Australian Independent Baptist
Newsletter
AUGUST 2003
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.
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"remove".
Sydney Morning Herald (SMH Hereafter) 18 July 2003 CHURCH OPENS ARMS TO
GAYS, OTHERS HEAD FOR DOOR (Edited by DCB) "An 18-year battle to have
homosexual clergy formally recognised in the Uniting Church in Australia
has ended in victory - but also in tears and the threat of a schism.
An overwhelming majority of the church's delegates at the national
assembly in Melbourne voted yesterday to formalise what has been practised
discreetly since 1997: the ordination and ministry of gay and lesbian
clergy living in committed same-sex relationships."
However, the conservatives within the Uniting Church "say they will
most likely split from the 1.4 million-member UCA and form their own
church."
Editor’s Comment: I really do not believe there are that many
conservatives in the Uniting Church for a true conservative would have
left the Uniting Church years ago. 2Corinthians 6:17 "Wherefore come out
from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the
unclean thing; and I will receive you."
Agape News 23 July 2003 NEW BOOK SAYS HOMOSEXUAL AGENDA IS TO SILENCE
THE CHURCH (Edited by DCB) "(AgapePress) - An official with the Alliance
Defense Fund says if Christians continue to ignore the threat posed by
homosexual activists, the Church in America will eventually be silenced on
the issue.
The ADF's president Alan Sears and vice president of creative services
Craig Osten have written a new book titled The Homosexual Agenda: Exposing
the Principle Threat to Religious Freedom (Broadman & Holman Publishers,
2003). The book looks at advances homosexual activists have made over the
past ten years while the Church has been virtually silent. Osten believes
this silence, if it continues, will lead to disaster for the Church and
for society."
The legal victories for the homosexual in Canada will eventually be
duplicated in the United States. Osten said that "In the next ten years,
we will have same-sex marriage -- and I think we will start to have the
criminalization of religious speech." He went on to say "You could give
the homosexual activists whatever they want today -- marriage, all the
benefits, everything -- but they will not be satisfied until the Church is
absolutely silenced on this issue."
"Osten warns that those in the Church who want to ignore this issue may
eventually find their children being taught by open homosexuals and their
churches being forced by the courts to hire and ordain homosexuals. He
asserts that the gospel is confrontational and needs to be proclaimed in
this age of political correctness if the Church is to continue to have a
voice at all."
Editor’s Comment: These men are correct. Too many preachers are silent
in speaking out against sin! Acts 5: 28 "…Did not we straitly command you
that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled
Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon
us. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey
God rather than men." Acts 20:27 "For I have not shunned to declare unto
you all the counsel of God." 2Timothy 4:2 "Preach the word; be instant in
season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and
doctrine."
Sermon Audio.Com 17 July 2003 NEW ZEALAND'S GOVERNMENT PROPOSES NEW LAW
TO ALLOW SAME-SEX UNIONS (Edited by DCB) "WELLINGTON (AP) - New Zealand's
Parliament is to consider a proposal to give homosexual couples the legal
rights akin to those enjoyed by heterosexual married couples.
One legislator said this legislation "would enable same-sex partners to
enter into a ‘civil union’ by which they could pledge a commitment to one
another and officially register their joining."
Editor’s Comment: Genesis 6:5 "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man
was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his
heart was only evil continually."
United Bibles Societies- Australia (Web Page) 20 June, 2003 THE AUSSIE
BIBLE TO PRESENT THE NEW TESTAMENT IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE STREETS -
CANBERRA, Australia —(Edited by DCB) "A re-telling of the most well-known
parts of the New Testament in Australian English, or ‘Strine’, is designed
to appeal to ‘anyone who’s stopped reading the Bible because they think
it’s dull,’ according to its author...."
This "Bible" according to its author "takes familiar parables and the
key events of Jesus' life and presents them in chronological order." and
used "many words and expressions which are unique to Australian English."
The author "describes King Herod as being ‘as jumpy as a wallaby on hot
rocks’ on hearing the news of the birth of Jesus, for example, while
shepherds are referred to as ‘drovers’ and their shelters as ‘humpies’."
The disciples are "presented as clothed in stockmen’s hats and boots and
the Feeding of the Five Thousand involving the sharing of fish and damper,
a traditional Australian campfire bread, instead of loaves."
It is acknowledged by the author that "some people may be outraged by
it" but he believes it "has a valuable role to play in bringing the
Scriptures alive for Australians who find conventional Bible translations
uninspiring or hard to understand and do not regularly attend church."
Peter Jensen, Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, wrote the forward and a
second forward was written by the Deputy Prime Minister, John Anderson.
The Australian Bible Society will print an initial run of 30,000
copies.
Editor’s Comment: This shows the disregard man has for the Word and
Words of God. 1Peter 1:23 "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but
of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."
SMH 10 August 2003 MORNING AFTER PILL URGED FOR SCHOOLS (Edited by DCB)
"A Kings Cross doctor wants the morning-after pill to be made available in
schools to counter spiralling abortion rates among teenage girls."
Dr. Raymond Seidler, a drug law reform activist, said "that if the pill
was made available on Monday mornings, it would capture any unprotected
sexual activity from the previous weekend and substantially reduce
unwanted pregnancies."
Editor’s Comment: Is this not a sad state of affairs our nation finds
itself it? Titus 2: 3-5 "The aged women likewise, that they be in
behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much
wine, teachers of good things; 4 That they may teach the young women to be
sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 To be discreet,
chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the
word of God be not blasphemed." Note to be "chaste" is included in the
things to be taught by the aged Christian women.
Yours against apostasy and for Biblical truth,
David C. Bennett, Titus 2:13
