From Dan Flynn at ACL:
"As you are well aware, the Safe Schools program is a controversial program that seeks to promote gender fluidity under the guise of an anti-bullying campaign. Whilst all children should feel safe at school and bullying should not be tolerated, the Safe Schools program has been rightly criticised for its materials and promotion of acts such as cross-dressing, chest binding (so that girls can appear as boys), and refraining from referring to students as “girls and boys”. In 2018, this so-call “Safe Schools” program will become compulsory in all Victorian public high schools. For detailed information on the program and its contents, please download our Safe Schools Brief. Importantly, we urge you to please sign this petition calling on the Victorian Government to give parents the right to withdraw their children from the controversial program. SIGN HERE Could you please circulate this petition. Every parent should have the right to have a say about their child’s education. Our children are too precious to be exploited by this mandatory Marxist gender theory." SOURCE: ACL
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The “New Proletariat” are the “New Pharisees” of our time, rejecting anything from God and making up man made laws, and promoting themselves and their views as being morally superior. It is the form that the “New Marxism” has taken. The old has become new. There is, as King Solomon once wisely said, “ nothing new under the sun”.
In this deception riddled war on marriage, family, fathers, children and true freedom, there is one true, just and noble cause and it is not to wave colourful flags and fall for the failed utopian Marxist propaganda, it is to rise up, see through the deceptions, and repel this assault on our once free country. The true counter-culture revolutionaries today are those who stand up and defend the truth, that which was secured for us with the blood of the ANZACS. They will be remembered in history as the heroes of our time, not those loudly proclaiming totalitarian political and social nonsense which damages our children, divides our communities and destroys our freedoms. Be bold in your defence of these good things. They are worth defending. You will be found on the right side of history. Impossible People
A Manifesto for Our Moment SUBSCRIBE TO BREAKPOINT DAILY By ERIC METAXAS Once in a while, a book comes along that reminds me of those “you are here” labels on hiking maps. I want to tell you about such a book, and how it can reorient you. In the opening scene of the 2001 film adaptation of “The Fellowship of the Ring,” Cate Blanchett’s Galadriel whispers hauntingly, “The world has changed. I can feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air. Much that once was is lost; for none now live who remember it.” Western Christians in 2016 can relate. Something has shifted. The world we inhabit seems to have become disenchanted, and so many of those around us have entered a state in some ways worse than atheism—a state of indifference toward God and the supernatural. All of this has made evangelism and discipleship a lot more challenging. As sociologist Peter Berger wrote, we live in “a world without windows.” And for the inhabitants of windowless late modernity, questions about sin, salvation and ultimate meaning just don’t matter that much. So, how did we get here? And more importantly, what does being a Christian look like in this context? Os Guinness, who needs no introduction, says the only right response today is to become what he calls “Impossible People.” That’s the name of his latest book, appropriately subtitled, “Christian Courage, and the Struggle for the Soul of Civilization.” Folks, this book is a manifesto for our moment—a guide on how to live counter-culturally in what Os describes as our “cut-flower civilization.” But what about the bizarre term “impossible people”? Where does that come from? Well, it was originally applied to eleventh-century Benedictine reformer, Peter Damian. Among other things, this “impossible man” spoke out against the practice of selling church positions for money as well as against widespread sexual sin among the clergy. His commitment to Jesus alone was so fierce that he won a reputation for being, as Os puts it, “unmanipulable, unbribable, and undeterrable.” “Impossible people,” Os explains, “are different people. And different they are called to be or they will be irrelevant.” But that’s not easy in our cultural moment. We live in a civilization that has rejected its own foundations and embarked on a project to build what he calls a new, secular Babel. But it’s becoming ever clearer that this secular Utopia can’t hold together. Why? Because the very belief in freedom that made Western liberal democracies uniquely successful is crumbling, replaced by the concept of consensus. As Os points out, the Christian doctrines of the Imago Dei, of Original Sin, and transcendent truth undergird our belief in freedom. Secular modernity lacks these foundational doctrines. Like a cut flower, it can maintain its beauty only so long without its roots. Soon it will wilt, and ultimately die. “Impossible people” are here precisely to arrest this decline—to frustrate the secular project by consciously living out a belief in a supernatural reality beyond our windowless world. Os issues this timely call, and maps out a strategy for “impossible people” to take up Damian’s mantle and stubbornly refuse to conform. Now, this book is absolutely prophetic; it is also fun to read. Most of all, it’ll give you a lay of the spiritual landscape and, as our BreakPoint assistant editor Shane Morris puts it, “a buoying sense of how silly the secular experiment really is.” I’m pleased to add that Os will be speaking at our 2017 William Wilberforce Weekend, along with Ravi Zacharias and many others. So please come to BreakPoint.org to pick up a copy of “Impossible People,” and we’ll also tell you how to register for the conference, where we’ll explore what it means to be unmanipulable, unbribable, undeterrable, impossible people. Impossible People: Christian Courage and the Struggle for the Soul of Civilization Os Guinness | IVP Books | July 2016 Information on the 2017 Wilberforce Weekend Wilberforce Weekend 2017 From SaltShakers.org.au:
"Over the years we have written about the influence of US billionaire George Soros and his Open Society Foundation - and the funding that is provided by Soros to left-leaning organisations. We've also regularly exposed the activities of GetUp!, the very left-leaning political organisation in Australia that opposes anything conservative and promotes socialist ideals. In the recent election, GetUp! campaigned against conservative MPs - as Jennifer Oriel says, rebranding them as "hard Right", while at the same time "recasting the Left as moderate or progressive". In this must-read article, Jennifer Oriel reveals that recently 'hacked' files expose the extent of the influence that George Soros has on western politics, including immigration, and the threat this is to national sovereignty. She includes information about funding provided to GetUp! by George Soros, the campaign run by GetUp! during the recent election, and the fact that Bill Shorten was one of the first Board members! Dr Jennifer Oriel is a columnist at The Australian - but she also has a PhD in political science (info here - website here). Read the article - click on title __________________________ Article: Dumped files show influence of George Soros on Western politics Saltshakers.org,au The German government is to issue instructions urging its citizens to stock up on essential food and medical items to prepare for attacks or catastrophe for the first time since the end of the Cold War, according to reports. According to details leaked to the German press they include advice to citizens to stockpile enough food for 10 days and clean drinking water for five days.
While the Australian media and their left-wing extremist politician comrades continue their rainbow coloured war on God, Christians, marriage, family, fathers, children and freedom, and parrot their utopian nonsense that Islam is a "religion of peace" and that the only reason there are terrorists is because of socio-economic reasons, the German government are becoming more fully-informed about the enemy at the gates of Europe and the west. The one with the less colourful flag that is. The other one, the more colourful, proud and loud one, still has everyone hoodwinked, but is very much at the gates and has very much the same end-game in mind: authoritarian rule i.e. no opposition allowed, no prisoners taken, oppression of humanity at its worse. http://www.msn.com/en-au/news/world/germans-told-to-stockpile-food-and-water-in-civil-defence-plan/ar-BBvXdRu?li=AAavLaF&ocid=spartanntp Why Steph Curry’s Faith Matters From The Daily Signal: "Whatever happens in the NBA finals, Steph Curry should be on every box of Wheaties. His example is just the antidote to many of the ills currently holding America back. In an age of vulgarity, he’s humble; in a season of cynicism, he’s a religious family man; in a time of grievance mongering, he peddles grace. In an age of vulgarity, he’s humble; in a season of cynicism, he’s a religious family man; in a time of grievance mongering, he peddles grace. Of course, it is first and foremost his prowess on the court that has earned Curry accolades. Just this week, he scored 36 points in game seven of the conference finals to finally put away Oklahoma City, a team to which Curry’s Golden State Warriors had fallen down 3-1. Without the fact that he’s the best player in the NBA, Curry would not be on any breakfast box. But the reason he should be is that he is a much-needed counterbalance to a culture that is increasingly trashy. Whether Curry leads this Golden State Warriors to victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers or not in the NBA Finals, he has shown us that virtue can trump vice. Curry’s family is intact, and his daughters, 4-year-old Riley and 1-year-old Ryan, were born after Curry married his wife Ayesha (to whom he proposed on the same spot he first gave her a kiss). He grew up under the watchful eye of his father, Dell, also an NBA player in his time. Dell and his wife Sonya, Steph’s mom, are often at games. At events like awards presentations, Steph thanks his family, right down to sister Sydel and his brother Seth (who are on hand when they are not engaging in their own busy sports careers). But before doing all that, the deeply religious Curry thanks God for his talents, which he knows are a gift that he must nurture. Yes, so far, journalists have spared Curry of the mockery and disdain they poured on Tim Tebow. Many Americans may not know this wholesome story because the media doesn’t really tell it. Yes, so far, journalists have spared Curry of the mockery and disdain they poured on Tim Tebow, the last athlete to publicly display flashes of morality. But Google “Steph Curry and God” and you get next to nothing outside the religious press. And yet this is a story, if we still define what makes one as anything that is “man bites dog.” The athlete that beats up his girlfriend, uses drugs for recreation or athletic enhancement, is arrogant and self-important, and has children out of wedlock, is sadly more “dog bites man.” And yet, those are the stories the media harp on incessantly. Granted, Curry does have a tattoo—of 1 Corinthians 13:8. When he scores, he points to heaven to remind himself he is playing for God. When he makes three pointers, he donates nets to help prevent malaria in Africa. He explained the impact of his family and faith in a 2013 Fellowship of Christian Athletes magazine article. Here’s part of it: Our whole family was very close in fact, even when it came to school. My mom started a Christian Montessori school when I was in first grade, so we all went there together—Mom was in charge as the head mistress, our aunt was our teacher, and our grandmother was the cook. My brother and sister and I were blessed to have such great influences in our lives, and I can honestly say that my mom and dad were the best. They raised us to believe in God, and we were at church every Wednesday for youth Bible studies and every Sunday for services. In his acceptance speech after winning the 2014-15 NBA Most Valuable Player award, he laid out his secret formula for success as faith, family, and perseverance. “Work your butt off,” he said. “I hope I inspire people all around the world to just be themselves, be humble, and be grateful for all the blessings in your life.” This is a mix that time and again leads to success, and yet we seldom celebrate it. Curry, at 28, shows a wisdom lacking in many of his peers. And although he could still disappoint us someday, at least thus far, the answer to Simon and Garfunkel’s 1968 haunting question can be answered, “Don’t worry, America. Joltin’ Joe is in the Bay Area, playing basketball.” http://dailysignal.com/2016/06/02/why-steph-currys-faith-matters/ "The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel. Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten..." "After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what He had done for Israel." Judges 2:7-8, 2:10
Or put another way by Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings: “The world has changed. I can feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air. Much that once was is lost; for none now live who remember it.” A message from Rt Rev David Cook, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Australia:
9th Aug 2016 "A Sovereign Protector I have..... " The book of Esther is surely a unique piece of literature. Xerxes, the King of Persia, is a named over 100 times; Mordecai, who was to become Xerxes' Prime Minister, is named 51 times and Esther is named 42 times. Yet, the central character in the book is God Himself and He is never named. His hidden hand is never acknowledged. The book is full of coincidences whereby God delivers His people from a Persian edict of extermination. Natural explanations can always be made about such coincidences, eg. that Esther just happened to be available and be qualified to be Xerxes' queen, when he was looking for someone to replace Queen Vashti. Natural explanations can be made and yet natural explanations never tell the whole story. The book of Esther is another reminder that God is in control of all things, not just some things. God is well able to use peoples' evil intentions to bring about His good purpose. Joseph's brothers; the evil Prime Minister of Persia, Haman; the weak Roman Governor of Palestine, Pontius Pilate; the able Jewish lobbyists, who demanded the death sentence for Jesus ; and later the deacon Stephen, are all examples that the Sovereign Lord 'rules the peoples justly and guides the nations of the earth' (Psalm 67:4). The early church knew this. In response to the threats of the Sanhedrin they prayed to the 'Sovereign Lord' (Acts:4:24) and recognised that Herod, Pilate and others 'did what Your power and will decided beforehand should happen' (Acts 4:28). We don't know who will occupy the White House from next January, but whoever it is, 'The king's heart is in the hands of the Lord; He directs it like a watercourse wherever He pleases' (Proverbs 21:1). Presidents Xi and Putin, Chancellor Merkel, Prime Ministers May and Turnbull, are all pawns in the hands of the Sovereign Lord. 'There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.' (Proverbs 21:30). I am not writing this column to justify a fatalistic attitude or any indolence on our part as we face the future. I am writing to combat pervasive fear arising from the latest conspiracy theory doing the rounds of the talk back radio stations of the nation. We have no need to fear. Our trust is in the Sovereign Lord who does all things well, and works always for the ultimate good of His people (Romans 8:28), that we become more and more like the Lord Jesus (Romans 8:29). Scratch the surface of all human events, examine the so called coincidences, and not very deep beneath the surface an omniscient, powerful, purposeful hand will be evident. Re-read the book of Esther and be reminded how Mordecai the Jew, at a precarious time in his people's history, becomes Prime Minister of the Persian empire, just as Joseph had done many centuries before in Egypt. Pharaoh has a recurring dream; Xerxes can't sleep; God uses these everyday events to elevate people to high office to be the means of deliverance for His people Israel. Then remember that the greatest deliverance of all was from our greatest enemy, Satan, by a most unexpected means - the death, not of the tyrant, but of the deliverer. This deliverance is so unusual that the world calls it foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:23). Revelation 21 and 22 reminds us that the day is coming when God's hiddenness will be no more! The Lamb of God will be enthroned and God and the Lamb will be the Light and lamp of the nations (Revelation 21:23). Hidden and unacknowledged will be the things of the past as God, His plan and purpose to unite all things under the rule of Christ will be acknowledged by all who ever lived. 'At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow.... and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.' (Philippians 2:10-11). David Cook PCA Website Here's what we thought was worthwhile this week:
1. Doubt exists in every heart to some degree. J. Warner Wallace writes here about how Jesus handled doubt in his ministry life and how we can respond similarly. 2. Conversation goes from cordial to chaos fast these days. Ed Stetzer gives guidance to have dialogue for the public good. 3. Over at First Things, Mark Movsesian highlights trends with Millennials and classical liberalism. “An astonishing 35 percent of wealthy young Americans say it would be ‘a ‘good’ thing for the army to take over’ the country!” 4. Sean McDowell helps us think about studying the Bible better in his article at Talbot’s School of Theology Blog. 5. While the Olympics are emblematic of the power of the human spirit and international goodwill, WORLD Magazine highlights three Americans who brought their faith to the starting line and won. SummitMinistries.org Who Has the Majority?
"And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them." (2 Kings 6:16) "Horses and chariots and a great host shut up the prophet in Dothan. His young servant was alarmed. How could they escape from such a body of armed men? But the prophet had eyes which his servant had not, and he could see a greater host with far superior weapons guarding him from all harm. Horses of fire are mightier than horses of flesh, and chariots of fire are far preferable to chariots of iron. Even so is it at this hour. The adversaries of truth are many, influential, learned, and crafty; and truth fares ill at their hands; and yet the man of God has no cause for trepidation. Agencies, seen and unseen, of the most potent kind, are on the side of righteousness. God has armies in ambush which will reveal themselves in the hour of need. The forces which are on the side of the good and the true far outweigh the powers of evil. Therefore, let us keep our spirits up, and walk with the gait of men who possess a cheering secret, which has lifted them above all fear. We are on the winning side. The battle may be sharp, but we know how it will end. Faith, having God with her, is in a clear majority: "They that be with us are more than they that be with them." Charles Spurgeon With a generation of young people growing up uneducated about the foundational truths necessary for a good life and good society we can expect they will be easily led astray, "tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming." (Eph 4:14).
Does this help explain some of the seeming ease with which Western youth are so easily recruited to the modern causes to champion and promote all sorts of nonsense? Millennial’s parents have a lot to answer for. They failed to pass on the truths which made us a great nation. They are increasingly cowed into inaction and silence and we have a complicit media joining in the mob like rampage imposing sexual and other types of immorality on everyone, and then we have weak politicians who seem to be surrendering to these bullies out of fear. The ones who now run the media, the schools, the education departments and increasingly the government, not only seemingly have no knowledge about the foundations which allowed us to be such a great nation, they seem to have no understanding about the consequences of abandoning those foundations, and no willingness to even obtain such knowledge and understanding, as it takes more than two minutes to do so. The things that have allowed "The West" to stand out, flourish, excel and be envied by all the nations outside it, are now being undermined. What can we expect will be the consequences? Michael Phelps Is Driven
An Olympian Finds His Purpose By: Eric Metaxas|Published: August 11, 2016 7:02 AM You’d think things would have gone swimmingly for the all-time Olympic gold medal holder, Michael Phelps. But they didn’t: until he found his purpose. In the months and even years leading up to this year’s Rio Olympics, much of the news about Michael Phelps was bad. In September of 2014, he was arrested for driving while under the influence in his hometown of Baltimore. It seemed that Phelps’ best days, both in and out of the pool, were behind him. But that’s not how it turned out, and I think you can guess why. As you probably know, Phelps carried the American flag during the opening ceremonies on Friday August 5. Then, as of this recording, he's added three more gold medals to his impressive lifetime total, now numbering 21. To put it mildly, both of these were unlikely less than two years ago. As Phelps told ESPN, following his announced retirement in 2012, he struggled to “figure out who he was outside the pool.” In his words, “I was a train wreck. I was like a time bomb, waiting to go off. I had no self-esteem, no self-worth. There were times where I didn’t want to be here. It was not good. I felt lost.” Like a lot of people struggling with similar feelings, he self-medicated. In the immediate aftermath of that DWI arrest, he cut himself off from family and other loved ones and “thought the world would just be better off without me . . . I figured that was the best thing to do — just end my life." That’s when a friend came to his rescue: former All Pro linebacker Ray Lewis, whom Phelps considers a kind of “older brother.” Seeing the hopelessness and despair in his young friend, Lewis, an outspoken Christian, told him, “This is when we fight . . . This is when real character shows up. Don’t shut down. If you shut down we all lose.” Lewis convinced Phelps to enter rehab and gave him a book to read while he was there: “The Purpose-Driven Life” by my friend Rick Warren. The book changed Phelps’ life. Within a few days, Phelps called Lewis and told him “‘Man this book is crazy . . . The thing that’s going on . . . oh my gosh . . . my brain, I can’t thank you . . . enough, man. You saved my life.’” As Phelps told ESPN, Rick Warren’s book “turned me into believing there is a power greater than myself and there is a purpose for me on this planet.” The book, which tells readers that “relationships are always worth restoring,” also convinced Phelps to reconcile with his father from whom he had been estranged for more than two decades. Upon seeing each other, they embraced. As I record this commentary, Phelps still has two more chances to medal, but his story of hope and restoration doesn’t really need any further embellishments—to use one of my favorite words, it’s miraculous enough. Michael Phelps’ story is a reminder that no matter how big a mess your life may be, and no matter how dim the last embers of hope may glow, God is still there. It’s also a reminder of the role that God’s people are called to play as bringers of hope and agents of restoration. The results may not be as dramatic as Phelps’ story but they will matter every bit as much. Now, speaking of stories . . . Earlier this summer my colleague John Stonestreet spoke at the Alliance Defending Freedom Academy on the topic of the “Story” with a capital “S.” The Story of the world, of humanity, of reality, written by God. It’s a great appeal to Christians to not forget the overall narrative of God’s Story, even in the midst of these troubling and confusing times. So please come to BreakPoint.org/free to request a free, downloadable transcript of John’s talk, “The Christian Story in the Cultural Moment.” Further Reading and Information Michael Phelps Is Driven: An Olympian Finds His Purpose"The Purpose Driven Life," the book that steered Michael Phelps to find his purpose, is available at the online bookstore. And while you're there, get a copy of Eric Metaxas' book "Miracles: What They Are, Why They Happen, and How They Can Change Your Life" to read other stories of God at work in the lives of every-day, and not-so-every-day, people. Other ResourcesOlympic swimmer Michael Phelps credits Purpose Driven Life for turnaround, reconciling with father Mark Ellis | MyChristiandaily.com | August 2, 2016 Available in the online bookstoreThe Purpose Driven Life Rick Warren | Zondervan | October 2013 Miracles: What They Are, Why They Happen, and How They Can Change Your Life Eric Metaxas | Penguin Group Publishers | October 2014 Source As the following from the American Family Association shows, the anti-God rainbow movement taking over our once young and free society are hell-bent on destroying the very source of what has made us so free and prosperous. Christian schools are very much on their target list and Australia will not be immune:
"The California legislature is waging a progressive, liberal assault on Christian colleges in an attempt to use the law to manipulate them and force them to abandon their faith-based convictions. The California Senate passed SB1146, a bill containing a provision that removes Title IX exemptions designed to protect a religious school's freedom to exercise their religion. The bill is set to be considered before the California State Assembly. Recent news reports indicate the author of the unconstitutional provision, Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens), has made the bill less anti-Christian, but a less evil bill is still an evil bill. Although the bill has passed the California senate and is in the California Assembly, Sen. Lara's amended (less evil) version, as reported, will:
The Sexual Revolution and Cultural Marxism
Ideology over Public Health By: Eric Metaxas|Published: August 10, 2016 6:00 AM So, it’s OK to warn people about the dangers of drinking too much soda, but not about risky sexual behavior? Welcome to the strange world of cultural Marxism. Christians are sometimes accused of being “in denial,” especially when it comes to matters of sex. But after reading about a recent AIDS conference, I have to ask: Who’s really living in fantasy land? At the recent UN international AIDS conference in South Africa, the actress Charlize Theron announced that HIV “has no biological preference for black bodies, for women’s bodies, for gay bodies . . . HIV is not just transmitted by sex,” she explained. “It’s transmitted by sexism, racism, poverty, and homophobia.” Matthew Hanley, a Senior Fellow with the National Catholic Bioethics Center, writes at Mercatornet that while it was Theron who made these nonsensical remarks, they could have been made by almost any professional at the conference. When Theron says AIDS is not spread just by sex, “she means to direct attention away from sex itself, to minimize its primary role, and to shift ultimate [blame] anywhere else.” “Statements like these,” Hanley adds, “sound less like medicine than a strand of Marxism—cultural Marxism.” Marxism has “morphed away from the sphere of economics and into the sexual revolution,” he explains. This means that “every form of sex has necessarily come to be regarded … as equal; therefore . . . Nothing must jeopardize the truly radical assertion that there are no differences in the arena of sexuality . . . Objective hazards must be repackaged to conform to the value assigned to sexual behavior—which is something we don’t do for other public health matters.” For instance, nobody says smoking cigarettes or drinking huge amounts of sugary drinks is healthy and normal--or distributes pills in schools to offset the effects of tobacco and sugar. Instead, we urge young people to avoid cigarettes altogether, and cut down on the soft drinks. But heaven forbid we tell them to avoid sex. The United Nations isn’t the only place we're witnessing an absolute refusal to acknowledge that all sex is not equal when it comes to public health. Dr. Paul Church, a member of the Harvard Medical School faculty, was fired from his position at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center last year for telling the truth about homosexual behavior: That, as Bryan Fischer writes at barbwire.com, it “leads to a higher incidence of HIV/AIDS, STDs, hepatitis, parasitic infection, anal cancers, and psychiatric disorders.” This, folks, is a new form of totalitarianism. As Hanley explains, those who seek to promote the equality of all sexual behavior—married, unmarried, gay or straight--“seek to triumph by means of the will” and by “various forms of coercion.” The idea that nothing should interfere with sexual pleasure goes back a long way. In 1930, Austrian psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich wrote a book titled “The Sexual Revolution,” in which he announced that ideas—particularly moral ideas--that diminish sexual happiness should not be tolerated. By contrast, Christianity teaches that sex was designed by God and should be reserved for monogamous, life-long marriage between one man and one woman. Sex within marriage is intrinsically linked to complementary love and childbearing. When we hear people spouting off about the so-called “equality” of any and all forms of sexual behavior, claiming that the wrong attitudes cause disease, or attempting to punish anyone who dares to point out the truth about health risks, we need to help our families and friends understand where all this comes from. Ultimately, it’s a rejection of God’s loving—and healthful--design for sexuality. BreakPoint.org Where will this utopian social engineering movement of "equality" lead us as a society? Marriage is just one area.
Religion: All must be atheists. Education: Dumbing down schools until all are equally uneducated. Politics: All must vote ALP/Greens. Think of the failed attempts throughout history to forcefully redistribute resources. They always fail. They always make the masses equally poor and the ruling elite unequally rich. "Marriage Equality" is a Totalitarian Trojan-horse. It will not be the end of the ideological "equality" movement. The FEE article below is helpful in that it gets one thinking about the Socialist aspect of the "equality" nonsense sweeping through the West and doomed to ultimate failure. War Socialism – A Republican Dilemma by Chris Calton There are many forms of Socialism. But there is one principle that holds true for all its manifestations: the forced redistribution of resources. And war is a form of Socialism. With the census coming up on the 9th August 2016 the Atheists are campaigning, with evangelical zeal, to have people tick the box which says "No Religion," hoping to increase the numbers of their faithful and become the biggest "official" religion in Australia, at least on census paper.
But by hijacking the "No Religion" box they are double dipping, as members of their congregation should be marking "Atheism" in the "Other" box according to the ABS, the government body conducting the census. Most people think atheists just don't believe anything, that they have no faith and therefore are not religious. But they have a full belief system just like other religions do, and they have a strong faith in what they believe. They differ from most in that instead of believing that God exists they believe he doesn't exist. Many atheists are extremely fervent in their fight against the God they insist doesn't exist. Atheism is still a belief. According to philosopher Blaise Pascal, Atheism has more serious consequences for its adherents if they are wrong about God than if they were right. Those consequences are immediate and eternal. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary describes religion as: "4: a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith.""Using this definition, many atheists would certainly be categorized as religious, particularly the so-called “New Atheists” like Richard Dawkins and Bill Maher. It would be better to consider them anti-theists (“against God”) or misotheists (“haters of God”). These men and others like them spend much of their time railing against the Creator they say doesn’t even exist. Strangely enough, these misotheists seem to be more obsessed with God than most Christians. They most certainly hold to their cause and beliefs with ardor and faith."1 Atheists certainly have a belief system. They have a belief in the origins of the universe and humanity: They believe everything just came out of nothing. This "nothing" exploded in a "big bang" and then "everything" just appeared, including intelligent life. Now, I may be the least intelligent of this intelligent life but to my mind, when you blow something up it destroys it does not create order. You blow up a building you get rubble, not the other way around. They have a belief in why we are here: No reason. No purpose. No meaning. We are just here. This leads to a very cold-hearted, self-centered, immediate-gratification focused worldview, and one I would suggest is behind the most destructive wars, economic failures, political ideologies and movements in human history. They have a belief in where we go when we die: Nowhere. It is about as hope-less as you can get. If they get the numbers on census night this contributes to Australia becoming more of a society made in their image. In the context of the rainbow attack on traditional marriage, family, children, and on freedoms of speech, religion and conscience it would just provide more ammunition to the increasingly anti-Christian parliament to avoid a plebiscite and just have compromised and intimidated politicians decide on their attempt to destroy marriage and family. Below is some interesting material on the census religion question: From SaltShakers.org.au: Census – religion question 2.1 The ABS says atheism IS a religion – and the religion question is about ‘identifying’ with a religion The Australian Bureau of Statistics describes its interpretation of the ‘religion’ question on the census. The ‘Religion question’ is about people ‘identifying’ with a religion. Many people ‘identify’ with Christianity even though they are not regular churchgoers. The ABS Census Help site actually DEFINES ATHEISM AS A RELIGION! So the campaign by the atheists to get people to mark ‘NO RELIGION’ is very misleading. This is what the ABS says: “People who have non-theistic religious beliefs or other life philosophies should write their response in the 'Other (please specify)' box. Examples of non-religious beliefs include Humanism, Agnosticism, Atheism and Rationalism. If a person identifies with no religion at all, mark the 'No religion' box.” Source – here under ‘Cultural Background’ (scroll to the bottom for ‘Religion’). 2.2 Paul Murray – atheist/agnostic criticises the Atheists ‘No Religion’ campaign Paul Murray had a VERY interesting 6 minute comment on Sky News. He says that, as an atheist (or agnostic) he would choose the ‘No Religion’ box. But he exposes and criticises as 'dishonest' the campaign being run by the Atheist Foundation – like not attending church etc… He says ‘Don’t fall for it!’ WATCH Paul Murray’s video – click here. 2.3 The ‘Yes Religion’ website – to counter the atheist ‘NO Religion’ campaign A group has set up a website to counter the atheists’ campaign. The website, http://yesreligion.org.au/, urges people to think carefully about the question – discussing the ‘not attending church’ and ‘not part of a denomination’ and other arguments, and encouraging people to choose a religion if they ‘identify’ with it. 2.4 Michael Jensen – article on the ‘Census Religion question’ Michael Jensen, an Anglican minister from Sydney, has an interesting article in the SMH, criticising the atheists’ campaign… Article: On census night, don't discount your religious identity, Michael Jensen, SMH, 2/8/2016. From FamilyVoice.org,au Next Tuesday night (9 August) is 2016 Census night – where we are required by law to answer all sorts of questions to help governments make decisions about such things as public transport, housing, education and hospitals. There has been little controversy – until now. This year, the religion question – and its implications for the funding of school chaplains and faith-based charities, as well as tax-exempt status for churches – is all important. The religion question is the only one that is not compulsory. It lists six Christian denominations and three non-Christian religions, with a space for “other” – but this year for the first time, “No religion” is the first option. That was the result of a quiet campaign by the Atheist Foundation of Australia three years ago. They hope that putting “No religion” at the top before any other option, they would win the “donkey vote” – and ultimately force governments to end any subsidy or recognition for the huge amount of public good done by faith-based community organisations. They have also mounted an advertising campaign in supermarket car parks and elsewhere, urging people to mark the “No religion” box. The problem is compounded by the fact that many non-denominational Christians mark “No religion” because they have faith in Christ, but don’t belong to a particular denomination. To them, “religion” means “denomination”. What can we do? We can: · Make sure we answer the religion question – by marking one of the six boxes for Christian denominations, or writing “Christian” or something similar in the space provided for “other” religion. · Send this email to other friends and family, encouraging them to do the same. · Pray – that the atheist campaign will fail. By Paul Kengor Published on June 17, 2016 • 4 Comments
Last week I looked at the history of the original socialists and at what Pope Francis aptly termed their “ideological colonization” of the family and marriage, work that started in the 19th century with the likes of Robert Owen, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Whether they know it or not, today’s nature-redefiners — who target the family or marriage or sexuality or gender — are standing on the shoulders of those 19th century ideologues, utopians who sought to replace the natural-traditional-Biblical family with their own conceptions. Socialism’s new strategies are certainly different from the old, but the rebellion against God and His absolutes remains the same. In recent decades, eager socialists in the West have been ripping down the traditional family from Scandinavia to Ireland. The spectacle in Ireland was especially disturbing. It was one of the few places where marriage was redefined not by unhinged judges or a left-wing Parliament but by national referendum in a one-time Catholic country where the majority no longer cares about the 2,000-year Christian teaching on the sanctity of marriage. Ireland’s citizenry once led the way in sending priests and nuns to the English-speaking world. Today the Irish take the lead as angry scoffers at their ancestors’ faith. Socialism’s Bait and Switch. The contemporary left’s effort to fundamentally transform the family has been relentless, opportunistic and multi-faceted. Even in countries like Italy and France, where the populace was not demanding same-sex marriage, socialist politicians are hell-bent on giving it to them anyway. Under the leadership of socialist Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, Italy just approved same-sex civil unions, which everyone in the country understands as the Italian left’s mere first step to securing same-sex marriage and adoption of children as well. Still, even there we can mainly blame the electorate. Italian citizens, after all, voted for the socialists. They did so not because they wanted the left’s wider cultural-social agenda. They voted for cradle-to-grave freebies and never-ending pensions from the nanny state, not for the redefinition of family and marriage. But sadly, what they do not realize (or tolerate as a trade-off for socialism’s wondrous freebies) is that when you vote for the left for economic reasons you inevitably also get its cultural-social agenda — which undermines the natural-traditional-biblical family. If you are addicted to the welfare the socialist doctor provides, then you also accept his cultural brew. Such is the plight of the welfare junkie addicted to the state’s largesse. Thus, Italians en masse remain sympathetic to Pope Francis and his appeals against same-sex marriage and the “demon” of gender ideology. Nonetheless, when you hold out your hands for “free” government goodies, among the candy in the socialist bag is family redefinition. You want the fat pension? Okay, fine, but you also must give a thumbs-up to gay unions. Time to pay the socialist piper, kiddies. Obama and the Democratic Socialists of America. As for America, our situation is not wildly different. We are getting an aggressive “LGBTQ” political-cultural agenda under Barack Obama’s expansive left-wing umbrella of “fundamental transformation.” That was not what the rank-and-file Obama voter was expecting in November 2008. Certainly, the record number of millions of African-Americans (historically the most religious voting demographic in the country) who enthusiastically voted for Obama did so for reasons that had nothing whatever to do with transgender bathroom edicts. But alas, the fundamental transformation they are getting is a White House literally illuminated in the rainbow colors of the gay-rights movement. We should not delude ourselves that Barack Obama, the most far-left president we have ever had, is not a socialist of some sort. As Stanley Kurtz showed several years ago, we know that Obama was actually for a time in the 1990s a member of the socialist New Party. (For extended analysis, see my book on Obama’s long-time mentor, The Communist.) If Obama remains a socialist, he remains one from a cultural perspective as much as an economic one. But moving away from Obama, look at the platforms of the dominant socialists in America today when it comes to family-sexuality issues. The website of the influential Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is quite open about its social goals. Its “About DSA” section lists among its three planks the broad objective of seeking to “restructure gender and cultural relationships.” The DSA has been carrying the rainbow flag for quite some time. It passed a resolution at the annual convention in November 2011: DSA calls for the legalization of same-sex marriages in all the States and Territories of the United States of America; the enactment of anti-discrimination laws in housing, jobs, education, and health care; and the repeal of state sodomy laws and anti-lesbian and gay restrictions. That was merely point one in a very comprehensive seven-point statement on “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Rights” that also included (among other things) “making public schools safe and bias-free for LGBTQ students, defending their free speech in school and allowing students to start gay-straight alliance clubs” and advancing “the rights of LGBTQ people to parent.” Very tellingly, point four in the DSA statement insisted: “DSA advocates for local and federal non-discrimination laws and insists that religious beliefs cannot be used to justify bias.” For the record, the objectives of the DSA statement are almost identical to those of Socialist Party USA, whose official platform includes a statement pledging, “We are committed to confronting the heterosexism that provides the fertile ground for homophobic violence, and support all efforts toward fostering understanding and cooperation among persons and groups of differing sexual orientations.” And if you want to go further left still, John Bachtell, Communist Party USA chair, recently writing in People’s World (successor to the Daily Worker), called for a socialist-communist-progressive-liberal-Democrat coalition, coalescing around Bernie Sanders, to “fight uncompromisingly against racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia.” Marx and Engels: Proud Papas. What would Marx and Engels have thought about their name and ideology being invoked in the modern left’s crusade against “transphobia?” Well, they would have been shocked speechless. But they surely would have appreciated how their left-wing descendants found such handy tools to undermine the traditional family. Today’s leftists may not succeed in a total “abolition of the family” (to borrow from the phrase in The Communist Manifesto), but they are certainly succeeding in fundamentally transforming the institution. Once upon a time, when we worried about socialists undermining the family, our concern was the economic destitution wrought by the ideology and its counterfactual theories about property and wealth confiscation and redistribution. In the old days, socialists harmed the family by leaving a dad jobless or the household scratching for income in a decimated economy. Today, we need to widen our horizon of socialism’s destructive possibilities. Modern socialists are not thinking merely about managing the state’s economic means of production; they are seeking to completely manage and revamp society’s very understanding of the human family itself. They are, in short, fundamental transformers not just economically but culturally. And they operate a giant wrecking ball that is wreaking havoc in millions of lives. https://stream.org/socialist-groups-agree-traditional-family-enemy/ Marxism and its associated atheistic worldviews (like the rainbow movement) are on the verge of taking the West, in spite of the efforts over the past century or so to defeat it. Bernie Sanders, openly Marxist, almost got to be the Democrat nominee for US President. Bill Shorten, one of the most pro-Marxist ALP leaders for some time, almost took Australia on July 2nd.
Dr. Jeff Myers and Aaron Atwood sit down to discuss the Marxist worldview, democratic socialism, and the difference between a Marxist and a Christian view of wealth. The message starts at around 2.50 mins: Listen now → Exclusive Forum Video Dignity of Life: Abortion to Euthanasia Last month, Scott Klusendorf shared on the Summit Forum how we can address the value of life. He discussed questions such as, "What makes humans valuable in the first place?" and "Are we valuable because of what we do functionally or simply because we are human?" How we answer these questions as a culture will determine policies on abortion, marriage, genetic engineering, doctor-assisted suicide, and more. In case you missed the live webinar or you want to re-watch it, we want to give you this Summit exclusive resource. Stay tuned for more information about next month's Summit Forum with Stand to Reason's Student Impact Director and Summit faculty member, Brett Kunkle. Watch Scott's interview now. Pro-Life Resources
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Craig MannersWhile much of what is written in this Blog may currently appear to be counter-cultural, given our post-truth culture, it is in no way counter-human beings. I am always for people no matter what they think, do, or may have done in their past. Where I put forward ideas or debate against certain ideology, behaviour, ideas, movements, politics, I remain very much on the side of the human beings even though I may be opposed to their worldview, behaviour and politics. Such opposition is generally out of concern for the ultimate consequences of such behaviour or ideas, especially for children. |