moves to change the current legal definition of marriage by extending it to include same sex couples,” Dr Beasy said. “There are compelling cultural and heritage reasons for rejecting this proposed radical social reform, and for Baptists there are also deeply held theological convictions about the nature and purpose of marriage, which preclude widening the definition of marriage to include same sex couples,” public issues spokesperson for Australian Baptist Ministries, Reverend Rod Benson said. “A strong society needs a strong commitment to marriage and family. Marriage is best understood as the union of a man and a woman, and the law is best left as it is,” Rev. Benson said. The Marriage Amendment Act 2004 was passed on 13 August 2004. It defines marriage as: ‘a union between one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life’. Talk-back radio and social media report that people speaking in support of the definition of same sex marriage have been branded homophobic and bigots by the gay lobby. “This is not about demonising homosexuals or anyone else who holds a different opinion to us,” Director of Ministries for Baptist Churches Western Australia, Mark Wilson said. The debate continues in the halls of Parliament and across the nation.
Photo: AP/EPA/DAI KUROKAWA
Members of Australia’s Federal Parliament returned to Canberra in August to report on their constituents’ response to the possibility of same sex marriage.
9 Baptistcare welcome inquiry Baptistcare welcomed the release of the Productivity Commission’s inquiry report into ‘Caring for Older Australians’>> World Vision Australia’s Chief Executive Tim Costello, visited Kenya in August to see firsthand the current emergency in the Horn of Africa where 12 million people are suffering because of the worst drought in the region for 60 years.
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Ministering to refugees Retired Baptist Pastor, Peter Faulkner, and his wife Val leave Perth this month for Christmas Island where they will support the local church and minister to refugees from the detention centre. Each Sunday, approximately 40 people from the detention centre attend the Christian church service in a local hall. “We visited our son and his family on Christmas Island last March,” Val said. “The church is mostly Europeans and Chinese with teaching in English and translation in Mandarin and sign language.” All the leaders of the church of 30 people have full-time work, so Peter expects to help with preaching and Bible teaching
during their six month visit. Several people have been baptised in recent months. “There are new Christians from several different cultures and language groups,” Val said. “We’ve had a growing sense God is calling us to ‘come over and help’, so that’s why we’re going.” “We don’t need financial support for this trip. We’ll be staying with our son Jon and his family, but we would ask that people pray for us as we help the local church and support the refugees,” the Faulkners said. Before retiring, Peter’s last fulltime job was Pastor at Katanning Baptist Church. The Faulkners are currently attending a Christian fellowship in Guilderton, which has strong connections with Quinns Baptist Church.
11 Medivac saves life
An emergency medivac flight in Papua New Guinea recently saved the life of a New Zealand man >>
We are committed to being honest, transparent and above reproach. BAPTIST CHURCHES WESTERN AUSTRALIA