I’ve loved two recent posts provocative posts from Stephen McAlpine on the church and our position in the Australian landscape: Christian are you ready for Exile: Stage Two Athens is Fencing: Babylon is a Cage Fight McAlpine’s thesis (it’ll be easier if you duck over to those two links and read it for yourself) is, […]
Search Results: “christian lobby”
113 results were found.
Hillsong – “Tax Free”: A Current Affair, truth, taxes, transparency, and talking about Jesus
I feel dumber for writing anything about this 15 minute journalistic monstrosity from A Current Affair last night. But on the same night John Dickson was presenting Christianity in a positive light on Q&A, the knives were out for Christians, and churches, but mostly Hillsong, on Australia’s least reputable tabloid television show. The Chaser team […]
Blog mythbusting: is less more?
Someone gave me some advice about my blog yesterday – its advice you hear so often that its simply assumed to be true – I was told that I’d probably get more readers if I wrote shorter posts. Now, I think this person is an occasional reader, rather than regular reader, so I suspect his […]
Why clarity matters when talking about homosexuality, same sex attraction, and identity
Hot on the heels of yesterday’s post about Vaughan Robert’s compelling interview about his refusal to be defined by his same sex attraction, comes this post from another Christian who is kinda, sorta, not really gay. This guy Bryan shares his testimony in a really clear and compelling way – and the more people like […]
Public Relations Resources
I write lots about communication and some bits and pieces about public relations. I’m not claiming to be an expert in the field, I am claiming to earn a relatively nice subsidiary income through consulting, and four years of full time experience with a not-for-profit membership based marketing and lobby group with, and on behalf […]
Here’s the ACL’s problem with the gay marriage debate… and mine
The ACL’s Jim Wallace was on Sunrise this morning. Here’s what he says. He breaks Godwin’s law about 1:51 in. Woohoo. “The issue is that marriage is about children” It’s so shrill and angry. Here’s what Queensland Director Wendy Francis said afterwards. Which is, quite frankly, illogical given that her national director just spent 8 […]
Praying away the gays: some responses from people who disagree with my last post
I’m not one to shy away from criticism. And I enjoy a good conversation where different ideas are presented and debated in the marketplace of ideas. It’s fair to say that I have, in the past, been quite critical of those lobbying our politicians, from the outside, for the legislation of Christian moral values. Because […]
How to be “on message” and engaging with the message of Jesus
This is turning into a bit of a series, or a saga, on Christianity in the public sphere. I’ve actually got a couple more up my sleeve too. So if you’re enjoying them… stay tuned. Back in the post about billboards from a couple of weeks ago I mentioned the Islamic “Jesus: prophet of Islam” […]
New Testament 102: Did Paul have a body image problem
One of the questions from the past exams for this subject was about Paul’s focus on his parousia, now that’s a word that means “bodily presence” and is most often associated with the second coming. But in this case that’s not what it’s all about… Bruce argues in The Entries and Ethics of Orators and […]
How to choose a school for your child
I’m not a parent. I preface everything I say about parenting with that statement because I know parenting is one of those sensitive topics that people feel strongly about, and I know parenting advice is a dime a dozen anyway. And who am I to comment on how you’re raising your offspring, who is/are no […]
Bling for Jesus
Technically I should be writing this mammoth essay – but my friend Mika sent me this – and I can’t resist a rant. Once upon a time I preached a sermon on Jesus sending the disciples out in pairs after his “harvest is plentiful, workers are few” sermon. He basically gave them authority to cast […]
Backwards Masking Unmasked: A book review (in multiple parts)
I’m a sucker for cheap books. Especially cheap Christian books. Especially dodgy cheap Christian books at a library fire sale because nobody has ever borrowed them… I’m building quite a collection. With the intention of inflicting them on you dear reader blogging my way through all of them. First cab off the rank is Jacob […]
On entertaining violence
Craig’s UFC post has opened up a philosophical can of worms. The discussion continued in real life at our Queensland Theological College weekend away with quite a few people seeing the debate in black and white terms based on their personal gut feel. The naysayers don’t see the debate as a matter of conscience, the […]