Search Result

Submission to the Inquiry into Palliative Care. To the Joint Select Committee on Palliative Care in Western Australia. WESTERN AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT SUBMISSION. 6 July 2020

FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND BELIEF UNDER ATTACK. By John Ballantyne, former editor of News Weekly.         Many Australian Christians in recent years have sensed that the society around them has been transformed almost out of recognition. Values that their parents and grandparents took for granted are today openly derided. Marital fidelity and family values have diminished, at the same time as divorce and non-marital cohabitation have increased. The very institution of marriage has been called into question, with more and more Australian public figures each year calling for marriage to be redefinded to include same-sex couples.

Impelling the continent towards nationhood FamilyVoice Australia, February 2021 ... what we are doing by this great movement is not for us, but for ... the untold millions that will follow us; until this land of Australia shall gather within its bosom all the fruits of the culture of the world, all the lessons from the philosophy of the world, all the high examples from the brilliant courage of our great forefathers; and until the flag of freedom shall be planted here so firmly, and guarded with such a fervid patriotism, that all the powers on earth shall never assault it. - Remarks Sir Henry Parkes delivered to the New South Wales House of Assembly on 7th May 1890, (noted in Honour to Whom Honour is Due by Bruce Smith, Sydney: McCarron and Co, 1899, p14).

Learning lessons from the mistakes of Moses David d’Lima - FamilyVoice Australia, September 2020 The Bible paints a very human portrait of the early life and calling of Moses, as a very humble man who had a great deal to be humble about! Having thrown away his princely opportunity, Moses became a murderer who fled Egypt only to serve as a shepherd, until at the age of eighty he most reluctantly accepted the divine calling to give testimony to a pagan civic authority and to rescue the descendants of God’s covenantal people. Our knowledge of the early life and work of Moses comes to us from the Book of Exodus (3-4) which records his birth to Hebrew parents who lived in Egypt among the oppressed people of God. When the Egyptian king gave orders to kill each newborn Israelite boy, the mother of Moses firstly hid him, and then launched the baby onto the waters of the Nile, in a basket. Naturally speaking that would be the end of his life.

In this issue: Gender theory dumped ... Health Minister opposes euthanasia ... Pokies soar at poor’s expense ... ‘Language madness’ restarts in Defence Force ... How to birth a pro-life culture ... Call for positive religious freedom protections ... Opt-out filters aren’t censorship ... Why the Lord’s Prayer matters ...Constitutional challenge to “safe access” speech ban

EUTHANASIA: ARE THE RISKS TOO GREAT? From the Minority Report by Daniel Mulino MLC to the Victorian Legislative Council Inquiry into End of Life Choices, June 2016. Edited by Roslyn Phillips, BSc DipEd.             Debate about legalising euthanasia and assisted suicide continues to rage in most states of Australia. The Victorian Legislative Council established an Inquiry into End of Life Choices in May 2015, and issued its final report in June 2016.     A majority of the committee members who conducted the inquiry recommended, among other things, that assisted dying be legalised in certain limited circumstances. Daniel Mulino MLC, one of the two members who disagreed with this recommendation, has issued a comprehensive minority report that considers the evidence in some detail.

Lessons from the Sydney Opera House David d'Lima - July 2020 Looking at the history of the Sydney Opera House, which was opened by Queen Elizabeth in 1973, we can find several illustrations of biblical principles which may encourage our Christian ambition to share the message of Christ and the blessing of God. We see Danish architect Jørn Utzon dreaming and sketching a building so breathtaking in scope that those who judged the designs felt compelled to reject his brilliant proposal as impossibly ambitious - until one judge who arrived late to the adjudication insisted the design be reconsidered. We see Utzon as a dreamer and craftsman, made in the image of Almighty God (the Author of all visionary workmanship). We may also note how often the plans of God are rejected by unresponsive humanity!

Raising children in the fear of Almighty God David d’Lima, FamilyVoice Australia - June 2021 Part of the privilege and responsibility of parents and teachers is to encourage young hearts and minds towards knowing God, who is both loving and holy, and who therefore is to be loved and to be feared. Indeed, all authorities in society, including parents, teachers and governmental leaders, should be loved and respected, and therefore it is good to encourage those responses among the children we nurture. The word ‘fear’ is regarded somewhat negatively within modern thinking, both in Christian and secular contexts. Hence it is valuable and necessary to restore the wise and biblically-endorsed concept of fear. The gift of fear is built into creation itself. Hence, people are rightly frightened by unexpected loud noises, and sources of pain, such as hot surfaces or sharp implements. As expressed by an Irish proverb: A man who is not afraid of the sea will soon be drowned. While such examples of fear may be called a common grace (functioning as good gifts that are granted to all humanity), other aspects of fear must be taught and learned - in response to the revelation by God concerning his character and qualities.

In this issue: Labor attacks babies and free speech ... March for Life in Brisbane on September 1 ... ‘Language madness’ restarts in Defence Force ... How to birth a pro-life culture ... Call for positive religious freedom protections ... Opt-out filters aren’t censorship ... Why the Lord’s Prayer matters ... Constitutional challenge to “safe access” speech ban

Reflections on Australian Citizenship David d'Lima, FamilyVoice Australia - August 2017 Since developing Australian citizenship in the mid-Twentieth Century, the nation has struggled to find the right approach, with five pledges used in five decades, as may be seen in the following short survey. In 1901 at Federation, Australians were not citizens of Australia, but of Britain. In 1948 Australian Citizenship was created, and it took effect from 1949. From that date, candidates for citizenship made the following Oath of Allegiance: I, A. B; swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King George the Sixth, his heirs and successors according to law, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Australia and fulfil my duties as an Australian citizen. From 1966 all persons pledging themselves as Australian citizens were required to renounce all foreign allegiance, but received the optional choice of making no reference to God when they made their promise: I, A. B., renouncing all other allegiance, swear by Almighty God [or solemnly and sincerely promise and declare] that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Second, Her Heirs and Successors according to law.

PHYSICAL DISCIPLINE: IS IT EVER OK? By Roslyn Phillips, BSc DipEd.             In March 2014, an Audelaide father faced court on an aggravated assault charge for smacking his 12-year-old son. The father - an Air Force pilot "of excellent character and work ethic" - shared custody of his son with his former wife, whose approach to parenting he considered "very laisser-faire".     By contrast, the father set firm boundaries about bed times, TV and computer use, meals and chores. He did this out of love, trying to instil self-discipline to his son - along with values including respect, dignity and integrity.

Prepared by David d'Lima.