I am a Hater – a Godly Hater!

  1. Fairy Floss.

Playground politics, Postmodernism, and Political Correctness make a volatile and disastrous combination.

Playground politics equals bullying. Postmodernism equals a denial of Truth. Political Correctness equals a biased, pseudo-egalitarianism. In such an environment, cogent arguments, truth, fact, and even reality are dismissed. In their place come name-calling, bullying, meaningless terms and lies. This modern estate is the “fairy floss”[1] estate—you are handed a bright and colourful substance that looks real, but once you put it in your mouth it disappears! In effect, you have paid for the joy of eating nothing and remaining hungry.

In the current debate surrounding homosexual union, we are being handed many brightly coloured tidbits and asked to swallow them. Yet, once they are in our mouths they evaporate to nothing. Then, when we have the audacity to point this out, we are labelled, condemned, harangued, and treated as completely unworthy.

Two recent examples stand out:

  1. Opposition Leader, Bill Shorten, had this to say: “I don’t believe that people’s relationships and love for each other need to be submitted to a public opinion poll. … I don’t want to give the haters a chance to come out from underneath the rock and make life harder for LGBTI people.”[2]
  2. The second instance has no name and not much detail. For this I apologise. After visiting my elderly father in hospital, I was driving home and decided to listen to the radio. I came across a woman’s voice arguing for protection from “hate speech”. I can only assume that this was a debate into the removal of clause 18c from the Racial Discrimination Act. Anyway, the point of interest came when the speaker highlighted her coup de gras question that she asked of her opponents: “What hate speech do you wish to use?” She went on to announce that this question had her opponents “nonplussed” or stopped cold.

Let’s analyse these statements.

  • Please note the bullying and name-calling that come to the fore. People who have a different opinion are immediately labelled as “haters”, those who dwell under “rocks”, and those who delight to use “hate speech”.
  • In keeping with this name calling and bullying, there is an automatic assumption on the part of the speaker that their position is the correct one or the morally superior one. Thus, the opponent is labelled and pigeon-holed for no other reason than they disagree with the speaker’s point of view.

This is truly fascinating. My wife has worked for years in the health sector. Several decades ago there came a huge, government sponsored push to avoid, at all costs, “labelling language”. People were not to be pigeon-holed or labelled in a way that would cause them detriment. Now, these same governments wish to label people without cause just to win political arguments and “Brownie” points.

  • All of this leads us to ask questions regarding Morality and Truth. When the above people spoke, they did not appeal to any Absolute, they merely insisted that their opinion or view on this subject be accepted as absolute. In such a situation, who is the umpire? Does Bill Shorten win simply because he is Opposition Leader?

Time to connect the dots. The reason that we are subject to bullying and harassment is precisely because these people do not have an Absolute on which to base their arguments. They have no logic, no absolute, no moral, no consistency—so they must develop their own brand of sanctioned and sanitised “hate speech” with which to browbeat those who oppose them. Then, when this phase is effective, they will pass laws and then label those who oppose as criminals and a danger to society and then invite them to spend time behind bars.

Today we are told that everything is sweetness and light. Everything is equal. Two men together is as valid as a man and a woman. Yet, we ask, on what basis is this assertion made?[3] Indeed, even incestuous relationships are now being embraced and given their own alphabet soup so that they can be legitimised.[4] We are being handed fairy floss!

Herein is the hypocrisy. An honest citizen who has committed no crime – other than to insist on moral absolutes – becomes to these people the equivalent of a thief, paedophile, or murderer. If you think this is foolishness, then simply reverse engineer their arguments. If all are truly equal and morality does not exist, then there can be no wrong. If morality is simply what the Government of the day makes it to be, then we are all in danger for morality will change with each new law, with each passing year, and the turn of a new decade.

Think about this! You raise your child on the moral principles of the day. That child is a successful, law abiding citizen until they are in their mid-thirties when, due to a change in legislation, they now become a pariah. Society now punishes them for what society previously taught them.

  1. Absolute Morality – Loving and Hating.

The only safety net available to this or any society is to return to or embrace God’s absolute morality. God has spoken. Obedience alone will bring His blessing. Empirically, we know this to be true. Our nation is in turmoil; it is in its death throes. If we are honest, we will admit that we are further from God than we have ever been, yet our estate is worse than it has ever been.

Our only hope, therefore, is to reject Man’s egalitarianism and subjective morality and embrace God’s absolute morality. We must learn to love what God loves and Hate what God hates.

At this statement, some will be greatly perplexed. They will never have heard these types of words before. Sadly, this is a confirmation of how much the World has penetrated the Church and Her theology.

Our minister has been preaching through Corinthians and he noted that the Corinthian problem was that there was too much World in the Church. Conversely, it may be argued that there is too little Church in the World. Perceive it as you will, the point is that the Church no longer believes God and His revelation of Morality and Truth. Therefore, She shies away from taking a stand. The Church has become so enamoured with being popular and with winning souls that She has forgotten what Holiness and Righteousness are and in Whom they are to be found.

This was brought home to me clearly many years ago when I made a statement about God “hating” certain things. I was immediately rebuked and told that such concepts were erroneous. I shook my head, disbelieving what my ears were transferring to my brain. Sadly, decades later, I am hearing a growing chorus of dissenters who are simply being blasphemous because they are speaking lies concerning God.

It is time to evict the World from the Church and inject the Church into the World! This eviction must begin with us believing what God says in His word about His own Being and Character, and as a consequence, jettisoning all the Worldly fair floss that we have purchased.

This jettisoning process must begin with acceptance of the very simple fact: God hates! As a Christian, as a Man created in God’s image,  I must hate what God hates. If I do not hate what God hates then I am being treasonous. Strong words by modern standards, but they are, nonetheless, true words. Think about it. Are we not citizens in a Kingdom? Are we not bound to obey the great King? Yes, we are; on both counts! Thus, to love what the King hates is to bring evil and falsehood into the Kingdom.[5]

Now, let’s be clear. We are speaking of God and as such we are speaking of intrinsic Morality as God has created and revealed it. We are not talking Ford v Holden, Pizza with or without anchovies, or whether we should drive on the left- or right-hand side of the road. No, we are speaking of God’s Morality intrinsic to Man as a consequence of being made in God’s image and likeness.

What then does God hate? Well, the answer is that God hates anything that digresses from His express will, decree, and standard. If we think of the Ten Commandments as a summary of God’s Morality, then we see that any digression from these Laws would be a thing that God dislikes intently. Thus, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, greed, robbery, false worship, murder, and so forth are all things that God hates. It is for this reason that I say there are too many blasphemers who today speak lies in the name of God.[6] There are too many Christians who simply do not believe what God says about Himself.

If you are in doubt in regard to the basic thesis that God hates, then please consider the following (As you do, think about the relationship of each item to the Summary of God’s Moral Law, the Ten Commandments.):

Proverbs 6:16-19 – “There are six things which the Lord hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, A false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.

Isaiah 61:8 – “For I, the Lord, love justice, I hate robbery in the burnt offering;”

Jeremiah 44:4-5 – “Yet I sent you all My servants the prophets, again and again, saying, “Oh, do not do this abominable thing which I hate.” ‘But they did not listen or incline their ears to turn from their wickedness, so as not to burn sacrifices to other gods.

Amos 5:21 – “I hate, I reject your festivals, nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies.

Zechariah 8:16-17 – “These are the things which you should do: speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace in your gates. ‘Also let none of you devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love perjury; for all these are what I hate,’ declares the Lord.

Malachi 2:16 – “For I hate divorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “and him who covers his garment with wrong,” says the Lord of hosts. “So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.

To this list we could add those texts that speak, like several here, about that which the Lord God Almighty declares to be an abomination. As one example, please consider Deuteronomy 12:31 – “You shall not behave thus toward the Lord your God, for every abominable act which the Lord hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

As per usual, we are keenly aware that detractors will state that these texts are from the Old Testament and then justify this statement with some new spin on an old heresy. To these, we can only suggest that it time that they got their head around the Doctrine of God’s Immutability.

Anyway, for these, we will give one text which is very important. Here are Jesus’ words; the words of God’s eternal Son; words that Jesus, the resurrected Lord spoke to His Church concerning a group of wayward heretics: “Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.[7]

Yes, Jesus hates. That is what the text says. Jesus commends His people for hating the deeds (works) of these heretics because Jesus also hated them. The commendation comes because at that very point these people were one with their Master.

This then gives us a clue as we move forward and look at what our attitude should be to those things which God hates. Indeed, this is not a clue or a hint; it is the reality of our relationship with God, through Christ Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit – we must be one with our God!

The Psalmists have this to say:

26:5 – “I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked.

31:6 – “I hate those who regard vain idols; But I trust in the Lord.

97:10 – “Hate evil, you who love the Lord, Who preserves the souls of His godly ones; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

139:21-22 – “Do I not hate those who hate Thee, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against Thee? I hate them with the utmost hatred; they have become my enemies.

119: 104, 113, 128, 163 – “From Thy precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way; I hate those who are double-minded, But I love Thy law; Therefore I esteem right all Thy precepts concerning everything, I hate every false way; I hate and despise falsehood, But I love Thy law.[8]

Next, a simple question: The fear of the Lord is …? How did you answer this? Did you say “knowledge” or maybe “wisdom”? Not incorrect, but did you realise that the same pen also wrote: “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way, and the perverted mouth, I hate”?[9]

Again, for the New Testamenty Christians we have this selection:

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 – “But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.”[10] (NIV: Test everything. Hold on to the good.  Avoid every kind of evil.)

Jude 22-23 – “And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.

Romans 12:9 – “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.

Lastly, let us conclude with two statements from Jesus:

Luke 14:26 – “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.

Luke 16:13 – “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

What these statements teach us is that God in Trinity must have the priority in our lives. There is no human relationship, nor is there wealth, life, philosophy, ideology, policy, or organisation that can make a claim on us that is greater than that which God makes. If we are God’s servants in and through Jesus Christ, then we must serve as Jesus didMy food is to do the will of Him Who sent Me and to accomplish His work!

It means that we can only love that which God loves and that we must hate and abominate that which God loathes. We cannot claim to be God’s faithful servants and then disown those things which are the essence of His nature. We cannot befriend that which God hates nor can we accept that which God has declared unacceptable.

Therefore, I am crawling out from under my rock and the hate speech I wish to say is this: Thus says the Lord, “Homosexuality is an abomination in My eyes”. As His servant, I say, “Homosexuality, along with murder, rape, thievery, and the like, is an affront to His holiness. If we as a nation continue to pander to the rebellious homosexual minority, in particular, and if we continue to fail in providing true justice, then we will ask for God’s wrath to be delivered to us both in time and space and in eternity. Our nation will not prosper. We will continue to face dangers from without and within. Our freedom will become slavery. Our joy will be turned to sorrow. We will inflict great suffering on the generations to be born.

Mr. Turnbull, Mr. Shorten, and all those who support the homosexual movement’s radical rebellion, know that you are playing with fire by angering Almighty God. Know that all your statements are falsehood. Know that you speak lies and impugn the integrity of God Almighty. Know that you betray your office as Ministers of God. Know that He will not acquit the guilty. Know that you are bringing destruction to this people. Know that you will give an account before His judge, Jesus Christ. Know that unless you repent, there will be no account that you can give of yourself that will be acceptable. Know that ideas and actions have consequences and your continued rebellion will bring ruination to this people in time and in eternity!

I adjure you by the mercies of God, forsake your folly; Kiss the Son lest you perish in your way; Flee from the coming wrath; Repent; Hate evil; Do what is Good; Live! Exalt this nation rather than cover it in shame and disgrace! In short, fulfill the great Commandment:Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind!””

Footnotes:

[1] “Cotton Candy”, for our North American brethren.

[2] Taken from Saltshakers News Update, September 9, 2016.

[3] The nonsense of the current position being thrust upon society is seen in the growing alphabet soup. Once, homosexuals were labelled as “queer”. This was not acceptable to the moderns so it was changed to LGBT. Now this is not adequate. Apparently the fraternity of the sinful have embraced their former appellation, so a “Q” was added. Now this is not adequate, so the soup has been extended yet again to LGBTQIA, to included “intersex” and “asexual”. What next? All we will add is, please note that there is no “H” for heterosexual. Apparently it is okay to accept every sexual orientation except the one created and commanded by God!

[4] http://www.kidspot.com.au/parenting/real-life/in-the-news/im-in-love-with-my-brother-and-were-going-to-get-married. http://www.kidspot.com.au/parenting/real-life/in-the-news/mother-and-son-face-jail-as-they-fight-to-stay-in-sexual-relationship. This is now referred to as GSA – Genetic Sexual Attraction. The sickening aspect is that I had bookmarked one account of a Father and daughter. This story had disappeared, but I easily found two new ones on the same site – Vomit bags on standby!!!

[5] Isaiah 5:20 – “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Proverbs 17:15 – “He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.

[6] http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-30/welcoming-but-not-affirming-being-gay-and-christian/7798226. I refer you to this site for the picture, not necessarily for the article content.

[7] Revelation 2:6.

[8] Note that in these particular Psalms the contrast is always between God’s revealed standard – Law, Precept – and what the Psalmist sees in men.

[9] Proverbs 8:13.

[10] We would do well to remember that the “form” of evil begins with the evil thought. The evil thought produces evil actions. Thus, we must always be on guard against believing anything which contradicts God’s word for this is the evil root which will produce the evil fruit.

The Active Destruction of the Family

Australia is a country at war. It is divided. It is torn. It is unsettled. It is restless. It is confused. It is lost. It gropes in the darkness.

Worse than this, Australia is a nation lead by a murder[1] of political buffoons who have little or no clue on how to repair, restore, and improve this nation.

Worst of all, this murder of political buffoons are so enamoured with their own political theories and the rightness of their rebellion against God that they will not turn from their evil and destructive ways despite the evidence that they are killing their own so as to feed upon their flesh.

Truly a gruesome and disgusting picture, but one which is very true and it is high time we realised this fact.

The current topic of evil is homosexual union. Debates rage over the pros and cons of this abominable practice. We are held to ransom by an extreme, errant, and malevolent minority. Our politicians have voted. Then they wanted a popular vote of the people. Now, they want to vote again themselves; not for righteousness sake, but for bragging rights.

Yet, whilst this topic makes headlines every day, the populace does not seem to be concerned about other “issues” that are being sanctioned and implemented  on a daily basis that are as equally destructive.

  1. The Long War against God!

Whilst we fight and oppose any push for homosexual union, the real tragedy, at least to me, is that most Christians in this country do not even understand how we arrived at this point. I have heard genuine, Christ loving, Bible believing brothers speak about the speed with which this degradation came upon us, as though it has come as a bolt from the blue. Of recent, I have heard several prayers thanking God for the freedoms we have in this country, especially in regard to worship and prayer meetings.

Now I plead before God that I offend neither Him nor the brethren when comments and criticisms like these are made, but the truth is that these comments must be made. The Christian populace must wake up. The Church must be awakened. The Church must face the harsh reality of what lies before Her, in Her very gaze, or She will face even darker days.

The simple reality is that homosexual union has been on the cards for decades. It is not new, nor did it arrive quickly. Secondly, the Church is persecuted daily. Christians are persecuted daily. Our freedoms, given to us by God, are being eroded almost exponentially. Our worship is impinged upon. How long will it be before our Bible studies and prayer meetings become Secularist cannon fodder? Learn we must that this is not the beginning of a process, but the culmination of a process aimed at the destruction of God’s order.

This process began, at least officially, in 1975 when this country had “no fault divorce” foist upon it. This may seem innocuous to many, but it is not. This proclamation is the smoking gun of homosexual union, the destruction of the family, and the erosion of our freedoms.

To comprehend the implications of no fault divorce, we must understand, a) the very nature of divorce; and b) every institution and concept that is inextricably linked to or impacted by the nature of divorce.

First of all, as is obvious, divorce is linked to marriage. As marriage is:

  1. established by God;
  2. created by covenant;
  3. given for a stated purpose;
  4. regulated by Law; and
  5. protected by Law,

we must apprehend that marriage is, therefore, first and foremost, moral. As marriage is a moral institution, not a cultural convenience or evolutionary wonder, it stands to reason that everything that stems from or impacts upon marriage is also to be considered a moral entity or as having moral qualities.

When God established marriage, one purpose given to it was procreation. Hence, marriage is inextricably linked to family. To achieve family, Man had to be made in such a way that he could procreate – for that reason God made Man male and female. God also instituted roles within marriage. Thus, marriage, procreation, and family become moral entities and are to be governed, protected, and assessed only according to the moral standards that God instituted.

When it comes to forming marriages, this morality also governed who performed marriages and the standards to which any ceremony had to adhere. We may often wonder where some aspects of a wedding ceremony may come from, but they are not hard to figure out when Scripture is studied. For example, the words, “We are gathered here in the sight of God”, simply state the most obvious truth concerning marriage – it is a covenant instituted by God, for His glory, and it applies to all men. Hence, the omnipresent God can never be ignored when it comes to marriage.

Of equal importance is the “in sight of these witnesses”, for in God’s law everything had to be established by the word of two or three witnesses.[2] So intrinsic to Man is this law that Paul invoked it in the New Testament in regard to charges against an Elder.[3] Thus, the affirmation of a true marriage had to be in accord with God’s law. It had to be witnessed so that should any breach occur there was true testament that a valid marriage had been instituted and violated.

What of a father walking a bride down the aisle and answering the call of, “Who gives this woman to this man?” Is this just a quaint happening? Not on your Nellie! Hang on! This is going to get rough!!! This process signifies the transfer of the God-given headship from the father to the husband. It is a sign that the father approves the marriage and deems that the husband-to-be is of sufficiently fit character to take on and execute the role of covenant head. It is following God’s design for the protection and nurture of families in generational covenant.

Much more could be said, but these points alone lead us toward the conclusion that marriage is moral, ecclesiastical, and familial. Above all, these points teach that marriage is not, nor can it ever be, Secular! This means that a Government may oversee marriage as a legitimate part of its Office, but it can never fiddle with the parameters of marriage, for they have been established by God. The Government’s job, according to Romans 13, is to bear the sword and vigorously pursue the evildoer, in this case the wife-basher, adulterer, adulteress, and the immoral.

This leaves only one conclusion: the dissolving of any marriage can only take place on moral grounds. In other words, divorce is only legitimate when there is a proven moral failure – a transgression of God’s law – on the part of one of those in the marriage covenant. Is this not exactly what Jesus said? Did not Jesus say that, “whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery?”[4]

Please note Jesus’ words carefully. These words are unpopular today, but we need to hear them and heed them. Jesus teaches that one moral failure actually begets another. Divorce, far from solving problems, actually multiplies problems. Divorce, conceived of falsely, begets social ills, bringing and spreading God’s judgement.

No fault divorce. A Government takes to itself power and authority it cannot have. A Government wages war on God and His standard. If marriage is moral, then divorce procedures must be moral. 1975. No fault divorce. A piece of legislation is enacted. God and His morality are wiped quietly from the statute books and the Church does not raise a whimper. In this wretched piece of legislation, we witnessed the loosing of morality from divorce proceedings. Concomitantly, there was a silent declaration that marriage was no longer a moral entity, but was now just a cultural institution. Likewise, the family was knocked from its pedestal of sanctity. It was no longer special, no longer defined and protected by God’s design and law. All were now just cultural constructs to be defined by Man.

Consequently, from this time, we began to see a reshaping of all these institutions. Marriage became an optional extra. Try before you buy; multiple relationships etc., etc, became more and more acceptable. Morality waned. God’s judgement waxed. Families disintegrated and the social fabric of our nation was rent asunder. The central building block of our society, the family, has been remoulded after fallen Man’s design until we reach the point where same sex union is considered to be the acme of marriage.

Those who cannot procreate and have natural families are put on the pedestal once occupied by God’s family. Those who cannot ever be a family now turn to other morally bankrupt schemes in order to have children. Those who despise marriage are allowed to breed and clog up society with ill disciplined children. They are allowed to beat, maim, and deprive their children of nurture, justice, and the God-given pleasantries of family. Then we have those who simply choose to have children to multiple fathers. Marriage never enters their mind.

Morality wanes. God’s judgement waxes.

All the while, we heterosexual, God-moulded families, must now enjoy the privilege of not only being mocked as an anachronism, we must also enjoy the right to pay for these debauched ones to have their illegitimate children and their tax-payer-funded sex changes, their day in court when their “unions” disintegrate,[5] the wonder of welfare payments for the unmarried to have children and to raise them as social misfits. We have the privilege to sit by and watch the atrocities committed by “partners” against their “de factos” or their “de factos’ children” and then suffer the ignominy of having God-moulded families thrown into the same basket as these.

Morality wanes. God’s holy and righteous judgement waxes!

  1. The Destruction Continues!

The simple reality is that all levels of government are presently at war with God-moulded families. They profess support for families, but in this they do not conceive of God-moulded families, only those moulded after the minds of fallen men.

My story. I recently took my fifteen year old daughter to a specialist’s appointment. At the end of the consult, we paid our dues and the receptionist stated that the Medicare rebate would be processed automatically. Several weeks later, no money had been received. A little while later, a letter was received, stating that Medicare owed us money, but that we needed to provide details.

Being a cooperative lad, I logged on to make sure everything was up to speed – I suspected it should be as I had only just changed all our accounts. Anyway, I could not find a place to update my daughter even though she was clearly listed on the page. So, I logged out. Knowing the communistic, feminising tendencies of our governments, I logged in as my wife. Same issue. Oh dear! That sense of dread swept across my body. I now had to ring a government department!

Anyway, the call was answered sooner than expected and I asked my question. Brad was on the other end and he explained that my daughter now had to have her own log-in details on her own access or, at the very least, he had to speak to her.

Have your heard of the “Berserkers”? Well, one came to visit! I asked Brad why the government was bent on the destruction of the family. Brad spun his rhetoric and went on to note that when a child turns fourteen, they are to have their own log-in, etc. He explained that she could use my bank details for the Medicare payment, but that she needed to establish an account with the details etc. I pushed, “Why?” Then Brad spilled the proverbial “beans” – it was so that she could have a medical consult or procedure without our knowledge! So, I once more asked Brad why the government was waging war on the legitimate families of this nation and pushing them to destruction.

Can you see the problem? Parents are now nothing, but a breeding pair. Once the child is born, the parents are being denied any rights. God’s design is turned on its head. The child, at fourteen, must now give the father permission to collect from the government the money to which he is entitled. The child is now the one with the power and authority and it is the parents, the father in particular, that must now ask if he can have the car keys!

Think this through. This child cannot drink, marry, or vote until she is eighteen. She cannot, depending on the State she is in, give legal consent to sexual activity until she is 16 or 17 years old. Yet, she can go behind her parents back with Government consent and procure a range of medical services, e.g., an abortion.

As I pondered this, fumed may come a little closer, it was my intention to include in the article the example of a British school that was caught handing out the Pill to girls without parental consent. This happened a few years ago and I was wondering where I might find the reference.

No need! Our very own atheistic, God-hating Premier, Daniel Andrews, came forward with a better and more relevant case. Doctors working in government schools will be able to prescribe the contraceptive Pill to girls as young as twelve.[6] The Herald Sun article goes on to say that “the State Government has not decided if parents will have to give consent”, but immediately goes on to quote Mr. Andrews as saying that students can already access certain medical clinics. The article also quotes the AMA state president as saying that children “can be given medical care if they can demonstrate they understand what is happening.”

Much could be said, but here is the State-sponsored destruction of the family highlighted for all to see. Reading between the lines, we must conclude that those sending their children to government schools are incapable of providing proper medical care for their children. Then there is the obvious question, “Why the Pill?” If these poor waifs are uncared for, should we not start with the much more common ailments? What of the boys? Hey, common, we live in the age of sexual equality, what are the twelve year old boys getting? Probably just a lecture that will feminise them that bit more. This leads me to ask the really important question, “If the safe-schools programme is run, our boys bashed into submission until the can recite feminist dogma in their sleep, then why will the girls need the Pill?” At this point our boys will be turned into quivering wrecks, trained to be afraid of women and find sexual fulfilment only amongst their own gender!

Facetiousness aside, how long will this be restricted to government schools? Already we see that the State forces non-government schools to teach or push certain of its corrupt ideas. We see that the Governments of this nation constantly over step the mark and abuse their power. So, legitimately, we ask, how long …? How long until the list of pills grows? How long until the services are compulsory – just like State education, free, compulsory, and Secular? How long until their reach is extended? How long …?

Seriously, brethren, we need to wake up and act. Those stories, those horror stories, that once were so because they were rare, are no longer so because they are common and we are desensitised.

Why were homeschoolers made to register their children? Why? The story of the girl who ran away from home at fourteen only to find she did not qualify for welfare and returned home repentant—until her fifteenth birthday when she did qualify. How many of our homeless youth are truly homeless? How many are State sponsored runaways? How many are exploited and have their lives ruined because they were encouraged by the State to run away from home simply because dad had a few rules, which they did not like. How many abortions, murders, are carried out because these children are supplied with the Pill, but, because of their immaturity, they use them incorrectly and end up pregnant?

          Conclusion:

The Governments of this nation have declared war on marriage and the family and they have done so by stripping these institutions of God’s design and God’s morality. Pretending to be god’s, these fools now play with society and try to craft it after their own design, but all they do is bring death and destruction to us.

Have you noticed how they point fingers? 1975. No Fault divorce; the beginning of the end for marriage and family. The beginning of the end for marriage and family as God designed it. Forty years of war against God’s family. Yet, families are not better. Families are not multiplying. Families are no longer healthy places in which to raise children. Families are in chaos. Do the politicians blame themselves? Do the politicians do an about face and admit they were wrong? No, they do not. Why? Simple. They would rather live in the chaos and continue their long war against God, His design, and His morality than repent, bow the knee, and confess that God was right all along.

Brethren, let us keep our eye on the ball. Let us, as Christ commands, Stay alert! Let us be aware of the “thin end of the wedge.” Let us apply our minds, renewed in Christ and by the Holy Spirit, so that we may see the outcome of any proposal. Remember, all laws, ideas, concepts, and proposals can only have one of two outcomes – life or death. As Proverbs says, “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.[7] Our Governments believe that they are on the right path, but God’s word and the evidence all around us only show death and carnage. The lessons for us, as God’s people, are that we must listen to God’s word;  believe that God’s word is our only rule for life and faith; and fight to see God’s order implemented, honoured, and obeyed.

Footnotes:

[1] Yes, usually a collective applied to crows. However, when trying to think of a collective name for those running our country, somehow it just seemed right to name them after a hated, black bird that is a nuisance to productivity and which feeds on the dead flesh of others.

[2] Deuteronomy 19:15.

[3] 1 Timothy 5:19.

[4] Matthew 19.9.

[5] I wrote recently of a conversation in which a lady argued that same sex marriage should be allowed because heterosexuals divorce and often cause hurt to children. Hmmm! What then of those homosexual relationships that fail and which have children involved? One hit the headlines just the other day. Same sex marriage will not stop the mess, it will only increase it!

[6] Herald Sun. Friday, September 2, 2016. Front page.

[7] Proverbs 16:25.

Homosexuality: Rebellion, Ignorance, and Death

Although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

When the Apostle Paul wrote these words, he gave to all Christian, in all times and in all places, a really good insight into the tenacity with which ungodly men will pursue their ungodliness. Sadly, many Christians turn from Paul’s words today because they seem to be a little harsh, unloving, and intolerant. However, if we take the time to look around at our culture today, we will see that Paul was right on the mark.

As you well know, there is a push on in Australia to legitimise homosexuality. This began many moons ago with basic equality laws and it is coming to a head with the current push to allow homosexuals to marry. Now, we have written elsewhere on these topics, so we will not cover that ground again.[1] The points to be highlighted here are those in the title, which fall in line with Paul’s warning.

Rebellion: The first point to be considered, because it is the fundamental point to be grasped if Christians are going to move to victory, is that all unregenerate sinners are rebels at heart. Again, this may seem unloving, but these are not my words or, in the first instance, my point of view. This is the revelation of the facts given to us by God Himself.

Paul begins his discourse in verse eighteen by noting that the ungodly suppress the truth of God. Paul then goes on to show that the knowledge of God is available to all because God Himself made it available. This is what leads to Paul’s disturbing conclusion – They know their deeds are worthy of death because they contravene God’s law, but they do them anyway and encourage others to follow.

It is fundamentally important that we grasp this point. Sinners are rebels. They do not want to give up their sin. So addicted to their sin are they that they will encourage others to join them so that they can have an easing of the pangs of conscience and a greater justification for their actions – “Well, they are doing it too!”

An example of this rebellion occurred last night (26/08/16). Michael Kirby was interviewed on Lateline. Michael Kirby, a retired High Court Justice, is a homosexual and he is using his “clout” to push his particular barrow. During this interview, of which only short snippets were glimpsed, Mr Kirby advocated that the politicians should decide the matter of homosexual union and not have it decided via a plebiscite. He went on to say that if the Parliament decided against the proposal that was fair enough because it would be overturned later. Here, in the flesh, is the rebellion.

It seems to be a forgotten fact that the Parliament did vote, the Parliament did decide and their decision was an overwhelming, No! In September 2012 the Australian Parliament voted, 98 to 42, to reject same-sex marriage. Ever since then the narcissistic rebels have cried foul, agitated, introduced Bill after Bill, thrown their lollies on the floor time after time, and acted like spoiled children attempting to bully their way to victory.

Proof comes from the opening lines of the Sydney Morning Herald: “Advocates will shift their focus to legalising same sex marriage at the state level, after Federal MPs yesterday voted down a bill which would have allowed gay couples to marry.”[2] Not happy with the democratic vote of the Federal Government, the rebellious ones set their sights on a different group of politicians. This shift in focus no doubt resulted in the ACT introducing its own legislation, which led to a High Court challenge by the Federal Government.[3]

Thinly veiled in Mr Kirby’s statement is the fact that the homosexual minority[4] is going to continue their push until the Australian Government submits to their will. The Government can vote and defeat the Bill this time and the rebels will keep at it.

This rebellion is exactly why these people are targeting Parliament. They know that they are in the minority and that most people in this country do not support their stand. Thus, they do not want a popular vote of any kind and they most definitely do not want a popular vote that is binding. They want to use coercion and bullying tactics to manipulate the weak political situation for their own end.

In this, we also see the duplicity of the rebels. They speak of democracy and equality, but they will walk over both to attain their goal.[5] They respect not the people or the Parliament, because they respect not the One Living and True God.

Ignorance: Paul notes that those who rebel against God and His order will be extremely keen to have the positive support of others. They want a mutual society of sycophants so that they can justify their actions and feel justified by the company they keep. However, there are many who are also duped into giving hearty support because they do not look with God’s eyes and therefore do not really understand the essence of the argument or what is at stake.

We came across such a situation today. We had a lay-by at a particular little shop, a favourite of my wife’s. We have been there many times. Today, upon entering, we saw a rainbow flag hanging on the door. When we had finished our business, the comment was passed to the owner that it was disappointing to see that flag. She responded by saying that “the shop” believed in this and that was that. The interesting part was no sooner had the words fallen from her mouth than she said, “I do not want to talk about it.” Whoa up! You display the flag, which is a political statement and then you do not wish to engage on the topic. Hmmm!

Anyway, thankfully she was unable to restrain herself and started by stating that ‘people who “love each other” should be able to get married.’ The question was sent back to her, “What is love?” This was responded to by another affirmation that she desired no discourse. Then, she interjected that ‘marriages fail, often with children in the middle, so why not allow homosexuals to marry.’ Well, that caused some head scratching! If marriages fail and children get hurt, should she not be advocating that marriage and procreation be banned, rather than advocating the broadening of marriage? After all, we are aware of several cases already involving homosexual couples that have parted ways and then enter a battle over custody of the children. In short, allowing homosexuals to marry will not resolve this problem; it will only create more and unique cases for the courts to figure out.

Refraining from silence, the last effort on the shop keeper’s part was to speak of “equality”. Our reply was that equality does not exist and that to approve homosexual marriage would be to actively discriminate against heterosexual marriage. We received a bewildered, “no!” in reply.

The point to be made here is not that we enjoy harassing helpless shop keepers, but rather that there are people who are roped into supporting the rebels without having any clear understanding of the issues. They have been blinded by the “love” words and calls for “equality” without every realising what these terms are being used to veil. The conversation reported above was interesting because it was almost as though the shop keeper was reading from prompt-points written by a homosexual propagandist; yet, she clearly had no depth of understanding as to the real issues.

This is, of course, exactly what the rebels desire. They seek to capture followers by feigning exploitation, by emotional heart-string pulling, and the claiming of injustice. They do not want the truth to be known because that would be a very inconvenient truth for their cause. Thus, for the Christian, the lesson is that we need to understand the issues well so that we can poke holes in these false reasons and clearly demonstrate what is at stake. We need to put God’s word before these people, but we need to also understand the issues and concepts so that we can explain the errors.

Death: Paul’s reference to death is often explained away as only referring to the last judgement and the consigning of the wicked to Hell. However, such an understanding seems to be contrary to the whole thrust of Paul’s argument. Paul seems to be speaking of those presently engaged in activities that contravene God’s law. His point is that they are not only flouting God’s law but also the penalties (death) that are prescribed by God’s law.

Understood in this way, we must see that these rebels are dead in trespass and sin (Ephesians 2:1) and that they, therefore, bring an air of death to all that they do and touch. This stands to reason. If life, full and abundant, is in Jesus the Christ then those who deny Jesus and rebel against God must be devoid of life and be the harbingers of death.

So it is in the current case. We have seen either explicitly or implicitly how these rebels have killed or are killing the political process, democracy, truth, language, justice, morality, and law. With the demise of these elements, we will see our culture and nation begin to atrophy until the emaciated carcass finally collapses and falls to the earth dead.

Are we exaggerating? No. Not even a little bit. God judges sin. Proverbs 14:34, often quoted, states, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” Paul, in Romans 1, tells us that homosexuality is a great sin, indeed the greatest, and therefore a great disgrace. If it is a disgrace, then it will not lead to exaltation, but to deprecation. Already, we see that this nation is failing and it will continue to spiral downwards as long as we tolerate sin. Recently, I spoke to a lady who was bemoaning her mother’s negative attitude to everything. We asked her to pause and think about the standards that her mother grew up with and the type of society that was and is now. It did not take long for the “penny to drop”. Our children are not safe on the streets. Murder is an everyday occurrence and we are no longer aghast at its reality. We have no faith in Governments. Drug addiction is rife. Family violence is rife … need any more be said.

Equally, if we understand Paul’s words correctly, we must grasp that homosexuality is not only a sin, but a judgementGod handed them over or gave them up. Thus, rampant homosexuality and its willing embrace tells us that our nation is already under God’s displeasure; to further legalise homosexuality and establish it as a norm is surely to beg disaster.

The Humanists will repudiate such a notion because they do not fear God. Yet, the truth of God’s judgement is borne out by empirical examination: Name one nation that has prospered and blossomed after embracing homosexuality? The once mighty West is but a shadow of its former self. We have more strife than ever before. What of Rome? What of Sparta? What of the once mighty Greek states? All embraced homosexuality. All are like the Dodo.

Brethren, let us not be duped. The current remonstrations are not about justice, equality, or tolerance. The rebels are rebelling against God. Ignorance fuels their cause because they and this nation will not listen to God’s word. Death will be the end result, because they reject Jesus Christ, the author of life.

Now, understand well, this is not a prophecy of doom, as such. It is a prediction based on God’s word. If the nation does not repent and forsake these evils, we have no reason to hope for a bright future. However, Jesus saved us and has left us on earth to be Light and Salt as His witnesses. So it is, brethren, that we have the ability to change this nation and to bring days of prosperity and blessing. Yet, such hope is conditional. It is conditioned by our repentance, the forsaking of our sin, the courage of our hearts to stand for Christ in these dark days. It is conditioned on our willingness to shine the Light of Christ and spread the Salt of Christ.

We do not speak here of mere religiosity or religious fervency, but of the heart submerged in Christ and His word by the grace and presence of the Holy Spirit; the life that has no higher or greater purpose than to glorify God. A life that loves Jesus and obeys His commands. A life that hungers and thirsts for righteousness. A life that is clad in the armour of God. A life that, therefore, hates evil and delights in the fear of the Lord.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] See: https://www.reformationministries.com.au/blog/2015/06/marriage-is-life-ap-version/; https://www.reformationministries.com.au/blog/2015/03/equality-and-coercion-the-antipodes-of-humanism/; https://www.reformationministries.com.au/blog/2015/02/the-hypocrisy-of-humanism-stephen-fry-and-his-blasphemy/; https://www.reformationministries.com.au/blog/2015/07/nonsense-in-the-name-of-god/; https://www.reformationministries.com.au/blog/2012/11/the-slippery-slope-homosexuality-to-polygamy/.

[2] http://www.smh.com.au/national/gay-marriage-bill-defeated-20120919-266a8.html accessed 27/08/16.

[3] For a critique, see: https://www.reformationministries.com.au/blog/2013/12/the-high-court-and-homosexuality/.

[4] A recent statistic showed that the number is approximately 1.2%, not the widely publicised 10%

[5] See: https://www.reformationministries.com.au/blog/2015/06/catchphrases-of-doom/.

Referendum: The Only Way Forward

The issue of Same Sex Marriage (hereafter Homosexual Union or HU) refuse to go away. It has now provided a destabilising and distracting influence in our society for far too long.[1] Our country is on the brink and this in so many ways. We have had a revolving door installed in the Prime Minister’s office. We know that Brutus is alive and well in the halls of Parliament and in both major political parties. There is no longer any sense of right or wrong, morality, honour, or integrity amongst most politicians and within most political parties. Economically, we are in trouble. Socially, we are in deeper trouble: ‘ice’ epidemic; murder in our streets; internet bullying; suicide – need I continue. Yet, when you look at the news, we hear no concrete response to these issues. Why, because we are bogged down in the distractions of the day and whilst bogged we witness the continuing disintegration of our society.

Homosexual Union is an unwelcome distraction. It is so for two reasons. First and Biblically, HU and the associated life choices are condemned as being the ultimate living judgement of God. That is to say, God responds to Man’s rebellion by “handing him over”[2] to the very lifestyle, with all its pitfalls, that he has demanded. Secondly, this issue shows how this nation, in excluding God from politics, has become essentially immoral[3] – that is, we no longer abide by God’s law as the ultimate and only moral standard.

The combination of these factors means that we now witness a constant push by a vocal minority for a moral recognition to which they are not entitled. Their plea is made vociferously to politicians who, no longer governing according to morality, are looking to be popular – the new version of morality. These politicians, shifting ground faster than sand in a sand storm, are malleable, pliable, and always apt to change their mind.

Anyway, what does this have to do with the whole issue of HU? Much and everything! Throughout this saga, men like Senator Cory Bernardi have consistently said that the “Parliament should decide”. Senator Bernardi has also stated, and rightly so, that ‘Parliament has decided’. The problem is that the Parliament has taken no action to end the issue or to stop the debate. Thus, Parliament is failing the people of this country by its gross negligence.

What do I mean by this? Well, in simple terms, we wonder when Parliament will take a stand and stop this nonsense. In the last few years we have seen attempt after attempt to have HU legalised in this nation. Bills have been defeated, left in limbo, introduced under false pretences and so on. Yet, we have not had one politician suggest that we need to put a moratorium on this issue or put a sunset clause on it. This lack of action by our politicians then means that the door is left open and the Parliamentary circus continues. It also means that those demanding the recognition of homosexual union will keep badgering Parliament, according to the Biblical parable of the Persistent Widow,[4] until they cave; and cave they will – eventually!

Yes, Parliament should decide. Yes, Parliament has decided – and this several times! However, a Parliament that strives to be immoral is a Parliament that is like the storm tossed ship that has lost both sail and rudder—it cannot help but founder! It will, it must, eventually slide beneath the waves of sin and immorality. Why? Precisely because this Parliament has rejected God, the only and absolute source of all morality, it will begin, in the words of Isaiah, to call evil good and good evil.[5] This process has begun. This process is gathering pace.

Some may doubt the veracity of these statements, but please mull over these historical facts that show this hurried and hastening descent into the abyss.

Writing in the Herald Sun, former Treasurer, Peter Costello, made these comments:

Yet back in 2004, when the Coalition government amended the Marriage Act to make it clear that marriage consists of a union between a man and a woman, Labor’s shadow attorney-general, Nicola Roxon, made it clear that Labor, as a party, supported that: “The Bill is something we do not have an objection to,” she told the House of Representatives. The Bill passed without a vote being called. Only three people spoke in the debate. The House of Representatives settled the issue of gay marriage in 25 minutes.[6]

Fast forward eight years to 2012. The agitators have now made certain that the non-issue has become a bothersome issue. The agitators show that the Parliament has changed from a Parliament that saw “no objection” to God’s moral order in and for marriage to a Parliament that was discontent with God’s moral order. The culmination of these points saw a Bill proposing the legalisation of HU introduced to Parliament and a vote was held on 19 September of that year. The Bill was soundly defeated, 42 for and 98 against.

Was the issue settled? Had the slippery slope been abandoned? No. This vote simply buoyed the agitators and gave them reason to continue. This vote simply added suds to the slope so that the momentum was gained. Doubts? Please read on: “Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese, who backed the legislation, says the vote shows there has been significant progress towards legalising gay marriage. Just a few years ago there wouldn’t have been the support of anything like 42 votes on the floor of the national Parliament for a marriage equality bill.” However, the salient point came in these words: “All the figures show that there is majority community support on this issue… and I think at some future time, Parliament will catch up with the community opinion.”[7]

Now I do not give any credence to this “majority of the community” type nonsense that is so often quoted, but never statistically verified. I am far more interested in Mr Albanese’s comment that he hopes, “Parliament will catch up in the future.”

With these words, the seeds are sown. The agitators, once outside of Parliament are now within Parliament. This is highlighted by the fact that at the time of this vote there were three other Bills, aimed at producing the same result, waiting in the wings. Parliament was in for a fight. They were not expecting this fight and morally, few if any, were equipped for the fight.

Move forward but a few years. Brutus Turnbull slays the elected ruler, Tony Abbott – a criminal, apparently, for insisting on morality that was akin to God’s morality in regard to marriage! The agitators now take control of the Liberal Party. Whilst not declaring an official position in favour of HU, the Liberals are gesturing in that direction. This is no doubt a concerted effort to beat Opposition leader, Bill Shorten, and his deputy, Tanya Plibersek, to the punch with their promise to introduce a Bill supporting HU within 100 days of being elected.

Now for the hypocrisy! Let me give you some names, eight in all. Bill Shorten, Tanya Plibersek, Julie Bishop, Warren Entsch, Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull. Of these eight, six (75%) voted against HU and two (25%) voted for HU in the 2004 vote. Currently, three (37.5%) hold to the same position as they did in the 2004 vote, meaning that five (62.5%) have abandoned their position or have rebelled against their Party’s position.[8] Can you name the three?

The three are Bill Shorten, Tanya Plibersek, and Tony Abbott. Interesting, is it not? Tony Abbott is the only member of the supposedly conservative Party who has remained steadfast! Anyway, I digress. Of the remaining five, two have left politics, but that does not change the point to be made—our Parliament is filled with fickle, immoral politicians whose stand on moral issues for absolute moral reasons is almost non-existent. Therefore, these people will succumb to the pressures of the day. The statistical change, highlighted in the eight parliamentarians named above, show that the process is well under way.

Our politicians are no longer moral watchmen and paragons of virtue, standing upon the parapets of our nation with a keen eye, determined to protect those within its walls and modelling for its citizens an upright life. No, our modern politicians are more like corrupt judges. They are open to bribery, flattery, and all kinds of ills.[9] Sure, they do not use these terms, but it all amounts to the same thing. The term “faceless men” came into usage in recent years, but the fact is that the faceless men have been around for decades. Conversations in dark corners, whispers, promises, winks and nods, have become the order of the day. None, or very few, are actually willing to speak according to conscience and belief.

These unhelpful traits are, of course, all compounded and made far worse by the idiotic madmen and self-appointed moral policemen – you know them as the media – who, without bias (excuse me while I laugh), have insisted on highlighting and commenting upon every perceived blemish or otherwise of the politician in the spotlight. So, who cares about policy! Tony Abbott is no good! Why? He wears budgie smugglers! Oh, the shame of it. Yes, shameful that in a country of obese people we had a Prime Minister who actually likes to exercise and wear the official Aussie cosy. These people would rather that this country was run by an articulate liar than someone of clumsy speech whose intentions were pure.

The point is that all of these things coalesce to give us a Government that is concerned with transient opinion polls, which rarely mean anything, rather than governing solidly and morally for the long term welfare of the nation. The politicians no longer guide and protect the nation; they simply capitulate to whim and fancy in order to stay in power. As a real life example, I live in the electorate of Indi. My Federal Member has made HU her signature issue. In a discussion with her on this subject, she stated to me that it is the Government’s responsibility to keep pace with society. In other words, the Government has become like an over indulgent parent that never says “no” to a child or disciplines a child. Rather, the Government is now simply a facilitator of the desires of the people.

With this being the case, we the people, by God’s grace and in His power, need to take direct and positive action.

This then brings me to a discussion of the need for a referendum. A few years ago, we wrote two articles[10] on the issue of a referendum in regard to HU. At this point our fundamental belief has not changed. What has changed is the fact that I am now calling for Christians to demand a referendum on this issue. I am also calling for Christians, in particular, to cease being afraid of a referendum and to commit this whole issue into the Hands and Providence of Almighty God.

A referendum is necessary for two reasons. First, we have no way other way, as a people, to bring this issue to a head. Secondly, by flexing the muscles of people power we have a unique opportunity to show our politicians just how out of touch they are with the people they govern.

Let us address these two points.

As we have outlined, the simple reality is that our politicians have adopted immorality in their governance. These people are no longer governed in conscience or action by the moral Absolute or the concept of right and wrong. Today, righteousness has been jettisoned in favour of expedience. Consequently, we have witnessed the Parliament move from a unanimous view on Marriage, as between one man and one woman, in 2004; to voting on this issue in 2012; to promises being made to make HU a reality in 2015 – and all this in the space of a decade.

Fickle is a good description, but I do wonder whether that term is either strong enough or broad enough. Anyway, the simple reality is that the immoral politicians will eventually cave and give in to the vociferous minority and we will have HU foist upon us. I say foist deliberately. We live in a so-called democracy. The governments of the land are meant to listen to the people, to the majority of the people. Yet, on this issue, the politicians are simply stopping their ears to the majority voice. The media is blocking publication of the Biblical view. Dissenting voices are being banned from the public square. Thus, we must demand a referendum and only a referendum.

Why not a Plebiscite? The answer has to do with the non-binding nature of a plebiscite. If we have a plebiscite on this issue, it amounts to nothing more than an incredibly expensive opinion poll. Let’s ask some questions? What number is needed in a plebiscite in order to convince the government that they are wrong and that HU should not be legalised? Is this number 51% or is it 91%? What number is needed to ensure that we do not see any more Bills on this issue introduced to Parliament in the next decade? Speaking of time, how long would this plebiscite hold? Are we even guaranteed that a 91% vote against HU would stop Parliament from legalising HU? Opposition leader, Bill Shorten, did not place a caveat on his 100 day promise? So what effect would the plebiscite have on his promise?[11] We can also highlight the fact that, to the best of my knowledge, voting in plebiscites is not compulsory. This forces to ask the serious question, “What part would our nation’s apathy play in such a vote?”

Simplifying this issue, we really have three options before us. One, we take Senator Bernardi’s position and let Parliament decide. This will simply mean further wrangling until our Parliament is radically changed morally or it capitulates to the demands of the homosexual lobby. Two, we undertake a plebiscite with absolutely no guarantees that the government will pay the slightest attention to the outcome. They may. They might. However, ‘In what form?’ and ‘For how long?’ remain the two important questions. Third, we move to a referendum and vote as a people.

Alright, let’s explore the referendum a little further. There are some pitfalls in this strategy, well, one really, and that is the question put to the people. As with all votes, the question and its framing become the central issue. This is the critical issue and it is the great unknown. However, one would hope that given the topic to be decided that there would not be any game playing. Outside of this, there are no real drawbacks to this option. It needs to be remembered that the Constitution gives the Parliament the right to decide on marriage. This understanding was reinforced by the High Court in its recent ruling. Therefore, why should we not take this opportunity to have the Biblical understanding of marriage also enshrined into the Constitution – safeguarding it from the hands of the fickle parliamentarians?

The second issue is that of flexing our muscles as a people. I will guarantee that you can meet a stranger in the street and within five minutes have them expressing their dissatisfaction with Government. People are inherently dissatisfied in our day and this is no less the case with those in power. They see no real options and no real answers in any Party. We have had five Prime Ministers in the same amount of years. What has this gained us? One thing — an increasingly long list of living ex-Prime Ministers to be supported by the public pursethat is code for your tax dollars! For what? To be made a laughingstock. To see our nation fall into the abyss. To see even more despair fall upon the people.

Our politicians regularly ignore us. At election time they clamour for our vote, they make grand promises, they lull us with their hackneyed rhetoric and worn out tracks on “health and education”, yet nothing changes, positively that is! Our nation drifts and that which is adrift is in constant danger because it is subject to the power of external forces.

So, before us we have an opportunity. What happens to Mr Turnbull and Mr Shorten when a referendum says that the majority of Australians, let me say, the vast majority of Australians, support the Biblical idea of marriage. Well, in political terms, they are made to eat the pie of humility. What are the possibilities? Think here of proving the politicians so wrong. The question would then become, if you were so wrong on this issue, what else are you wrong about? Then we might think of how such an opportunity might awaken the Australian people from their apathy. If they realise that they can have a significant impact upon politicians, it may encourage them to hold their elected representatives more accountable. What about morality? A stunning victory for God and His morality may indeed force this nation to realise that “sin is a disgrace” and that we need to return to being moral people.

As I see it, to hold to the status quo of ‘letting Parliament decide’ in regard to this issue is to guarantee that HU will become a legal reality in this nation. This simple fact is that the Governments of this nation have become entangled and bound by their own rebellion and the instatement of ungodly and immoral laws – like equality, religious vilification – which now hold them to a path and agenda of social destruction as we provoke God’s wrath more and more.

In this climate, what then do we have to be afraid of as Christians? Psalm 27:1-3 states: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread? When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, my adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.  Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In spite of this I shall be confident.” Shall we not trust the Lord today, with this battle, as the Kings of old did? Can we not say with Jehoshaphat, “O our God, wilt Thou not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on Thee.”[12]

We must, as God’s people, look to the Lord our God for His aid in winning this battle. We must begin by believing that God is the Sovereign King of the universe. We must begin by truly believing that God, anointed Jesus Christ, His Son, to wear the mantle of Kingship in order that He would subdue[13] all God’s enemies. We should be confident. We should be glad. We should engage in this battle looking for the triumph of God in Christ Jesus.

Remember, it is the demons and all their allies that tremble at the name of Jesus (James 2:19). This is the reason that we have had two Prime Ministers suggest a referendum and within a few days the idea has been debunked, forgotten, or transformed into a plebiscite. These people know that they will not win this referendum. These politicians fear that by letting the people vote they will be shown to be wrong and then they must do what the people say on this matter. In short, our politicians, and others in our society, fear the people of God and they fear the real outcome of the democratic process they profess to uphold! Let us show them that they are right to fear the Army of the Lord, for it is the Lord, the Almighty, who goes before us to fight for His name and His people.[14]

Paul’s counsel to Timothy is valid: “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.”[15]

Footnotes:

[1] Proverbs 4:25-27 – Let your eyes look directly ahead, and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet, and all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil. Psalm 119:15 – I will meditate on Thy precepts, and regard Thy ways.

[2] Romans 1:18-32; especially the thribble “God gave them over” of verses 24, 26, and 28.

[3] The term “immoral” is correctly used here. Some would expect, possibly, that we speak of amorality; however, there is simply no such creature. We either have obedience to God’s standard – morality – or a departure from that morality – this is not amorality, it is simply immorality.

[4] I find it very sad that those opposed to Jesus Christ use this model in order to wage war against God and His people – persistent, long term badgering, yet the people of God do not grasp the teaching of the parable – pray day and night and God the father will bring about justice speedily for His children!

[5] Isaiah 5:20-23.

[6] Peter Costello, Bipartisan, but only when it suits, Herald Sun, Tuesday, August 18, 2015. p. 26. Italics added.

[7] http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-19/same-sex-marriage-bill-voted-down/4270016.

[8] A footnote is needed in regard to Julie Bishop. She has not publicly declared her support for HU, but had dropped hints that reforms are needed. Her political views are more to the liberal side of liberal politics. One may gain some insight from comments made around a propose UN resolution on the family. These comments inferred that there are a diverse range of families and that the family should not be treated solely as a unit. Here, then, seems to be the basic ideas of non-heterosexual unions equating with heterosexual families and of individualism. To what extent these ideas reflect hers, we cannot be sure. However, the Minister’s reluctance to give her own view on this matter means that she is looking toward her political future. Her actions in regard to Tony Abbott, suggest the same. Thus, methinks she cannot be trusted. It seems to me that her priority is her own political future and that she will do whatever is necessary to preserve that career. The judgemental comment is now to follow, so if you do not want to read it, look away! I am also suspicious because, after a failed marriage, Julie Bishop has decided upon a life outside of wedlock, but not of singleness – “Asked if she can see herself marrying again, Bishop laughs. “No, not at my age” she says firmly. “I think he would have to be a very brave person to take it on. The role of a Cabinet Minister is all-consuming. I throw myself into it with my heart and soul, 110 per cent effort” (http://www.perthnow.com.au/entertainment/power-and-the-fashion/story-e6frg30u-1111114162157). Thus, like Julia Gillard, it is hard to see how she will have either a solid view or complete understanding of marriage when she has no interest in being married. In short, if she does not represent and commit to the genuine and Biblical understanding of marriage in her own life, then how will she ever fight for that understanding on behalf of this society? Sadly, what we see in Julie Bishop, as with Julia Gillard, is a fundamental commitment to individualism and personal satisfaction. Self, self-happiness, and self-fulfilment take pride of place; so political career and ambition take centre stage, becoming the priority that does not allow for any other contenders. Thus, in reality, there is little difference between this position and that of the homosexuals demanding HU. It is a difference in degree only, not in kind. For this reason, methinks political ambition will sway Julie Bishop to eventually “come out” as a supporter of HU. (An aside: In 2012 Julia Gillard voted against HU. In 2015, she came out in support of HU. Now, please consider these words: “In a 2013 interview with The Washington Post, she stated: “I think it would be inconceivable for me if I were an American to have turned up at the highest echelon of American politics being an atheist, single and childless” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Gillard). Let me focus on the word “single”. This is an interesting word, given that from 2006, through her time as Prime Minister and Deputy leader of the Labor Party she was in a relationship with Tim Mathieson. So here we see the real hypocrisy. I do not want God. I do not want marriage. Yet, I want aspects of God’s marriage. Is it any wonder then that Julia Gillard’s position has wavered? How can she deny others – whatever their sexual preference –the very things she has demanded for herself?)

[9] Proverbs 16:12; 20:26 & 28; 31:4-5.

[10] https://www.reformationministries.com.au/blog/2013/07/a-referendum-on-homosexual-marriage-pt-1/https://www.reformationministries.com.au/blog/2013/07/a-referendum-on-homosexual-marriage-pt-2/.

[11] If you doubt this, please go to this website – http://www.peo.gov.au/learning/fact-sheets/referendums-and-plebiscites.html – and take note of the fact that there are no rules that govern a plebiscite.

[12] 2 Chronicles 20:12.

[13] 1 Corinthians 23b-25: “Christ’s at His coming … will deliver up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.

[14] Joshua 10:42: “And Joshua captured all these kings and their lands at one time, because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.”

[15] 2 Timothy 1: 7-8.

Leyonhjelm’s Lunacy: The Plot to Destroy Australia

Once more, we find the battle lines being drawn over the issue of homosexual union and whether it should be made legal in this country. From a Christian perspective, we fundamentally oppose any such move and would much rather that Parliament took steps to make the Marriage Act 1961 a great deal stronger by referencing the Bible’s God as the sole Definer of marriage.

However, the truly disturbing aspect of this new debate is to be found in the proposed legislation itself, the Freedom to Marry Bill 2014. By this, we do not mean the proposal to destroy marriage by throwing open the gates to all and sundry, as repulsive as that is, but the absolutely nonsensical rationale on which the proposed legislation is based.

We have to admit to being a bit slow here. With this recent escalation in the debate, we finally got around to reading the Freedom to Marry Bill 2014 and were immediately and absolutely appalled at the logic, or lack thereof, that is presented as the basis on which this radical and culturally destructive proposal is based. Truly, one would think that any first year philosophy student, regardless of their belief system, would see the glaring holes. Yet, here we are, standing on the precipice, waiting for our Parliament to debate this nonsense.

This has truly bothered us to the core, precisely because it causes us to wonder if there are any thinkers in Parliament or just a bunch of dummies with rings through their noses, being led captive to the latest political fad. Does any Parliamentarian any longer have a sense of moral absolutes, those concepts which do not and indeed cannot change, or have we reached the absolute absurdity of Democracy[1] in which 50.1% governs the day, even if its only for that day? Are there any in Parliament who have the ability and integrity to look at this proposal, even if they support the idea proposed, and say, ‘No. The justifications used to substantiate this proposal are so poor that their acceptance would serve to undermine and destroy our society.’

We hope that there are those who will see and we pray our Father in Heaven, in the  name of Jesus Christ, that He will make people see that this proposed legislation does have the potential to destroy this nation. Strong words, yes, but true nonetheless, for this is exactly what the adoption of this proposed legislation would accomplish. Thus, by God’s mercy we write, praying that this work may help men to see. “Lord, make them see!”

  1. The Weapon of Obscurity:

The first point to be made, and that in passing, is to again ask why these destroyers of the Social Fabric cannot be honest with the Australian people. Note that the proposed legislation is the Freedom to Marry Bill 2014. Are people not already free to marry in this country? The current Marriage Act is dated 1961. Such a date would seem to suggest that people have been free to marry for at least the last fifty years! Last year, our parents celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary. Hmmm? Did they do so illegally? Well, no. It was our task to procure a copy of their marriage certificate so that the appropriate dignitaries might send them congratulatory letters.

So, are people not free to marry in this country? No. No. No, a thousand times, No! People are absolutely free to marry in this country, as long as they meet some basic criteria. These criteria start with the Biblical view that marriage is between one man and one woman and is a covenant for life.[2] These are the primary criteria, to which others regarding age and consanguinity are added.[3]

Next we consider the wording of the motion put forward by the arch enemy of heterosexual marriage, Senator Hanson-Young, which read, “That the Senate agrees that all members of Parliament and senators should be granted a conscience vote on the issue of equal marriage in Australia.” The words to note here are “equal marriage.” Again, what is equal marriage, we might ask?

The point is, simply, that these people purposely muddy the waters of the debate with their deliberate attempts to obfuscate the true issue. Why will they simply not use the terms “homosexual” or “gay”? Why is the proposed change not titled, the Homosexual Marriage Bill? Why did Senator Hanson-Young’s motion not read: “That the Senate agrees that all members of Parliament and senators should be granted a conscience vote on the issue of homosexual and or gay marriage in Australia.” Why, because the opposition would be greater!

Just today we read an article claiming that seventy-two percent of Australians are in favour of marriage equality. This may be a very accurate figure, but the nagging question remains: Did people understand what was meant by marriage equality? Were people asked further questions as to their definition of and essentials for marriage? Were they told that the questionnaire was aimed at being a support for a change in the Marriage Act 1961?

Much can be claimed when you adopt obscurantism as your main tactic so as to deceive people into supporting that which they would otherwise find unpalatable.

As the old adage says, “Truth is the first casualty in a war!” and it seems to ring true for this current battle.

  1. The Politics of Nonsense:

Senator Leyonhjelm, in putting forward his foul proposal, has given the following rationale as to why his proposal should be accepted:

The purpose of the Freedom to Marry Bill 2014 is threefold.

First, the Amendment reduces the extent to which government interferes in private life. It does this by allowing all Australians regardless of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity to marry.

Second, it imposes no claims or burdens of conscience on those persons who object to marriages other than between a man and a woman for both religious and non-religious reasons.

Third, it ensures that while conscience is to the greatest extent protected, the state – which stands for all Australians and whose laws ought to be facially neutral – cannot make claims of conscience in this matter.

A cursory glance at this list probably does not raise many concerns for the average person who has imbibed much of the Modernist’s thought. ‘Love and peace for all’ is the common currency for buying political favours of any kind, so it is only natural that we find these elements present. However, if you are willing, take a moment to think through the implications of each statement. Are you willing? If so, then let us take that journey together.

  1. a. Freedom –– First, the Amendment reduces the extent to which government interferes in private life. It does this by allowing all Australians regardless of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity to marry.

Senator Leyonhjelm is a Libertarian, so it should come as no surprise that restriction on Governmental interference is high on his agenda and makes its way into his rationale. Equally, we must say that we appreciate Senator Leyonhjelm’s consistency on issues, even if we do not agree with the points directly. For example, the Senator believes in loosening gun laws and legalising both marijuana and euthanasia. Thus, there is an attempted consistency in the application of his thought.

Yet, this is exactly the problem; it is his thought that governs these debates. It is his subjective principle of freedom – an anti-God principle[4] – that dictates the merits of Governmental intrusion. For us, the question, obvious to all we would think, is, “Why not have the Government retreat from marriage altogether?” If the overarching principle is to lessen Governmental interference in the private lives of citizens, why does this proposed legislation not move to abolish the Marriage Act completely? In fact, why not construct a piece of legislation that does away with the Government, full stop!

Of course, we are also compelled to ask the serious questions in regard to the obscure phrase, “allowing all Australians regardless of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity to marry.” We ask this because we have legitimate concerns as to what “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” really mean and, equally, what groundwork they lay for the further degradation of our national morality.

If lessening Governmental interference is the primary goal of this act and its primary application is to homosexual union, then what secondary applications can be made to polygamy, polyandry, incestuous relationships,[5] and other variations on the theme, using this same principle?

These questions must be considered because Senator Leyonhjelm has introduced a criterion and then not applied it to all aspects of the Marriage Act 1961. It seems to us that he has been rather particular in his application of his guiding principle. Thus, we must ask why he retains the qualifications that marriage is for two people and for life and the “prohibited relationships” contained in Section 23:2? Surely, these are just further examples of the Government interfering with the private live of the citizens. If not, why not?

Therefore, the first reason for rejecting this proposed legislation is that its guiding principle is fundamentally flawed. This principle does not deliver to us an absolute moral, a concrete foundation, if you will, which guides, restrains, and defends. Rather, we are introduced to yet another subjective standard that can be erased or moved the next time a new fad takes someone’s fancy.

2.b. Conscience –– Second, it imposes no claims or burdens of conscience on those persons who object to marriages other than between a man and a woman for both religious and non-religious reasons.

This second rationale brought forward by Senator Leyonhjelm is a simple lie, a misdirect, an untruth, a pork pie, a furphy, even a red herring. Law, by necessity, binds the conscience as well as the behaviour. A “law abiding citizen” is not one who only conforms outwardly, he is one who obeys the law of the land for conscience sake. He knows that to obey is good and right and he trains himself to do so in order that, when unsupervised, even though none but God sees him, he will still do right.[6]

The Apostle Paul, discussing the nature of rule and authority, in Romans 13, states: Wherefore it is necessary to be in subjection [to authorities], not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.

Paul here addresses both outward conformity—the fear of wrath—and the true desire to do right—for conscience sake. The Apostle’s whole argument is that all authority, Governmental, parental, etc, derives from God. This teaching is important and we must understand it. Paul is saying that if you are in authority, you cannot bind the conscience of anyone to any standard that is contrary to the Law of God. Equally, if you are a subordinate, you cannot rebel against any such law that complies with the Law of God. Thus, Paul, applying God’s Law, once more guards against both tyranny and anarchy.

However, the main point is that in such a system, compliance because of fear alone is an inadequate response. The man who complies with law only because he fears wrath will undoubtedly end up feeling that wrath. This will be the case because he will fail to rightly govern himself, will trip, and will be caught out. On the other hand, the man whose conscience is bound to the Law of God will conduct himself, at least in principle, properly on all occasions because he has an inner guide to which he will remain true—the Law of God as applied by legitimate Government. Thus, Paul wants us to see that it is the love of the Law of God, dwelling within, and guiding our consciences, that is to be prized.

In commenting on Romans 13:5, John Murray states:

The meaning here must be that we are to subject ourselves [to right authority] out of a sense of obligation to God. … God alone is Lord of the conscience and therefore to do anything out of conscience or for conscience’ sake is to do it from a sense of obligation to God.[7]

Therefore, on apostolic authority, we must again assert that the Senator is grossly mistaken. Conscience does matter. Consciences can never be, if you will excuse the terminology, free range. Consequently, this proposal does present a burden and a claim upon our consciences for two reasons: a) the proposed legislation is contrary to God’s command; b) the proposed legislation deals with an essential element of Man’s identity as created in God’s image so as to serve God’s purpose. Thus, we, as Christians, are being asked to choose between God and country. We are being asked, nay, commanded, to disobey God in order that we might comply with Man’s demands for obedience.

The Senator also references the non-religious objectors, and they too are in for a shock.[8] You see, it’s all nice to talk about one’s conscience being free or ‘not burdened’, but what happens when any who object take their conscience to the public square or to the agora? What happens when my conscience clashes with the Government’s law? Answer—Legislated penalties happen and your conscience is trampled upon by all sorts of sordid individuals wearing hob-nailed boots! We see this clearly in cases in the United States where Christian businessmen and women have refused services to homosexuals, particularly in the context of homosexual unions, and the State has fallen upon them with glee.[9] No respect for conscience at all is on display; only the brutality of tyrants who demand that you capitulate to their religious ideals.

For example, what happens when a minister, conscience bound to God, stands in his pulpit and denounces homosexuality and homosexual union?[10] Some might say, “Oh he can do that!” Yes, but for how long?[11] Okay, what happens when he is invited on to a popular ABC talkback show and is asked to state his beliefs?

What happens when, in the next round of proposed changes and revisions to the Marriage Act 1961, ministers of religion lose their right to marry according to conscience? The current proposal seeks to remove the term “minister of religion” from Section 47[12] with the intent that all authorised persons simply be classed as “marriage celebrants”. However, to allow this amendment is to remove from the Act a particular group that are set aside and recognised as operating under a different auspices. It is to remove some specific freedoms aimed, presumably, at allowing better counselling and a stronger foundation for marriage. Thus, the removal of this category is one step closer to all celebrants being classed as ‘State employees’ and, therefore, one step closer to all being compulsorily bound to not discriminate; that is, one step closer to everyone who conducts a marriage ceremony being forced to marry all and sundry, even against their conscience.

Senator Leyonhjelm, in his proposal, often refers to freedom of conscience, yet there is nothing within this legislation that truly guarantees this freedom. In point of fact, we see the exact opposite and it is scary. Remember, any right granted by legislation can as easily be removed by legislation. As noted above, item seven of the Senator’s proposed legislation removes any conscience from a “State employee” demanding that they must not discriminate.[13] This is a truly horrendous measure, for it essentially demands that the individual, upon entering the employ of the State, surrenders their conscience and any right of conscience, to the State. At this point, the Senator’s Libertarianism seems to have taken a distinct sidestep into Fascism or Nazism.

Therefore, the second reason to reject this proposed legislation is because the second tenet is an absolute lie. This legislation, rather than highlight or respect freedom of conscience, would guarantee the loss of any right to conscience by demanding that your conscience be surrender to the service of the State.

2.c. Secularism is Neutral –– Third, it ensures that while conscience is to the greatest extent protected, the state – which stands for all Australians and whose laws ought to be facially neutral – cannot make claims of conscience in this matter.

This third section, by far the worst, is almost unintelligible. We have already seen that despite the rhetoric there are no concrete guarantees that the conscience will be protected. Where are the new paragraphs, set in stone, never to be removed or altered, saying that anyone who believes that marriage is only between a man and woman is exempt from any prosecution under these laws; any related law; or any unforseen circumstance as a consequence of these laws?

If conscience is free and unburdened, why are some compelled to perform marriages according to this proposed law? If conscience is free, why are there references to the word “discriminate”?

Here, it would seem that we need to read the fine print. In the context, the freedom of conscience espoused can only be extended to those who have the ability to solemnise a marriage. They are the only ones mentioned in the Act and, therefore, the only ones granted latitude. The same is to be said in regard to the words, in this matter, as found at the conclusion of rational three. The matter is the proposed changes to the Marriage Act 1961, and therefore cannot refer to anything outside of that Act. Hence, we are back to the conundrum highlighted in point two above. The celebrant or minister may have some right of latitude in deciding whether to perform a marriage or not, but as soon as he steps outside of that context, he is open to all sorts of bother.

Humour us for a moment. Imagine a “tent making ministry”. The minister, lacking enough support for fulltime ministry, runs a cake shop three days a week. A homosexual approaches this man to marry him. He says, no. All is rosy. The next day the homosexual walks into the cake shop and asks the same minister to make a cake for his wedding. Again, the answer is, no. The result this time, law suits, hate mail, and so on.

Understand well, please, this proposal does not supply to all people who object a free pass. No, it only gives a free pass to those who are rightly able to solemnise a marriage and then only in regard to that one point, this matter. At every other point your conscience is to be trampled upon.

Concern must also be raised in regard to obligations that are placed upon those who exercise their right to conscience. For example, in regard to a military chaplain, the following is proposed:

Item 10 recognises that that the state must not discriminate, even in a military context. Therefore, any defence force chaplain who refuses to solemnise a marriage on the basis of conscience is obliged – where it is possible – to provide to the couple seeking solemnisation an alternative chaplain who is willing to solemnise the marriage.[14]

Of most concern, is the little word “obliged”. Whilst this is a little word, it sure can punch above its weight. So, what is meant? Well, we are not sure and no real definition is given. The following paragraph does try to outline instances in which this part may not be possible; nonetheless, we are ill at ease with this requirement.

Could this be interpreted to mean that a chaplain bear certain expenses as part of his obligation? If the postponement meant other complications, could he be deemed to be liable under another piece of legislation? If the request comes in a remote location and no other chaplains will be available for six months, what pressure will be brought to bear so that this chaplain feels obliged to perform the ceremony? Logically, we can also see that the conclusion of this matter will be that most, if not all, chaplains recruited for the armed forces will be namby-pamby liberals without convictions.

Last of all, we wish to pay a visit to our old friend, the Myth of Neutrality. Did you see him there in rationale three, proudly waving as he went past? If you missed him, he can be found atop the phrase, the state … ought to be facially neutral. Man, what a gem!

No, the State ought to be absolutely biased toward God and His Law. Neutrality is a myth. The laws of this nation will either serve God for His glory or they will serve to promote the glory of Man. It is that simple.

Therefore, it is at this point that we witness the veil fall. The words “facially neutral” are priceless, for they give the game away. These words are a tacit confession that the best the Government can do is feign neutrality. They can dress things up, apply the foundation, the blush, the eye liner, and so on, but they cannot truly attain to neutrality, they can only attempt to disguise the mutton as lamb! In the end, we are left with a feigned neutrality. In concrete terms, this means that the government pursues its agenda, based in its religious convictions, all the while pretending to govern for the well-being and according to the convictions of all citizens.

Remember, the “state” to which the Senator refers is often referred to as a Secular State. Former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, used this expression in his justification for the adoption of homosexual union. His point was that Australia was a “secular state” and therefore should not be governed by any particular religion. The fallacy on display in this statement is that Secularism is itself a religion. The reason that the Secularist does not want Christianity in the public square has to do with the fact that they are competing to dominate the same piece or real estate. When this is understood clearly, the gibberish contained in the Senator’s rationale becomes evident.

If you still need to be convinced about the obvious error here and the claim that our Government is facially neutral, please allow us to point you to one concrete proof—Parliament itself. If neutrality exists, why are the Houses of Parliament divided between Liberals, Labour, Greens, Democrats, and Independents? Each of these groups represents an ideology, a worldview, a religion. Each believes his religion to be true and wants to see his god placed in the position of reverence. For Senator Leyonhjelm, that god is liberty (Libertinism); for the Sociaslists it is community (Communism or Statism); for the Greens it is Nature (Animism); for the Democrats it is Radical Individualism and Rights (Autonomy); and for the so-called Conservatives, they seemed to have picked up that old Chinese religion – Confusion-ism, for they do not know what they are!

Therefore, we contend that this last rationale is to be rejected for the following reasons: First, it espouses a perverted concept of government in which God and His morality are absent from Parliament – the Myth of Neutrality; Second, there are no protections in this legislation for any who would disagree with the new and perverted view of marriage – the State is making claims to conscience!

  1. Tyranny and Subjugation:

Before closing, we would very much like to draw your attention to the psyche of the Socialist style governments that we have in this land, the absolute tyranny that is inbuilt into legislation, and the mechanisms by which this tyranny will be wrought.

First, it is fundamental that we appreciate that, despite the colour of the flag flying in Canberra, all the major Parties are Socialist in their philosophy and dogma. This is clearly seen in the out of control welfare system; the laws that enable governmental intrusion, beyond their legitimate sphere of sovereignty, into the lives of the people; and the continued teaching of the rhetoric that ‘the State knows best!’

All of these things fly in the face of God’s design for Man and Society. God gave Man law and conscience. God expects Man to be self-governing and self-disciplining in terms of His law. Outward pressure is only brought to bear when the individual fails to self-govern. By contrast, the modern view is that Man is free. He does not have to be self-governed or even moral. He is free to be what he wants. However, this creates a conundrum. It does not take long to realise that this free man is going to come into conflict with that free man. The solution then is to turn to God’s order, in a perverted manner, and to begin to impose external sanctions on both parties. However, as this is a travesty, the aim of the external imposition is not to make moral, self-controlled, and, therefore, self-governed Men, but simply to erect a fence that forces Men to stay within the confines of and feign obedience to the rules of the playground.

The tragedy of this is that, in the end, and we have witnessed this myriad times the world over, the subordinate rule maker – the government – becomes a victim of its own Liberalism and must continue to change the rules so as to allow more latitude in the playground.

This leads to the second point concerning tyranny. As the rules become more Liberal, there will automatically be more conflict as more and more key societal norms are infringed upon. This is absolutely logical. If you work outward in ever increasing circles, you must impact more people. Thus, more and more, Men’s consciences and basic rights are trampled upon. Men lose the right to freedom of speech; to freedom in general. Men become enslaved to employers. Men are discriminated against and are subjected to “Big Brother’s” illegitimate and illogical policies wherever they go. The minority dominates the majority through these perverted and incongruous laws and the minority’s voice seems loud and united, being amplified by the fact that the dissenting voices are silenced.

At this juncture the hypocrisy becomes evident. For example, if we spoke to those in favour of homosexual union, there is little doubt that they would condemn the “slave trade” and the repression of minorities in either Fascist Russia or Nazi Germany, yet they are very happy to see people enslaved today and to see the majority dominated and persecuted in order for them to achieve their goal.

This said, we need to consider the third aspect of the methodology involved and in so doing pull these three threads together.

The simple fact is that the push for homosexual union is only the culmination of moral and societal erosion that began years ago. Whilst I hold out hope that we will not see homosexual union legitimised in the State’s law, we who oppose homosexual union need to do some serious thinking and we need to extend our thinking.

You see, if we are to truly win this battle, we need to start arguing that all the rights gained by homosexuals over the years need to be revoked. We need to begin to argue that all those government bodies created to ensure that there is no discrimination, that there is supposed equality, etc etc, are abolished. Why, because they all derive from the same corrupt understanding of Man and Society that is explicitly anti-God in its outlook.

Many Christians are going to find this hard to swallow because they long ago abandoned God’s truth for the homogeneous outlook of peace and tolerance as peddled by the Secular Humanists. However, the truth of our statement is manifest if you will simply stop and look at the evidence.

Over these last decades, the God haters have set about bolstering their position by changing laws that are not always in the public view or which seem to have an air of legitimacy, say, tolerance. As a consequence, we have seen the laws on discrimination and equality spread throughout society. This has come about as the State, by coercion or coaxing, has overreached its legitimate sphere of sovereignty and has extended its tentacles into schools, hospitals, employee’s lives, subordinate authorities and the like.

Now, we must understand the impact of these laws in regard to the current debate. If we look to examples overseas, we see that people are being persecuted for refusing to provide goods and services to homosexual unions. Those people being persecuted protest, particularly in America, that they have the right to freedom of religion under the constitution. The answer, in one form or another, that inevitably comes back is, “This is not about religion but about your failure to comply with anti-discrimination laws under …”, with some State regulatory body being cited.

Do you understand this? In other words, the battle is raging in these secondary areas. Whether or not homosexual union will be realised in this country is beside the point. Already, Christians have lost the right to hire people who comply with their belief system – read, denied the right to practice morality. These rights, in some States, are being even further eroded. Homosexuals have been given almost every right at law and it is hypocrisy simply to deny them the right to marriage, if they are legitimately entitled to everything else. Equally, if it is not legitimate for homosexuals to marry, then it is not right that they gain all else. Thus, we must not only repudiate the concept of homosexual union, but repudiate everything that is associated with it. We must repent of all sin; from the very first day we turned aside from God’s path and chose to walk in disobedience, not just those sins of the last few steps.

Examples of the battle are these: Locally, the Council, under State Government direction, made – read, compulsory attendance required – all its employees attend a Human Rights seminar so that they could be taught about their obligation toward perverts and deviants. Staying in Australia, we know of a government employee who had the suggestion made that when they write in public forums that they should use an alias – that is a Christian employee stating things that government policy may not agree with. Overseas, there have been several cases of people who have expressed private opinions on social media or in a book and have subsequently been hauled over the coals, suspended, or dismissed.

The question then must be, “What do we gain merely by rejecting homosexual union, if all these secondary methods of tyranny remain?” We cannot continue to live in this halfway house where we reject homosexual union, but embrace homosexual equality in every other sphere of life. We cannot be free to reject homosexual union, but then be condemned because we refuse to employ a homosexual.

This is the tyranny and this is the methodology. If you do not agree with the Government’s agenda, enshrined in so many other statutes outside of marriage, you lose your employment, you lose your freedom, you lose your business, you lose your home, and ultimately, you will lose your society.

Leyonhjelm’s lunacy is simply one more in a long line of lunacies that have brought this society to the brink of collapse. Our appeal is to the Christians because we alone have the ability to turn our nation back to God and to a positive future. However, to do this we must be willing to repent, ask God’s forgiveness, indentify where we left God’s pathway and return to that very place so that we can step back upon the path of truth. Fighting individual issues will not suffice, we must destroy the poisonous root that feeds the tree. We must exchange the lunacy of Man for the Sanity and Wisdom of God.

Footnotes:

[1] I would hope that the Christians of this nation, in particular, are beginning to see that Democracy is not Biblical and should not be trumpeted as the saviour of Man, like so many are accustomed to do. True Democracy, in the extreme, means mob rule. The only question is, “What do you define as a mob?” Democracy, without any sense of an absolute, without any concept that there is a limit to the concept, becomes Ochlocracy!

[2] See Genesis 1:26-28 – Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 And God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.

[3] These are also derived from the principles of Scripture. See Leviticus 18 for example. Interesting, is it not, that this chapter, which defines the limits of heterosexual relationships, also proscribes homosexuality. If Senator Leyonhjelm believes that the limits of consanguinity should remain, on what basis does he seek to remove the limits to heterosexuality?

[4] It must be understood that, Biblically speaking, Man has his greatest freedom when he is governed by law, specifically God’s Law. We recognise this principle every day when we go about our business, yet, we do not recognise this principle. Confused? Do not be. What makes it relatively safe for you to drive on the roads, your freedom to do what you will or your ability to obey the road rules? It is the second. Your freedom would result in chaos and death. We know this because most road accidents are attributable to breaches of the law. Thus, the principle that you are at your freest when you are obedient is a principle that we know well. The trouble is that as soon as we move into the political arena, this principle gets mutilated or maligned and that is precisely because we have abandoned our belief in God, the One whose laws stop both anarchy and tyranny.

[5] Before the censorious crows cry foul, they may wish to take note of the fact that there is already a push for this type of recognition; yes, they have even helped us out by giving it a name! See: http://www.kidspot.com.au/the-father-and-daughter-who-are-getting-married/?utm_source=outbrain&utm_content=recent&utm_campaign=sitecampaign.

[6] We have in mind here those laws that do not conflict with the Law of God and are thereby to be obeyed by all men. When man-made laws conflict with God’s Law, our conscience must be bound to God alone (Acts 4:19).

[7] John Murray, The Epistle to the Romans (NICNT, Grand Rapids; Eeerdmans Publishing; 1 vol, 1968) 2:155

[8] Whilst Man is a rebel and a hater of God and His Law, the simple reality is that Man, as a consequence of being made in the image of God, can still have a right conscience on matters.

[9] See here:

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/gay-marriage/florist-barronelle-stutzman-refuses-to-pay-fine-for-refusing-to-provide-flowers-for-a-gay-marriage-on-religious-grounds/story-fnizhakg-1227236997936 and here: http://aclu-co.org/court-cases/masterpiece-cakeshop/

[10] Again, the case in Houston stands as a warning. See:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2014/october/houston-feels-pressure-after-subpoena-response-sermons.html?paging=off and here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/29/houston-mayor-sermon-subpoenas_n_6070650.html. It is not without note that this storm erupted when Houston’s gay mayoress tried to enforce her religious agenda.

[11] It is worth remembering that the Brumby Labor Government in Victoria was hatching plans to intrude into churches and worship services.

[12] http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ma196185/s47.html

[13] “Item 7 refers to the governing section, 39(4), which disapplies section 47 to authorised celebrants who are employees of the State, and who therefore cannot discriminate.” See here:

http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22legislation%2Fems%2Fs983_ems_5753824b-b9e6-468c-8a0c-ccf455305ea4%22

[14] Emphasis added.

Nonsense in the Name of God

In the current debate regarding homosexual union, it is patently obvious that “truth has become the first casualty in this war.”  Many are adducing arguments in support of homosexual union that are simply non arguments. We have written elsewhere in regard to such facile arguments as “Love is Love”. However, the greatest nonsense being spewed forth on this issue comes from those who, claiming to speak for God, tell lies in the Name of God.

At this point, we particularly single out those people who claim to be Christians, claim to love Jesus and at the same time claim that practicing homosexuals are acceptable to God, loved by God, and are therefore not required by God to repent of their sin and rebellion. It is not our intent to interact with their claims at this point, for that is just an exercise in futility. Rather, it is our purpose to show the folly of their position by looking at the Biblical evidence. Specifically, we simply intend to draw some parallels and then leave the reader to make the obvious conclusions for themselves.

The Older Testament concludes with these words:

For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says the Lord of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.” “But for you who fear My name the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. “And you will tread down the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,” says the Lord of hosts. “Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel. “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. “And he will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse.[1]

In looking at this text, three things are to be noted. First, it is important that we understand the place of judgement. Throughout the Scriptures, salvation is always associated with judgement. God’s people cannot be saved unless God’s adversaries are judged. Thus, Malachi rightly begins with a stern warning to the evil doer. He, like his fellow prophets,[2] points us to the great and awesome Day of the Lord. Second, the line of demarcation is given in the words – for you who fear [or revere] My name. Both in Hebrew and Greek, the terms for name go far beyond simply being an appellation appended to a person in order to distinguish him from another. Rather, these terms point to character and being. This is why we see names being changed in Scripture. This is exactly why the Pharisees forbade Peter and John “to speak or teach … in the name of Jesus.[3] Consequently, those who serve God, who love God, will reflect His character and being in their lives morally and ethically. Third, the text points us to the source of knowledge wherein we find God’s revealed standard – Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him – so that we may show our love in true, not feigned, obedience.

Now, some will immediately object that this is the Older Testament and that we in the Newer Testament are somehow under a different set of rules.[4] This is simply more nonsense; an objection raised in the hope that the guilty conscience may be eased. In truth, the points highlighted from the text of Malachi are all treated equally in the Newer Testament.[5]

In bringing these three points together, we learn the following:

a) As God judges the wicked, there are obviously behaviours which He disapproves of and condemns.

b) The truth of a) is found in the fact that those who are accepted by God are those who love and revere His holy name and therefore seek to abide by the characteristics of His eternal Being.

c) God, realising Man’s sinful estate, gave through Moses the revelation of His eternal Being so that Man would know what was and was not acceptable to God.

Therefore, if we want to please God we must obey those laws, given by God Himself, in which the holiness of His character and His right as Sovereign are manifest. It means that we, the creature, respect the parameters placed upon us by God, the Creator, and live by His rules.  If we do not obey those laws or abide by His rules, we can never be said to “fear” or “revere” the name of God. If we do not “fear” or “revere” the name of God, then we must be considered as the “evildoer”.[6] This truth is superbly clear in Scripture. Yet, today, we have those who say that they “fear the name of God”, that they love Jesus, and that they are Christians; all the while they despise the laws and rules given by God.

This situation outlined is seen definitely and clearly in regard to the battle over homosexuality and homosexual union. Thus, it seemed appropriate to highlight the absolute inconsistency of those who speak nonsense in the name of God.

God’s law prescribes the death penalty for a number of sins; significant sins that attack either God or Man. Thus, God says that the following are to forfeit their lives:[7]

  • The Murderer (Genesis 9:6; Exodus 20:13; Exodus 21:12-14);
  • The Kidnapper (Exodus 21:16);
  • The Rapist (Deuteronomy 22:23-24);
  • The Adulterer (Leviticus 20:10; Exodus 20:14);
  • Witchcraft (Exodus 22:18; Deuteronomy 18:10-13);
  • Bestiality (Exodus 22:19; Leviticus 18:23);
  • Blasphemy (Leviticus 24:10-16);
  • The Homosexual (Leviticus 18: 22; Leviticus 20:13).[8]

The point of this list is to highlight the nonsense spoken in the name of God by those who say that they are practicing homosexuals, fearing God’s name, and respecting God’s law. These twist the words of Scripture in order to justify their perversion and their false rhetoric is made apparent when a list like this is adduced.

Please, allow me to explain. Here is a list of crimes against God and Man that God so loathes that He, in His divine wisdom and sovereignty, has proscribed with the death penalty. Now, in our modern day, we have those, claiming to follow God, love God, and honour God, who say that the proscription of  and penalty prescribed for homosexual behaviour is no longer of any consequence. They go on to add that they can practice their homosexuality and serve God without any detriment or compromise.

Now, arguments can be adduced to counter those claims, but we want to take a much simpler road – How welcome would categories 1-7 be in your local church or any church for that matter? Think about this! How welcome would be the unrepentant Murderer, Kidnapper, or Rapist? Would there be a general feeling that God loves this person so much that their sin, practiced openly and without remorse, should go without rebuke? How many would willingly send their daughters to Sunday school or on the church camp with men like this in their midst?

Which one of you would front up to church on Sunday morning eagerly awaiting a sermon from a Satanist or blasphemer? How eagerly would you attend the Bible study if these same persons were to be in charge and lead? How comfortable would you be with the Pastor conducting home visits when he is known to be an adulterer, unrepentant and on the prowl for his next conquest?

We could go on and give an example of bestiality, which would make you vomit; but there it is! How would you respond to any church that allowed the open practice of murder, rape, blasphemy, witchcraft, kidnapping, or bestiality? How would you respond to any congregation who refused to rebuke such sin and call for people to repent of it immediately?

To those who are of a more liberal ilk, “Where would you draw the line?”

The point here is simple. All of these behaviours are proscribed by God. Almighty God avows that those who commit these crimes should be put to death. Yet, in our day we have a number of people, calling themselves Christians, who want us to believe that one, and only one, of these heinous crimes is no longer either heinous or grotesque.

Yet, it would seem that they still want the other crimes to be considered as heinous. After all, we have not heard vociferous cries to stop discriminating against murderers and pedophiles. We have not heard calls to overturn various “Proceeds of Crime” Acts, as these intrinsically discriminate against the criminal element. No, here there seems to be contentment. Why?

When all these crimes are viewed consistently from the Biblical perspective,[9] we see that it is indeed sheer nonsense to claim or believe that practicing homosexuals have any place inside the Church of Jesus Christ the Son of God. Even more ridiculous is the claim by these people that practicing homosexuals should be allowed to hold office in the Church of Jesus Christ.

One may be more sympathetic to the claims of these people if they were to be consistent and assert that the murderer, rapist, and kidnapper should all be allowed to ply their trade without discrimination or consequence. However, should they do so, the veil would completely fall, we would see behind the mask, and they would be exposed as evildoers who do not revere the name of Almighty God or obey His law.

The last word must be that of Scripture – a text that shows that those who claim to be God’s whilst openly rebelling against Him are deluded liars! The Apostle John writes: And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.[10]

Footnotes:

[1] Malachi 4:1-6.

[2] Isaiah, Ezekiel, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, and Zephaniah. Importantly, Joel’s reference is picked up and used by Peter in Acts 2.

[3] Acts 4:18; See also Acts 5:28.

[4] This very supposition is indeed problematic. When this supposition is brought to the fore, there is a tacit implication that God has changed in His essential character. This tacit implication suggests that the God who spoke in the Older Testament has mellowed with age and no longer finds certain moral deviations from His law objectionable. This view is popular, but it lacks in one important detail – there is no credible Biblical evidence to support it!

[5] Judgement – Acts 17:30-31 – “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.” John 5:22-23 – “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, in order that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.” The Name: a unity – John 5:43 – “I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another shall come in his own name, you will receive him.” John 10:30 – “I and the Father are one.” John 10:37-38 – “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” John 4:34 – “Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work.” Obedience, law, Love – John 14:15 – “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” 1 John 5:3 – For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.” Luke 18:18-22 – And a certain ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. “You know the commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” And when Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess, and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.

[6] Again, reference to the Myth of Neutrality must be made. There are only two types of Man – obedient and disobedient. As Jesus said, you are either with Him or against Him!

[7] This list is not exhaustive, but highlights the main crimes. For an exhaustive list, see Rousas John Rushdoony, The Institutes of Biblical Law, 235.

[8] For those who do not like the Older Testament, we see that most of these crimes are denounced in the Newer Testament: I Corinthians 6:9-10 – “Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Timothy 1:8-11 – “But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous man, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.” Revelation 22:14-15 – “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.

[9] These crimes are prescribed as crimes by God. They are all proscribed by death. They are all denounced in God’s law, particularly in the Torah. Many are said to exclude a person from God’s presence, heaven, if you will. Hope is in Jesus Christ, but Jesus Christ means repentance and turning from sin, not embracing it. Thus, what is true of one must of necessity be true of the other. Therefore, it is a logical fallacy, if there be no Biblical evidence, to assert that one of these crimes is now wiped from God’s statute book while the others remain.

[10] 1 John 2:3-6.

Catchphrases of Doom

Catchphrases are about us everywhere. These tiny slogans, often only using a few words, are the droplets of a distilled philosophy. As the droplet hangs, it gorges itself on the rays of light emanating from the full philosophy and then diffuses the philosophy into the world as a bright, eye-catching display of colour. Many are bedazzled by this light display. The pretty lights, dancing before our eyes, are intoxicating and mesmerising. The trouble is that while your view is obscured by the coloured lights, someone is picking your pockets!

At heart, most slogans really do not portray the fullness of the philosophy or outline the extent of the philosophy’s application. When this is the case, the catchphrase becomes deceit. It does so of necessity due to the process of reduction. When anything is distilled its natural composition must be altered. Some elements will be eliminated. Some will be changed. Others will be intensified.

Take for example the phrase, God is Love. This is Biblical. It is right. However, if we take this as a catchphrase, intended to show the totality of God’s character, then it becomes deceit and a lie. If the lie is believed, it becomes a source of doom.

The latest catchphrase of doom to makes its way into the public arena is the homosexual lobby’s “Love is Love”. This slogan is designed to evoke an emotional response, of the Mill’s and Boon variety, in which reason is trumped by Man’s eternal desire both to love and be loved. I mean, please, pass the tissues! Here, in a world of turmoil, a world of hatred, a world of ‘wars and rumours of wars’ are these oppressed people who just want to Love each other. They simply want to be left alone to love and be loved–to foster an atmosphere of love wherever they go. I mean, ‘sob, more tissues, please’, “What could be more admirable than loving, being loved, and spreading love?”

Now, while you are mopping up the last of your tears, let it be asked of you that, before answering the question, you might disengage your emotions and engage your mind. “Love is Love”, is a wonderful slogan, but here is the real question, “What does it mean?” Yes, we can be sidetracked into an emotional exercise debating the answer to the first question, but that will simply be an enterprise in futility if we do not answer the second question first. We must have a definition before we can enter upon any discussion. We must set some parameters so that the discussion is meaningful. We must understand the concept or meaning will elude us.

Let us start, therefore, with the basic question, “What is love?” When you read the slogan “Love is Love” you are immediately struck by the fact that love is always wholesome and pure. The word love is used like a sanctifier–take anything, add love and, voilà, it is now pure and holy. However, this is simply not the case. As we know empirically from everyday usage, love does not, in and of itself, speak of a pure motive or a pure object.

Love is a subjective expression that must, as a general rule, have an object. The very fact that Man expresses love for something does not mean that either his expressed passion or the object to which he expresses his passion is legitimate, pure, or holy. Man’s expressed love may be all of these or none of these. It is God’s morality that determines the legitimacy of both, not the mere fact that Man loves. An obese person can love his food. A sexual deviant can love his prey. A man can love God. Are all these loves legitimate and equal?

Let us examine three Biblical examples:

          Isaac: “Now then … go out to the field and hunt game for me; and prepare a savory dish for me such as I love.[1]

          Amnon: “Now it was after this that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar, and Amnon the son of David loved her. … And he said to him, “O son of the king, why are you so depressed morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” Then Amnon said to him, “I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom.” …  However, he would not listen to her; since he was stronger than she, he violated her and lay with her… Then Amnon hated her with a very great hatred; for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Get up, go away![2]

          God’s People: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might”.

These examples show us the extremes of human love. The first is of an elderly man who has a hankering for his favourite meal. His desire is expressed as love; yet are we to believe that his desire for a meal was of the same intensity, purity, depth, and breadth with which he loved Rebekah[3], his wife? In the second example, we see a young Amnon, passionate in his love for Tamar to the point of melancholy; yet his was not a true love, it was a violent love, a lust, that drove him to rape his sister. The third example is God’s statement as to how His people were to love Him in fullness, completeness, and totality.

If we believe the homosexual lobby’s catchphrase of doom, we must believe that the actions listed in these texts are legitimate and equal on the basis that they are all said to be motivated by love. Therefore, if “Love is Love” then eating your favourite meal, raping your sister, and loving God with the whole of your being are moral equals.

Next, the homosexual lobby would have you believe, via the “Love is Love” catchphrase, that sexual activity is legitimised by love. These lobbyists are pushing for marriage rights and the right to engage in sexual activity without stigma and the foundation of their argument is love. In other words, the homosexual lobby want to legitimise their sexual acts. To do this they know instinctively that they must be married. However, as they fail to meet God’s criterion of heterosexuality they are under obligation to invent a new criterion, love.  Yet, once more, we must ask as to how “Love is Love” transmogrifies into “Love is legitimate sexual activity”.

To put it simply and bluntly, love never legitimises sexual activity! In Scripture, legitimate sexual activity must meet two criteria: heterosexuality and the marriage covenant.[4] If you remove either criterion, then the sexual activity is illegitimate, unsanctioned, and debauched. This is borne out by the language of Scripture and of our day:

          Fornication: Heterosexual activity when not married;

          Adultery: Sexual activity with other than your spouse when married;

Sodomy / Homosexuality: Sexual activity outside the bounds of marriage and heterosexuality.[5]

Please note well that love is never the criterion that legitimises sexual activity.[6]

Last, let us highlight more obviously what the homosexual lobby and their catchphrase of doom seek to hide, namely, that men can and do love absolute perversion.

When Jesus came into this world, rightly to be embraced by Men, John records Man’s response with these dreadful words: this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil.[7] In this regard, nothing has changed. Still the homosexual community loves its evil deeds of darkness and seeks any and every avenue to legitimise its aberrant behaviour. There is little doubt that amongst the homosexual community there is genuine love, but it is a love for the darkness. Their love, genuine as it is, does not legitimise, excuse, or sanction their deviant sexual behaviour. One can place a blanket of love upon a bed, but that does not mean that every activity between the sheets is lawful.

“Love is Love” is a catchphrase of doom precisely because it is one more veil, another puff of smoke, the positioning of yet another mirror in an attempt to garner support for an errant cause by obscuring the truth.

Man’s duty of love is to God and His Christ. Jesus said: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” and “He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me.[8] True love, therefore, is aimed at God and expresses itself in obedience to his commands. Any love that does not meet this standard is the love generated from within a fallen and corrupt heart; a heart that loves darkness and not the Light!

Footnotes:

[1] Genesis 27:3-4.

[2] 2 Samuel 13:1, 4, 14-15.

[3] Genesis 24:67.

[4] Genesis 1:26-28.

[5] 1 Corinthians 6:9 list these three sins separately, emphasising the fact that they each transgress God’s law in a different manner.

[6] An example from our everyday relationships. If you engaged in sexual activity with all those you loved, based on the idea that love legitimises sexual activity, would you not be considered by most, even the homosexual lobby, to be a debauched and depraved individual.

[7] John 3:19.

[8] John 14:15 & 21.

Marriage is Life: AP Version

 (This version was produced for the Australian Presbyterian. It is a shorter version, but also includes a few comments that the original version does not. It is only 1200 words. Print it out and hand it to your friends. Lord willing, it will help you have some worthwhile conversations on the topic of Marriage.)

There is little doubt that, in Australia today, we are experiencing a clash of worldviews. Over the last decades, the Secular Humanist attack upon Biblical Christianity has gathered pace and it recently presented to this nation a new challenge.

Christianity, both as a belief and a worldview, has been systematically attacked in this country for at least fifty years. In that time, attacks have been mainly focused against the application of Biblical law. Examples of this may be seen in the erosion of (traditional) marriage. The concept of both “de facto” relationships and divorce were popularised and de-stigmatised. By stealth, therefore, marriage was undermined. Its significance and importance was devalued. Marriage was relegated to the status of a cultural relic from the bygone age of “religion” and non-enlightenment.

This diminution of perspective is attributable to Humanism’s attack on the application of Biblical law. These attacks stem directly from the fact that the Secular Humanist denies the existence of the Bible’s God (Psalm 14:1). With God removed, the Secularist believes himself free to set about making this world after his own image in order to rule by his own law. Consequently, the Secular Humanist has sought to erode any law explicitly based in Scripture.[1]

The question is, ‘What is next?’ What is Humanism about to attack and redefine after its own design? The answer is apparent. We have, of recent, witnessed the introduction of several bills to Parliament for the sole purpose of altering the Marriage Act; primarily allowing for homosexual marriage.

This is an escalation in the war. No longer are the Humanists simply attacking the peripheries – the application of Biblical law – they are now insisting on attacking God directly by redefining Man. This battle is not about the (human) tradition of marriage as a legal union. This battle cuts to the heart of Man and his sexuality as male and female and impinges upon the fact that marriage is God’s precise design and mechanism for perpetuating life to and for His absolute glory.

The question that must be asked is, “Why is homosexuality and homosexual marriage Biblically wrong?” To answer this, we must turn to the Cultural Mandate (Genesis 1:26-28) of Genesis.

In this text there are some fundamentals that simply cannot be ignored:

First, is the simple but important fact that Man is made in the image of God.

Man is not, therefore, a self-determining creature from the black swamp who “got smart” and decided to make something of himself. Man is not the Mark 4 in monkey design. Man is not chaos, chance, randomness, coincidence, or accident. He is not a cosmic virus virulent upon the earth as some type of intergalactic plague – with the earth hoping for a vaccine! Man is not the meaningless transient dream of the existentialist!

On the contrary, Man is the product of the perceptive absolute will of Almighty God. No mistake. No design flaws. Made in fullness! Made in perfection! Man, made as God planned. Man, endued and imbued with every power, grace, gift, talent, ability, faculty, facility, and function that God intended him to possess. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Second, God’s Man was created in plurality! Man is made in God’s image and he is made male and female. Like a coin, Man was made with two sides. Both image bearers. Both endued with God’s gifts, talents, and purposes. When the two are brought together in the marriage covenant, the whole becomes far greater than the sum of its parts.

This position must be understood, for it is the essence of any and every rebuttal to all schemes which attack Man and Marriage.[2] In Genesis 1:28, God pronounces a blessing upon Man. Part of that blessing is that Man should be fruitful and multiply. God’s Man, made in plurality, covenanted in unity through marriage, can receive this blessing and bring it to fruition.

Humanism’s Man cannot! It does not matter how much semen you pour into a man’s rectal cavity or how many attempts are made to fashion the perfect phallic symbol, Man’s futility can never replicate or replace God’s fertility! God made Man male and female. God gave them perfect fertility and bodies designed and equipped to fulfil Man’s assignment within God’s purpose and plan.

Before proceeding, we must say something simple about that plan. Please note that the text of Genesis 1:26-28 has to do with God’s dominion. That is to say, the fundamental aspect of that text is both the Rule and Worship of God over all and throughout all the earth. The mechanism by which this is achieved is the prosperity of the womb in covenant marriage and the subsequent education of that fruit in the fear and knowledge of God. In short, it is covenant prosperity to the glory of God. Thus understood, heterosexual Marriage is the key to life.

When marriage is pictured Biblically, we see that it is far from a cultural convention or tradition. It is a widely practiced principle precisely because it is a Creation Ordinance stamped onto the heart of every man. Marriage, sexuality, progeny, God’s rule, and God’s worship are all writ as writ upon the heart of Man by the finger of God. These components are who we are as Man. They cannot be erased, imitated, or substituted. It is only when male and female are brought together in the covenant of marriage that all of the blessings specified by God will flow freely and abundantly in fulfilment of God’s design and purpose. Then, and only then, are we truly the Married Man.[3]

Therefore, the homosexual desire for marriage is not simply a desire to change a rule or definition in regard to marriage. Rather, it is a diabolical attempt to redefine Man according to the idols of Humanism. It is an attempt to rebuild Man without any reference to God, His purpose, or His glory. This basically means that Man must be smelt and recast. Consequently, the new proposition is nothing less than an attempt to destroy Man. In short, it is death of Man in the Death of God!

Marriage is not a human institution, convention, or cultural tradition, Statist or otherwise. Marriage is the inherent consequence of Man being created male and female in the image of God. Marriage, therefore, is not only bound to Man as male and female, but it is bound up in the essential nature of Man as male and female. It simply cannot be imitated by male/male or female/female relationships. Marriage is not a mere mechanism to legitimise sexual behaviour. Whilst this is a right component, we must see that marriage only legitimises sexual behaviour of the type which accords with God’s design and purpose, thereby manifesting absolutely His rule, worship, and glory. Therefore, homosexual marriage must be repudiated as a travesty.

Marriage is life! That is, one man and one woman in covenant union before God and to His glory. Marriage is life!

Footnotes:

[1] Well, not quite. He has eroded the laws that require restraint of carnal appetite and pleasure. He is rather keen to keep the laws regarding murder and theft as he wants to live to enjoy his greed and hedonism!

[2] Whilst texts like Leviticus and Romans are helpful and instructive, they tend to be limited to a sexual expression. By returning to Genesis, we are looking at the very design and purpose of God for Man.

[3] No comment here is directed toward childless couples or those God has called to a single life.

Equality and Coercion: The Antipodes of Humanism

You will know them by their fruits”, so says Jesus.[1] This is a wonderful piece of advice and one which every Christian should learn to put into practice. In essence, Jesus is telling us that if you want to understand what makes a man tick, look at the fruit of his ideas. If someone comes to you selling “sweetness and light”, but behind him there is a trail of stench and darkness, then you would rightly question the intrinsic nature of the salesman’s product. In such a scenario, the terms ‘witchdoctor’ and ‘snake oil’ would readily spring to mind.

As Christians in the year 2015, we have many witchdoctors peddling much snake oil, but it all comes packaged as “sweetness and light” or, more specifically, Religious Freedom and Equality. Yes, the packaging sells the product well. It is bright and shiny. It makes some wonderful claims that just warm the cockles of your heart. It’s calorie free. It can be consumed at any time. It will add volume to your hair and … you get the picture. Yes, it seems laudable and the racketeers, oh, sorry, marketers, do a fine job in pushing their product. However, have you stopped to look at the fruit of their wares? When you look at our culture, are people healthy, thin, and sporting voluminous bouffants or are they ailing, squidgy around the middle, and balding?

Brethren, what fruit do you see about you today?

This challenge is necessary precisely because the common place mantra in the Church today is “Do not judge; do not judge!” Consequently, when we as Christians are confronted with fruit that is rancid or which looks highly questionable, we tend to be duped or coerced into believing the packaging and its claims. Thus, we quote the mantra, breathe deeply, and take a bite, rather than dispose of the rotten fruit — pledging never to buy from that retailer ever again!

Two such pieces of ugly fruit, being mass marketed as we speak, are Religious Freedom and Equality. Yet, both are rotten to the core. They are so because they are anti-God and as such contravene explicit commands that God has given. As such, one would think that the average Christian would give these products wide birth. However, it still seems that Christians are willing to believe the promises of the racketeers, rather than the Word of God.

Reformation Ministries, Salt Shakers, and other Christian organisations, expend much energy on warning people, Christians in particular, about the dangers of Humanism and electing governments whose explicit agendas run contrary to God’s Word. Today, we place upon your table the fruit of Humanism’s hollow promises, garnished with a real life example of Humanism’s hypocrisy.

We are all aware of the terms Religious Freedom and Equality. Both are pushed by the Humanists. Both are said to mean that any and every man will be free to believe what he will and act in accordance with his own conscience. This sounds good to many, but it is in fact the first false step. Man was created in God’s image and for His glory.[2]  As such, Man’s beliefs and conscience are inextricably tied to the Law and revelation of God as opened to us in the Bible.[3] In short, Man is not autonomous, he is Theonomic. Man is not “I” centred (anthropocentric), but “God” centred (Theocentric).

Applying this Biblical truth means that Man is neither free to follow any religion he likes or invents nor able to demand equality for every practice. By this we mean that Man must worship God, through Jesus Christ, as God has specified in Scripture and that Man’s acceptable behaviour is that, and only that, which God in His Word countenances.[4] This means that bowing to a golden image is as wrong today as it was in Daniel’s time. It means that the wicked are not equal with the righteous or the murderer with the innocent.

Thus, Religious Freedom and Equality are usurpations of God’s rule and authority and they are a manifestation of Man’s desire to ascend to the throne of God.

That this is so can be seen in the case of Barronelle Stutzman, which comes to us from the USA.[5] This 70 year old, a Christian florist, has fallen foul of the State authorities for refusing to supply flowers for a homosexual union – what is termed as ‘gay marriage’. In looking at this case, we see that the Humanist veil has completely fallen off, displaying their bigotry, bias, and hostility to Christ and His own.

The cut down version of the story is that a long time customer of Mrs. Stutzman took advantage of perverse marriage laws[6] and decided to unite with his homosexual partner. Mrs. Stutzman was in turn asked to provide flowers for the event. After careful consideration, she politely declined the invitation. From this seemingly amicable declining of an invitation, the story, carried by the great evil of social media, began to circulate. At this point, Washington State’s Attorney General, Bob Ferguson, having viewed the social media, stepped in and sued Mrs. Stutzman. That’s right. The Attorney General, without a complaint from the man involved launched a suit against Mrs. Stutzman. Bob Ferguson’s rationale is this: “My primary goal has always been to bring about an end to the defendant’s unlawful conduct and to make clear that I[7] will not tolerate discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.”[8]

Here, we enter upon the conundrum. We subtitled this article, The Antipodes of Humanism, and we did so for this reason – Humanism cannot reconcile its two great mantras!

When Christians defend the faith, they can be criticised for being biased – which we are happily; biased toward God and His Word – and people can use that bias to disbelieve the message.[9] However, the above story, giving voice to the Humanist agenda, shows that the fruit of Humanist philosophy is rancid, unpalatable, and poisonous. It does so precisely because it proves that the two great Humanist mantras of Religious Freedom and Equality are completely incompatible. It proves that Humanism cannot guarantee everybody’s freedom. At some point, a person’s ideology (religion) is going to clash with another’s ideology as the fruits of that ideology (actions) are put on display.

Let’s make it simple. Your religion will dictate your practice. Your religion specifies your morals; your morals are worked out through your fingertips, so to speak. Now the fallacy of Humanism, and its outright hypocrisy, is that it tries to pretend that all actions and, therefore, all religions are equal. However, this simply cannot be true and the above story proves it to be so. A Christian operating on her religious convictions refuses a service to another person based on the fact that the other person’s religion and practice conflicts with her own. At this point, Humanism should be delighted. Both parties have expressed their conviction and have practiced their religion accordingly. Yet what we see is that Humanism is decidedly unhappy. Mr. Ferguson, wielding the power of the State, is incensed and feels that action is warranted.

Naturally, he must favour the Christian. After all, she holds to tenets that have been cherished and believed for thousands of years. She believes as the founders of America believed – in a Law giving God who proscribed homosexuality as an abomination. Hers is the established religion of centuries. The judges of America sit beneath the Ten Commandments. Surely, hers is the right! No. Not so.

You see, the new god dictates who is right and who is wrong. The worshippers of this new god know that Equality is a fallacy precisely because not all religions agree on every tenet and disagreement must mean a difference in practice.[10] Yet, they continue with their mantra hoping to blind as many people as possible.

The key lesson here is that Humanism is itself a religion and one that is, at present, far more destructive than the threat posed by Islam. Please do not be fooled by Humanism’s rhetoric of either Freedom or Equality; neither be fooled by Humanism’s claim to be neutral. All are lies. When a stalemate occurs, as in the above story, the servants of the new god become the umpires and they will always side with that which promotes their religion and their god.

This said, there are other disturbing elements to this story. For example, Mrs. Stutzman is not only being sued as a business, but also as a person. She has now also had lawsuits brought against her by the ACLU and the person involved. Then there are the homosexual activists who are now sending more requests to Mrs. Stutzman for flowers at their union ceremonies, knowing she will refuse and thereby increase fines and so on.

These elements are wrong and true justice is mocked. For example, how many times can a person be sued for one action? If the Attorney General proceeds first, in the name of the State, on what basis are these other suits presented. In essence, any person in America aggrieved at this lady’s action could sue her![11] Then we have to ask as to the rights of a business owner to refuse service to a person. How is refusing service to a homosexual any different to refusing service to a person with an inappropriate dress code or who is drunk?[12] Both these later examples are acceptable, with one being required by law. Hence, we can only conclude that discrimination is acceptable, it is simply a matter of whom you choose to discriminate against and on what basis.

This then leads us to a clarion statement: Christian, the persecuted Church no longer exists in Communist, Islamic, and Third World countries. It exists right here, in the so-called Christian West! America calls itself a Christian nation, yet She actively persecutes true Christians. Do not be fooled, the same is happening here in Australia. It may be less noticeable, but it is here. It is not different in nature, only in degree.

Hence, we, as God’s people, must take action whilst we are still able. Dear friends, this is why we ask you to join us in our stand against these false standards. This call is issued because, sadly, the Christian populace has largely embraced these false ideas of Freedom and Equality, either naively thinking that they were good or they have been coerced by law and threats of litigation.

In essence, Freedom of Religion and Equality are the Secular Humanist’s values enshrined in law and the means by which they will discriminate against all those who hold to a different religion. In the end, the question is not, “Will there be discrimination in our society?” but “Who is to be discriminated against and by what standard?”

We ask, therefore, that you might join in rejecting all forms of the Humanist agenda and thereby become an integral part of the Church Militant instead of the Church compliant.

[1] Matthew 7:20.

[2] Genesis 1:26-28.

[3] Question and answer 3 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism highlight this: “What do the scriptures principally teach? The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man. (2 Tim. 1:13, 2 Tim. 3:16)”

[4] The perfect example of this pattern is to be seen in the Ten Commandments. The first four deal with God and His worship, the following six with how man should relate to man. God therefore loves the one who worships correctly and hates the one who presents false worship. God deplores the thief and the adulterer, but has regard for the one who honours his parents. In God’s eyes, not all religions are valid or all actions acceptable. God, as the perfect Sovereign, determines these things. Not Man!

[5] http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/gay-marriage/florist-barronelle-stutzman-refuses-to-pay-fine-for-refusing-to-provide-flowers-for-a-gay-marriage-on-religious-grounds/story-fnizhakg-1227236997936. We are citing this case because the USA is further advanced in capitulating to the homosexual agenda and it is hoped that the ramifications seen there might awaken us to action before we begin to see and experience the same here.

[6] This is of course an imposition of the Humanist god. The One living and true God says that marriage is a covenant between one man and one woman and that for life. God does not recognise homosexual unions as legitimate. They are viewed as rebellion.

[7] It is an interesting use of the personal pronoun at this point.

[8] If all discrimination is wrong, then open the jails. In fact, one must destroy all law. Any law, any compulsion, is intrinsically an act of discrimination or, at the very least, holds the potential to be discriminatory. Similarly, if Mr. Ferguson wants to remove “discrimination the basis of sexual orientation” and genuinely wants to be fair to all, why then does he only stand up for that which is Biblically and historically aberrant behaviour?

[9] Of course, the Humanists admit no such bias. They would have you believe that they were born in a vacuum and remain untouched by the world of ideas around them.

[10] A man whose religion sates that he is bound to obey a God who has revealed His will is going to have a very different set of practices to the man that sets himself up as god and believes that he rightly determines his own actions.

[11] It must be said that in Biblical justice the person wronged must be the complainant, unless that person is incapable of doing so. The Bible knows nothing of the State benefitting from cases of justice; the beneficiary must be the person wronged.

[12] We could even turn the question around and ask, “At what point will a customer be compelled to shop in a particular store against their will?” If the owner of a business is compelled to deal with everyone, when will he be able to compel everyone?

The Hypocrisy of Humanism: Stephen Fry and his Blasphemy

A recent news article brought to our eyes yet another example of Humanism’s hypocrisy and double standards.

Popular television presenter, homosexual, and atheist, Stephen Fry has appeared in an interview on the Irish television show The Meaning of Life. He was asked by the presenter, in essence, if it turns out that he is wrong and God does exist, ‘What will you say to “him, her, or it” when you arrive at the Pearly gates?”

His answer:

“Bone cancer in children”, what’s that about? “How dare you? How dare you create such misery in a world that it is not our fault? It’s not right, it’s utterly, utterly evil.” “Why should I respect a capricious, mean-minded, stupid God who creates a world that is so full of injustice and pain?”[1]

The article then goes on to add: “If the universe was created by some sort of God, Mr. Fry feels that divinity is “quite clearly a maniac, utter maniac. Totally selfish.””

Now, I have no track with Stephen Fry at all. In this household no program that he appears on is allowed to be watched. Categorise it as “hate speech” if you will, but I would encourage all Christians to follow suit. That said, my issue, is not with Stephen Fry, as such.

Stephen Fry is a homosexual and an atheist; one highlighted in previous writings.[2] Consequently, it is not surprising, in the least, that his mouth would spew forth disgusting blasphemies against God. Tragically, he will one day have to give an account for these blasphemous words when he meets God’s eternal Judge, Jesus Christ.[3]

No, the bigger problem here is that he is allowed by the Humanist tyrants to sprout this muck on television, and that without censorship. A further problem, and one more disastrous still, is the role that Christians play in spreading Humanism’s hypocrisy by giving tacit, if not explicit, approval to their demands.

Consider this, seriously please!

If I write, ‘Homosexuals create misery, they are utterly, utterly evil, capricious beings – selfish maniacs – who create pain’; how long do you think it will be before the hate mail arrives. More importantly, how long would it be before I came in for unwelcome attention from the homosexual activists and the Humanist tyrants?

If you would like to help me conduct a straw poll, please cut out the words in pale green above and circulate them freely across the web. Nothing needs to be added other than the reference to this article. Anyway, I digress

The question before us then boils down to this: “Why is it that I cannot, as a white, heterosexual, Christian, male, say these things, even though they can be mostly proven, yet the homosexual can lampoon the God I love with impunity?

Recently, Saltshakers highlighted the fact that a homosexual activist here in Australia had successfully sued a political candidate and is now set to sue Bernard Gaynor.[4] I wonder if this same homosexual activist is willing to sue his comrade-in-homosexuality for insulting God and thereby offending Christians across the world.

The abhorrence of this hypocrisy and its complete insistence on demanding insanity from those over whom it holds sway is evident at every turn. Following the Charlie Hebdo shootings, British Prime Minister, David Cameron, spoke some eloquent drivel about not letting the terrorists rob us of the fundamentals we hold dear. Among the few things mentioned – sadly nothing about Christ and His righteousness – he spoke of democracy and freedom of speech. I laughed!

Where is this freedom of speech when people are being sued successfully for speaking the truth? Where is this freedom of speech, and the democratic principle of “equality” so highly treasured by the Humanist tyrants, when it only applies to those who hate God? How is it that, in a culture prizing the fallacy of “equality”, some are more equal than others? How does freedom of speech work, when it allows some to lie with impunity, shelters them from question, and then gags those who hold the opposite view? What is this democracy, so treasured by the tyrants, when it leads to innocent, righteous citizens being harangued, harassed, and persecuted in the name of this wretched “equality”?

Then, we would ask, “Is there not even one who dares to ask why “the Emperor has no clothes?” Of course not. Those who are “milking the system” understand full well that the whole thing is a hypocritical sham. Their purpose is to “make hay while the sun shines”, so they are not going to point out the hypocritical nature of the system; no, they will simply use it to their ends.

Now, in asking these questions, I do not expect the hypocrites to all of a sudden gain a conscience, have pangs, and become moral. These questions are asked so as to highlight the current state of affairs and to provoke you – the Christians – to think about the situation in which you find yourselves.

Here, it is necessary, yet again, to highlight the absolute fallacy that is the Myth of Neutrality. Listening to the Humanist tyrants, like David Cameron and most Australian politicians, you will hear words like “all” and “everyone”. You will hear the deceptive phrase, equality for all. This is the Myth of Neutrality in action. People are conned into believing that this policy will create and give to each individual absolute freedom of expression. The individual is led to believe that his creed, colour, and flag will be to him both sacred and sovereign. Yet, this is simply not the case.

The best example to explode this myth is that of Communist Russia. Communism promised equality. Most interpreted that to mean equality in wealth, prosperity, and opportunity. In reality, it meant equality in poverty, mouldy bread, and oppression. There was a small ruling elite who possessed great wealth and underneath were the rest – the oppressed. All dissenters; all thinkers; all religions capable of mounting a rational challenge – i.e. Christianity – were mercilessly suppressed. Does any of this sound familiar? If not, you may need to get out a little more.

In similar fashion, our equality will be to the line and only that line drawn in the sand by the Humanist tyrants that govern. Why sand? Because it is flexible, removable, adjustable, erasable! Here is our first clue that we are being hoodwinked. When God wrote, God wrote in stone – solid, eternal, absolute, indelible!

Explained a little differently, we can sum it up in this adage: What the government gives, the government can take away. If we are given equal rights only by the government and the law of man, then that government or a subsequent government can take them away. Remember when Bob Hawke, Australian Prime Minister, so kindly held a referendum to give us religious freedom. What would have been the outcome of a successful “Yes” vote? Simple. It would have opened the door for the government to curtail your freedoms.

Whilst that particular referendum failed, the Humanist tyrants have not given up. They have been working tirelessly to explore and implement other avenues by which they will reach the same goal. Enter, Human Rights! Enter, Religious Vilification! Enter, Equal Opportunity! Enter, any perversion of law written an enacted by the Humanist tyrants.

Daniel Andrews, recently elected Victorian Premier, has vowed to push through his anti-Christian, God-hating equality laws. Please read the fine print and take careful note that politicians or political parties will be exempt. The hypocrisy of this is that, as a Christian, I cannot refuse employment to those who do not share my beliefs or the tenets of Christianity, but dear ol’ Dan don’t got to employ a Liberal! Daniel Andrews is therefore an absolute hypocrite of the highest order. Moreover, he is an absolute liar. Anytime he speaks of “all”, you now know that you will have to read the fine print so that you are fully aware of who the all are in that particular case.

Here is a second clue. The governments rail against God, when in fact they seek to usurp God’s position. You will hear, as with Mr Fry, all sorts of allegations against God. He is a tyrant and a dictator because He gave us holy and righteous laws to follow that were all appended with, “No correspondence shall be entered into! Such a dictatorial manner. It is completely unacceptable. “Away with Him!” they yell; having failed to learn the poignant lesson of Psalm two. However, what do we find the Humanist tyrants doing? Nothing less than enacting absolute laws that enshrine their desire for mankind. Thus, they do exactly what God did only without the benefit of omniscience, omnipotence, and holiness – and off course, the right and legitimate authority to do so!

As stated, the world will not change without Jesus Christ becoming the Lord of their hearts. So the real import of this message is for you, the Christian. The simple reality is that things will not get better or change so long as we stick our head in the sand and capitulate to the Humanist tyrant’s every demand. It is time that we were willing to suffer loss for the sake of Jesus and stand up to these tyrannical hypocrites. It is time that we began to refuse to acknowledge their laws and supposed freedoms that are nothing more than chains with which to bind us.

Let me ask, Where are the preachers of righteousness? Why are our pulpits so silent? Why is it that men like Andrew Bolt, who do not have faith in Christ, are left to lead the charge? Why is it that they can see what you as a Christian either cannot or will not see?

Hard words? Yes, but pertinent nonetheless. How many churches have complied with the Humanist demands on a whole range of issues from Mandatory Reporting to Equality issues? Why is it that a prominent Christian organisation recently circulated an “open letter” to our Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, which lacked at four specific areas? What were those areas? Father! Son! Holy Spirit! Scripture! In a one page letter, there were no references to God or to His authoritative Word, yet the letter contained at least six references to other research or articles.[5]

There is no joy in pointing to these things, for in the words of Paul – I shall not praise you![6] These things are highlighted so that we Christians may come to see that we have imbibed the Myth of Neutrality for far too long.

You see, Brethren, it is a myth because the World, the Humanist tyrants, call them what you will, are not neutral and they know they are not neutral. Their cunning plan – sadly all too successful – is to make you think that you are at a fair game being played on a level playing field, when neither is true.

The late Greg Bahnsen correctly stated, in reference to the Humanists, that “they are not neutral and we shouldn’t be.” Yet, we seem to continue to trust these Humanists. We continue to ‘give them the benefit of the doubt’. All this we do contrary to God’s Word, wherein we are taught that the carnal mind is enmity toward God[7] and that these are not only unwilling but unable to obey the law of God.[8]

Thus, the really pertinent question is not, “Why do the heathen blaspheme God?” but “Why do we Christians condone their blasphemy by seeking to play by and uphold the anti-God rules decreed by the Humanist tyrants?

Footnotes:

[1] http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/stephen-fry-calls-god-a-stupid-evil-selfish-maniac/story-e6frfmyi-1227204789990

[2] https://www.reformationministries.com.au/blog/2013/06/on-being-born-that-way/.

[3] Matthew 12:36 -37 – “And I say to you, that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgment. “For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.” Acts 17:30-31 – “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.” 2 Timothy 4:1 – I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom.

[4] http://saltshakers.org.au/107-fp-articles/fp-2015/1393-being-sued-for-speaking-up-here-in-australia

[5] Cotton Mather, referring to the so-called uses of white magic against black magic, noted that it was “to use the Devil’s shield against the Devil’s sword”. Sadly, this is exactly what this organisation is doing. Without God’s Word, it is human reason against human reason; academic against academic. There simply is no authority, no absolute, no standard. Hence, we Christians lose the battles.

[6] See 1 Corinthians 11:22. The sad reality, as expressed in Paul’s words, is that Christians often stray from the principles of Christ’s law. They can think that they are doing well, as these Corinthians obviously did, yet the reality is that God’s hand of judgement is set firmly against them.

[7] James 4:4. Note James’ use of the term “adulteresses”. Remember, he is speaking to the Church.

[8] Romans 8:6-8.