The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) today congratulated Ms Julia Gillard on becoming Australia’s first female Prime Minister.
“We congratulate Julia Gillard on this historic occasion,” ACL Managing Director Jim Wallace said.
“However, we also want to thank Kevin Rudd for the commitment and energy he brought to issues such as homelessness, poverty, reconciliation and the importance of marriage in particular.
“Our immediate concern and prayers are for Mr Rudd, and we hope that at what must be a difficult time he can take strength in the God in whom we know he relies.”
The ACL said that it would be expecting to see Labor under Ms Gillard confirm its concern for the poor and the disadvantaged, as well as the values in society that proved attractive to many Christians throughout Australia under Mr Rudd.
Thank you very much for all the hard work the ACL put in for Monday’s webcast. as in 2007, it was very informative in getting appreciation for the different policies of the two major parties. But, and perhaps more importantly, getting a measure of the character of each of these leaders.
In light of the leadership spill and the fact that Ms Gillard will be taking Australia to the next election, it is possible to have another webcast with Ms Gillard and Mr Abbott?
Is this a good thing? will this put school chaplaincy at risk now?
i would love some more information about Jullia Gillard in regards to where she stands on moral and ethical issues and what she is passionate about?
I pray that God would bless our new Prime Minister and that for her time she will make good decisions for this country.
Terrible.
A house divided against itself can’t stand.
Great change has come to a crashing halt(not perfect, but necessary).
Shredding their leader from the inside, instead of standing and supporting the peoples choice, will hopefully now leave those disloyal power mongers homeless.
During the recent web cast i was still voting Kevin, now i’m i’ve swung the other way. I cannot support disloyalty.
Is the ACL going to re-run its leaders forum now that Gillard is PM? I hope people realise that she is pro-abortion and that she is part of Emily’s List;
http://www.newsweekly.com.au/articles/2007sep01_alp.html
Gillard won’t be able to look like a good Christian like Rudd…
I read that Julia Gillard did not swear on The Bible when she was sworn in as PM. I also hear that she is pro-homosexuality and pro-abortion.
I fear the worst for ethics in this country.
I pray to God that she can be shown the error of her ways.
Thank God for the ACL is all I can say. Please speak to her and try to make her see the truth of the scriptures.
I’m not a fan of Mr Rudd but my condolences are with him today as I feel that the way his party have dealt with him is shameful.
Personally I’d have preferred Rudd over Gillard as a leader of this nation.
The treatment of the elected Prime Minister at the hands of his colleagues is nothing short of deplorable. The media fawns after the newly instated Minister to the highest elected political position in the country, conveniently forgetting that in order to achieve this dishonorably gained position, those involved ignored every ‘decent’ value that this country and its people would consider worthwhile virtues. This is called a ‘bloodless’ coup by the media (whatever that is supposed to mean).
This is a democracy, or supposed to be. Not only is it a democracy, it is one founded on many virtues and principles given us by God in His word. This as opposed to Marxist principles. It is no wonder that many young people find the antics of public life and office such a gross hypocrisy and wish to rebel. There are to few positive role models in politics and at the height of power in this country and this spill in labour reveals a ruthless, sneaky, conniving, manipulative, deceitful, power-hungry, even mephistophelian grade of people, no matter what ‘spin’ is placed upon it. How anyone can deny the sinfulness of human beings when there is all this on display for all to see is beyond me.
Julia Gillard calls herself a non practicing Baptist and a non-religious person. This is predominantly political spin for ‘atheist’. Let us truly hope that her spell as a semi-conservative, in recent history, having come from much further left, is not a ruse to subjugate the rights support for the purposes of a deeper, more salacious agenda, that being, socialist/libertarian reform in this country. It would do all thinking people well to read Julia’s historical record on issues that affect a Christian worldview. We may find that sitting on the fence then, is not an option.
I can only hope that this will be a good thing.
At least now the Christian community might wake up to the fact that the Australian Labor Party stands against most of its values.
Having a “Christian” leader doesn’t change that.
(And if you’re puzzled by the quotation marks, I refer you to Matthew 7:15-23.)
Love the sinner Bob Whidon, love the sinner. God first loved us inspite of our sins and shortcomings (of which there are many).
Australia is doomed unless the ACL can take up their responsibilities and lobby Miss Gillard to change her ways and follow the teachings of Christ and the ACL.
Yours in Christ
Mary
“Australia is doomed unless the ACL can take up their responsibilities and lobby Miss Gillard to changed her ways and follow the teachings of Christ and the ACL”
Can we please keep this in perspective? Julia seems a decent human being, with admirable respect for ordinary people, particularly those less fortunate. She has a track record of considered and balanced work reflecting the needs of all Australians, and while it might shock many here, ethics and morals are not the exclusive domain of Christians.
Sheesh!
K.
I just rang the Governor General’s House to confirm the story that Ms Gillard did not swear on the Bible. A spokeman confirmed that she did not swear on the Bible, she said that people with ‘no religious views’ have the option of doing so…. I think this needs to be highlighted in the media. The people of Australia need to know this is where she stands.
Bob Whidon, your comment saddens me. Such hatred is most un-Christian.
Not that it should matter, but there are at least two openly gay people serving in the Federal Senate. One of them is the Minister for Climate Change.
I pray that she, and all her colleagues, will lead our country well. And I pray for you, that you may find tolerance and peace.
Hopefully Julia Gillard will be more open minded then Kevin Rudd and remove discrimination completely, including the rights of ALL to have their love and commitment to their partner acknowledged under law
If you can deceive your leader to take power,there will be no problem in deceiving your followers
Hopefully this move towards the secular Gillard will be a move away from the pandering to religious extremism at the expense of the wider public on issues such as internet censorship.
Diversity is good. Tolerance of differing beliefs is good. Infringing on the rights of others by forcing those beliefs on them by law is not good.
Is it possible for ACL to forward the same questions that were asked of Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott to Ms Gillard for her replies? Would ACL forward those replies to the participating webcast churches (e.g. Nambour, Darwin, and the other local churches throughout the country) so that congregations can learn what direction our new Prime Minister will take on those issues?
) and possibly the next Prime Minister after the election.
Last Monday’s Webcast is no longer relevant, except for Tony Abbott’s talk and answers, as he is still the leader of the oppostion (unless he has been sacked by his colleagues in the past hour!
You enjoy the freedom to follow a religion of your choice (there are many) freely, we also have the right not to be governed by the laws of YOUR religion. The world belongs to all of us and no matter whether you believe in a god or just plain evolution shouldn’t restrict your rights or freedoms. You are a pressure group like any other. Luckily human rights legislation around the world is moving against you.
Bob,
Yes, homosexuality is a sin but so is not loving our neighbour. Everybody deserves to be respected and loved despite their sin. Its not your hatred towards the sin that is un-Cristian but your hatred towards the people and your view that they should be treated with disrepect.
The greatest commandments are to love God and to love people. If one sin was greather than another (which is not the case; sin is sin) then if anything, it would be breaking the greatest commandments wouldn’t it? Which in that case would make you more of a sinner than the homosexuals which you believe should be treated with disrespect.
I watched the re-run of the webcast on the Australian Christian Channel last night (thanks
). Sadly, the event was not at all publicised well in the Northern Territory, which was disappointing as I would like to have attended.
I think the Archbishop of Sydney summed the webcast up well – he thought Rudd gave a well covered ‘general’ speech of achievements and answers to each questions, cleverly crafted to remove any real ‘spiritual’ connotations, whereas Abbott gave a personal spiritual message of how his faith underpins the man whilst walking that fine, tenuous line between the Church and Government.
Now that Rudd has been unceremoniously betrayed by the PM Gillard, and dumped, will the ACL be arranging a further webcast?
PM Gillard is an avowed atheist; a strong believer in late term abortion, removal of prayers from Parliament, removal of RE in schools, removal of ‘christian’ based ethics (ala NSW) amongst other things. These issues need to be addressed and our christian leaders properly briefed about where she stands.
As well, can the webcast questions asked actually reflect some of the values that should be the focus of the church? Climate change, IMO is not settled and not a priority of contemporary Believers – nor should it be. The Bible warns us that Earth groans under the weight of sin and in the last days there will be significant climatic events. Why, then, is the Church getting involved in this new religion – which worships ‘mother Gaia’ and is clearly anti-God
What about more pressing issues such as:
- School curriculum which Ms Gillard seeks to remove any christian spiritual content and instead puff it up with other non-christian content;
- the inclusion of Intelligent Design as an opposing argument to evilution (lol);
- the spiritual culture that contributed to Australias growth as a country. Yes, we hear about ‘dream time’ etc but yet our christian heritage is culled due to this PC tolerance rubbish – yet it is part of our history and needs to be told so that our children have all the facts on which to make their own decisions; and
- Current moral challenges such as abortion, right to die and gay marriage.
It is up to the ACL and the Church to be representing these issues and standing up strongly for Christian values!
Bob & Harold,
Thank you both for the thoughtful discussion. I admit, it is an area that I have struggled with coming to terms with how we, as Believers, should approach it given the Bible’s clear thoughts about homosexuality.
However, I think there is a 3rd approach to what you are both suggesting, and one that Jesus’ words underpins.
John 8 (NKJV) says this:
2 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.
7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”
11 She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
I think this is the perfect example for how we as Believers and the Church should treat any sin. If a person is dealing with homosexuality in their own life, then we as the church should not condemn them as ‘we who are without sin cast the first stone’. However, I think that when a person openly promotes that lifestyle including encouraging that behaviour in our children, then that is another issue that the Church and Believers must confront.
I have not personally seen Penny Wong doing so, but I have seen Bob Brown.
Karl D -
The easy answer to your question is that large scale religion can’t exist without demonising someone. There have been many groups during history that have been told that they are against “gods” message and their rights restricted. Slowly society has changed and so the church has had to adapt the villan or die. It is now the turn of the homosexuals ! That is why the church is running scared. What will happen when they can’t be picked on ?
Paul Mossman June 28, 2010 at 9:22 am
“PM Gillard is an avowed atheist; a strong believer in late term abortion, removal of prayers from Parliament, removal of RE in schools, removal of ‘christian’ based ethics (ala NSW) amongst other things. These issues need to be addressed and our christian leaders properly briefed about where she stands.”
Paul, there is chatter about Ms Gillard’s religious belief being non-practising Baptist; yet there is no evidence she supports the other things you claim. This is unfair. Please provide supporting information, or retract and desist. Such slander is un-Godly.
Yours in Christ,
Craig
KarlD,
Christians are not bound by the Law of the Old Testament as Christ fulfilled those requirements. That is basic Christianity 101 -
Romans 6 clearly explains that:
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
From Slaves of Sin to Slaves of God
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
DMSydney – I dont see where I have demonised anyone.
CraigMac – refer to todays news where she clearly defines herself as a non-believer.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/kevin-rudd-twice-asked-julia-gillard-for-frontnech-job-and-was-rejected/story-e6frf7l6-1225885418755
CraigMac,
Gillard is an active member of Emilys List – which is a Labor Party ladies movement. It is also aggressively pro-choice.
http://www.emilyslist.org.au/about-us/what-we-believe-in
As for the others I can only convey what I have heard.