Australian Independent Baptist
Newsletter
MAY 2003 Issue #2
Dr. David C. Bennett, Editor (DCB)
PO Box 1241 - Dubbo - NSW 2830
Phone/Fax 02-6884-2846
Email: Bennett@BibleForToday.org
Permission is given to forward material contained in
the AIB Newsletter.
Purpose: To inform and warn God's people of religious,
social, and political events in today's world.
Uniting Church In Australia Web Site (as of 1 May,
2003) For The 10th National Assembly 12-19 July, 2003 in Melbourne,
Australia - REFERENCE COMMITTEE ON RELATIONS WITH OTHER FAITHS (Edited by
DCB) FUTURE DIRECTIONS
"A radical recovery of God as creator means that my
Hindu or Buddhist neighbour ..…is a child of God. God is as much his or
her creator as mine. There is no other God but the God who is the source
of all being." (Wesley Ariarajah, Not with out my Neighbour WCC 1998)
Editor's Comment: Galatians 3:26 "For ye are all the
children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."
The Washington Times - www.washingtontimes.com
-CHRISTIAN TV, RADIO OUTDRAW CHURCHES, BROADCASTERS SAY (Edited by DCB)
May 1, 2003
"Christians are a devoted TV and radio audience with
some very pronounced viewpoints, two new studies reveal. 'A greater number
of adults experience the Christian faith through the Christian media, such
as radio, television or books, than attend Christian services,' the
National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) announced this week."The NRB calls
this is a "wake-up call" for the churches and producers, "noting that
while 132 million adults attended church last month, 141 million used some
form of Christian media."
"According to the NRB, 52 percent of the nation's
adults listened to Christian music or other programming on the radio,
while 43 percent watched Christian TV programming. Among evangelical
Christians, 96 percent counted themselves in the regular Christian TV or
radio audience. The survey also found that 25 percent of people who
describe themselves as atheists, agnostic or non-Christians 'had some
degree of exposure to Christianity through the media.' The survey of 1,010
adults was conducted by the California-based Barna Research Group in
mid-April."
Editor's Comment: Hebrews 10:25 "Not forsaking the
assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting
one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." Acts
20: 7 "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came
together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the
morrow; and continued his speech until midnight."
Sydney Morning Herald (SMH hereafter) NEW CALLS FOR GG
SACKING - 2 May 2003 (Edited by DCB)
"Governor-General Peter Hollingworth's position is
again under pressure after a report was critical of his handling of child
abuse cases when he was Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane.
The report, commissioned by Dr Hollingworth's successor
as archbishop Dr Phillip Aspinall and tabled in Queensland parliament on
Thursday, found Dr Hollingsworth made 'a serious error of judgment' in
allowing a priest to continue his ministry despite knowing he was a child
abuser."
Aspinall made a public apology "to all past victims of
abuse and revealed he had revoked six clergy licences, suspended a further
five and referred 40 abuse complaints to police."
The report found that the Governor General "allowed a
retired bishop to continue preaching despite knowing he had had sex with a
15-year-old girl in the 1950s." The report also said the then Archbishop
"allowed Mr Elliot, after being assessed by a psychiatrist, to continue in
the ministry under certain conditions, including supervision by his wife
and a ban on working with children." Hollingworth "believed Mr Elliot was
penitent, that the incident was an 'isolated occurrence' and that it would
be hard for the priest to find another job at 63 years of age." The Labour
Party and Democrats are calling for the resignation of the Governor
General.
Editor's Comment: Since this news article the GG has
stepped aside until a rape case against him is decided through the legal
system. The sad fact is that this sin is not only in the RC and Anglican
churches but in those groups who consider themselves as fundamental Bible
believing!
SMH 2 May 2003 RISE IN SEX ABUSE BETWEEN CHILDREN
(Edited by DCB)
"The prevalence of children sexually assaulting other
juveniles is high and appears to be increasing, a pediatrician who
specialises in child abuse claimed yesterday.
Sue Parker is with the Child At Risk Assessment Unit in
the ACT and has studied 850 children from Canberra and NSW over the past
two years said that "children as young as four or five years old engaging
in coercive sexual behaviours."
Editor's Comment: With all the sexual permissiveness
there is today on TV, in movies and magazines this should not surprise us!
The Daily Telegraph 2 May 2003 PRIEST TO DIE FOR CHILD
SACRIFICE (Edited by DCB) RANCHI, INDIA
"A Court has sentenced a priest to death for
sacrificing a nine-year-old child to appease a deity in the eastern Indian
state of Jharkhand.
The state's High Court upheld the sentence imposed by a
lower court, "saying it was a case of extreme culpability which rendered
life imprisonment inadequate."
Editor's Comment: Speaking of Jesus we read in Hebrews
10:12 "But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever,
sat down on the right hand of God." Praise the Lord!
Anglican Communion News Service (Hereafter ACNS) 1 May
2003 - KENYA: CHRISTIANS' DILEMMA OVER HOMOSEXUAL AFFAIRS (Edited by DCB)
"[All Africa News Agency] One of the most hotly debated
issues in Africa today is homosexuality. Its exposure on the continent has
excited deep and often extreme reactions. Some observers dismiss the habit
as a western culture, yet it is spreading through the continent like a
wild bush fire. Still, African traditions do not accept it, and one can
almost be cursed at the mention of the word."
"Reports indicate that South Africa has the most
permissive gay rights legislation in the world, and also hosts several
successful Gay Pride Marches (promotional gay events), which are well
attended."
"At the 1998 Anglican Lambeth Conference, a resolution
on sexuality failed primarily because of the African vote. It wanted to
allow same-sex unions and for the ordination of practising homosexuals."
Editor's Comment: Jude 1:7 "Even as Sodom and Gomorrha,
and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to
fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example,
suffering the vengeance of eternal fire."
Agape Press 7 May, 2003 NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER
"...Believe it or not, for the first time in American history, a pastor
affiliated with the nation's largest predominantly homosexual denomination
has offered the opening prayer in the U.S. House of Representatives -- and
it happened on the National Day of Prayer. According to Religion News
Service, Steven Torrance of Florida offered the following prayer last
Thursday in the House chambers: 'Help us to secure justice and equality
for every human being; help us to bring an end to division; and continue
to build our country on peace and love.' Torrance, a police chaplain in
Key West, is a pastor in the Metropolitan Community Church."
Editor's Comment: 2Peter 2:6 "And turning the cities of
Sodom and Gomorrha (America and Australia) into ashes condemned them with
an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live
ungodly."
Episcopal News Service May 14, 2003 CONFERENCE
ADDRESSES SEXUALITY ISSUES FACING LUTHERANS (Edited by DCB)
"(ELCA) People who are gay or lesbian must be welcomed
by the church without reservation, say two former bishops of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The denomination should
make every effort to find a way to do so without causing division among
its members, they added."
More than 240 people gathered for the "Sexuality,
Spirituality and the Church" conference at St. Olaf College, Northfield,
MN April 4-6, 2003. The conference focused mostly on "issues of ordaining
people who are gay or lesbian and blessings of same-gender relationships."
The two former bishops speaking at the conference were
Rev. Herbert W. Chilstrom, a retired ELCA pastor who was also "the
church's first presiding bishop" and "Rev. Lowell O. Erdahl, former bishop
of the ELCA Saint Paul Area Synod."
Chilstrom said he did not want anything to destroy the
ELCA's unity and "…that raises the question for some: 'Why would you spend
time trying to open minds in an area where you know there is going to be
division and disunity and even potential for schism?' The only answer I
can give to that question is: justice." Chilstrom said he had come to the
conclusion that there were "significant numbers of people in the ELCA who
were being pushed aside, ignored and in some cases deliberately
discriminated against."
Erdahl said "Scripture and science must be handled
carefully in church discussions regarding homosexuality." In reference to
both Old and New Testament passages he said "I don't think those texts say
anything about homosexuality as we understand it today." "In particular,
he added, the Bible seems not to address the issue of people who are gay
or lesbian in committed relationships."
The ordination of homosexuals "in committed
relationships was another theme that surfaced repeatedly during the
conference." According to Chilstrom "the ELCA has no ban on homosexuals in
committed relationships serving as organists, Sunday school teachers and
even lay ministers in the church, yet it denies them pastoral
appointments."
"Anita Hill, who lives in a committed relationship and
serves at St. Paul Reformation Church in St. Paul, spoke about her long
and persistent effort to become ordained. Called to serve as a pastor and
installed in 2001, she is not in compliance with the ELCA's expectations
for clergy, and her ordination is not recognized by the ELCA."
"The Rev. James M. Childs Jr., professor at Trinity
Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio, and director for the ELCA Studies on
Sexuality, also addressed the conference. He and a task force are charged
with executing two actions mandated by the 2001 Churchwide Assembly. The
first is to lead a churchwide dialogue on the blessing of same-gender
relationships and the ordination of people who are gay and lesbian and are
in committed relationships.
The second is to lead the development of a social
statement on sexuality. Upcoming ELCA churchwide assemblies are scheduled
to take up these matters in 2005 and 2007."
Editor's Comment: The Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America is openly and without apology showing the fact it is apostate.
Yours against apostasy and for Biblical Truth,
David C. Bennett Titus 2:13
