Salt Shakers Journal February 2008

Summary

Editorial (in full below)
Welcome to 2008. Encouragement is always welcome, especially when it comes from very unexpected quarters and arrives at a crucial time. So it was nice that on the first day of this year we received the following email…

Subscribe to the Salt Shakers Journal

The Three ‘R’s of Christianity
Dr. Murray Adamthwaite examines the three ‘R’s of Christianity, namely ‘Ruin’ (the fall), ‘Redemption’ (the cross) and ‘Regeneration’ (the Holy Spirit).

The After-effects of abortion inBrisbane
A study done at the Mater Hospital in Brisbane has found that young women who have an abortion are more likely to drink heavily and use hard drugs.

News and Action
Smoking in cars; WA: Prostitution; Victoria : Knives at school

Vic: [Same-sex] Relationship Registers
‘Win for gay couples’ read the headline in the Herald Sun. ‘New laws to mirror marriage rights’ said the by-line. The Victorian government introduced a bill to establish a Relationships Register on 4 December 2007. It will be debated early in 2008.

Sydney Mardi Gras
Jenny Stokes looks at this four week festival and its promotion of the homosexual lifestyle. She examines the sponsors, the crowd figures and the messages of support given by politicians, including Prime Minister Rudd.

IVF and Surrogacy
JUST before Christmas the Victorian government said they will implement ALL but one of the 130 recommendations of the Victorian Law Reform Commission (VLRC) regarding IVF for single women and lesbians and surrogacy. The government is expected to do this early in 2008.

Further Election Reflection
This article reviews the election, the Christian Values Checklist and addresses the criticism of the latter that accused Salt Shakers of exclusively focusing on moral issues rather than ‘social justice’.

Oprah: Influential Campaigner
This article looks at Oprah’s influence and at some of the issues she has been promoting via guest choice, such as decriminalization of polygamy and ‘a course in miracles’ (a New Age view of spirituality).

A Course in Miracles
‘A Course in Miracles’ was written down or ‘scribed’ by Helen Schucman, a clinical psychologist, between 1965 and 1972, through a process of inner dictation.

The Truth Project: An excellent resource
The Truth Project is an invaluable resource on the Christian worldview. It has been produced by Focus on the Family in the USA , and it is now available in Australia through Focus on the Family Australia.

Abortion
The South Australian government has published data about the number of abortions done during 2006. There were 4,888 terminations of pregnancy (TOPs) notified in SA in 2006 - 173 more than in 2005.

Young Australians: Health and Wellbeing
A very useful compilation of national statistics about young people in Australia has been published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). A full version of the report is available (free online, book form $40) but the 22 page ‘Selected Highlights’ booklet is available free just by asking for it - it gives current data on issues affecting young people.

Sweden: ‘Gender-Neutral’ Marriage
The Swedish government plans to legislate early in 2008 to combine the current marriage and registered partnerships laws.

Climate Change- Kyoto and more…
On 3 December 2007, on his first day as Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd signed the Kyoto Protocol, committing Australia to binding targets to reduce carbon emissions.

UK: Homophobic hatred law proposed
The UK Government published its proposed ‘homophobic hatred’ law in mid-November 2007. Parts of the law are modelled on the religious hatred law but there is no specific free speech protection.

UK: Foster parents update
Vince and Pauline Matherick, the Christian couple from Chard, Somerset who had refused to promote homosexuality to their foster children, have won the right to have their personal convictions and conscientious objections recognised.

World News
Switzerland: Euthanasia; UK: Babies; USA: APA and homosexuality; US: Homosexual Activists; USA : Polygamy

Editorial (full version)
Welcome to 2008.

Encouragement is always welcome, especially when it comes from very unexpected quarters and arrives at a crucial time.

So it was nice that on the first day of this year we received the following email:

“Dear Peter and Jenny,

Thank you for your newsletter. There are so few sane voices in the world these days and you are such a blessing and truly serving the Lord. Your article on that little bird Godwit, was such a blessing - I distributed it far and wide, even to the atheists!

Everyone here looks up to Australia (the joke is that Oz is South Africa’s 10th Province because so many South Africans have emigrated there) so I just hope now, with a left -leaning Government, Saltshakers voice will ring loud and clear.

May the Lord continue to bless you and all you put your hand to. Yours in Him, Val.”

That little bird sure made an impact. This was one of many comments we had about it and Creation Ministries International even used our Editorial as a guest Editorial on their web site.

Apart from the encouragement, there are, of course, some real challenges in that email from South Africa . A challenge to Australia as well as to us at Salt Shakers.

This year has been described by various people as “the year of new beginnings”, and that is certainly true politically. We enter uncharted waters with Labor governments in all States and Territories and now Federally as well.

The Howard Government did not do everything right but they did put the brakes on a number of minority groups. They have been held back for ten years, but now the foot is off the brake peddle and on the accelerator, going full speed to achieve their various ‘progressive’ agendas. (Funny how that word ‘progressive’ is used today to promote liberal thinking and acting!!!)

Major issues now on the ‘progressive’ agenda include a national Bill of Rights, homosexual normalisation, including relationships and parenting, abortion on demand, multi-faith-ism (including appeasement to Islam) and a republic - and that is just for starters!

The homosexual activists are certainly gearing up to exert pressure on the Rudd government. Their media are full of articles about relationship rights, marriage, IVF etc. Even the moves already announced for Victoria don’t go far enough, they cry, and as for any possibility that Mr Rudd will force the ACT to toe the line and not introduce a Civil Unions Bill is already being seen as a backflip.

With yet another lesbian joining the Labor ranks in Canberra (West Australian activist Louise Pratt) it will be even harder to hold back the tide.

We were criticised for focusing our ‘Christian Values Check List’ on distinctly ‘moral’ issues rather than ‘social justice’ issues such as Overseas Aid and the poor, and, would you believe ‘work choices’, but when sin abounds who is going to care about others. When selfishness abounds, who will care about the poor? When greed abounds who will consider it necessary to do a hard day’s work for a day’s pay?

New beginnings? No. Progressive? No.

Only Jesus can bring about progress and New Beginnings. A leopard cannot change its spots - neither can satan.

Looking forward to helping you ‘Make A Difference’ in 2008.

Peter & Jenny Stokes