Gospel Society & Culture in Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia | Religious centre

Gospel Society & Culture

Locality: Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia

Phone: +61 2 9690 9333

Address: 168 Chalmers St 2010 Surry Hills, NSW, Australia

Website: http://www.gsandc.org.au

Likes: 977

Add/Update information

Reviews

Tags

• Religious organisation
• Religious centre

24.01.2022 A "future [NSW] government bill would aim to give religious people equal rights with those who have other protected characteristics race, homosexuality, transgender, and HIV/AIDS". Eternity News https://www.eternitynews.com.au//nsw-plans-to-catch-up-wi/

24.01.2022 "To build relationships on trust, to do right out of love, and to self sacrifice: these are noble virtues and they are far too rare and absent." Murray Campbell comments on how we as a society have reacted to the Covid crisis. His insights, while focused on Melbourne and Victoria, are relevant far beyond that immediate context. https://murraycampbell.net/2020/09/26/operation-soteria/

24.01.2022 As you know, Victoria is considering implementing "anti-conversion-therapy" laws. This video from our sister committee in Victoria shows how the proposed laws are far too broad. They could potentially criminalise the act of suggesting anything other than unqualified affirmation of LGBT+ identity. This decreases people's ability to choose their preferred lifestyle, because people who do not want to live an LGBT+ lifestyle would not be able to do so. https://media.freetochange.org//Conversion_Therapy_legisla

24.01.2022 "The Bill is based to a very large extent on erroneous and unscientific beliefs insofar as it concerns issues of gender identity"; The kind of "therapeutic exploration of gender incongruence in a way that may lead a patient to decide not to proceed with puberty blocking medication, cross-sex hormone treatment and sex-reassignment surgery" which the bill criminalises "is an ethical obligation for a health professional"; "The exceptions applicable to mental health professional...s in the Bill are wholly inadequate." The National Association of Practising Psychiatrists joins the growing chorus of criticism against Victoria's "conversion therapy" bill. https://blog.canberradeclaration.org.au//open-letter-to-t/

23.01.2022 One way to not domesticate the Bible is to recognise how it was written in social contexts very different to ours. Similarly, many of the great interpreters of church history also lived in social contexts that were closer to the Bible than we are. Therefore, they often see how the Bible challenges things that we tend to take for granted, and hold together things that we think are opposed to each other. Here's an example of how John Calvin recognised that the Bible speaks of both individual AND communal responsibility. The Bible has both "capitalistic" and "socialistic" elements, but cannot be reduced to either. https://calvinistinternational.com//john-calvin-on-the-us/

22.01.2022 "[T]he biblical view cuts across either-or choices and questions the assumptions and categories of most debates and positions. So it questions all views but also finds something to agree with and build on in almost every position." Thank you Eternity News for this interview with our committee convener John McClean about how the Bible expands our perspectives and helps us overcome the problem of political polarisation. https://www.eternitynews.com.au//why-many-of-us-dont-fit-/

22.01.2022 As Covid19 has progressed, most of us have become accustomed to acting in ways that are not merely for our own protection, but for the "common good" - for everybody's well-being, especially those who are most vulnerable to the disease. Even if that vulnerable person is not us. Our committee convener John McClean asks - can we extend that kind of thinking to the environment? https://www.theclimatized.com/the-common-good-of-public-he/

22.01.2022 The great evangelical leader John Stott knew that "[i]n this complex and constantly changing world, we do not need more commentary. We need more pain in the mind" - "the struggle of careful study and the strain required for understanding God’s Word and applying it in the modern world". Christianity Today https://www.christianitytoday.com//john-stott-100-pain-in-

21.01.2022 We are rightly concerned about the ethics of the sources and development of our vaccines. We discussed that in our previous post - see below. But what about their availability? Especially to the poor and vulnerable...? http://gsandc.org.au/vaccinations-health-disparity-and-soc/

21.01.2022 "Why does isolation from other people tear at the very fabric of our existence" and "seem to shred us from the inside out?" Glenn Hohnberg on the essential sociality of human being and consequent effects of isolation. From the archives of TGC Australia. https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/ar/isolation-destroys-us/

21.01.2022 "[T]his Bill is an unprecedented attack on the religious freedoms of a vast number of Victorians." Eternity News has republished the open letter opposing Victoria's "conversion therapy" bill. As noted in our previous post, the letter is signed by Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant religious leaders. https://www.eternitynews.com.au//dear-daniel-andrews-pleas

21.01.2022 Here's an update on proposed NSW legislation which seeks to protect freedom of religion. The two key points of contention seem to be: 1. The connection between belief and behaviour. How much should a religious person be permitted to practice what they believe? How much would they be required to limit religious expression? 2. The relationship between the rights to religious self-expression and other rights, especially sexual self-expression. ... Eternity News https://www.eternitynews.com.au//lobbying-for-religious-f/

21.01.2022 Even conservative, market-oriented economists are now recognising the value of, and need for, "social capital" - the value of a rich network of deep, intimate personal relationships. It's as if economists are coming to realise that a person's [and society's] life does not consist in the abundance of their possessions. Why does that sound familiar... The Sydney Morning Herald Ross Gittins https://www.smh.com.au//thinking-economists-are-grappling-

20.01.2022 The post you've all been waiting for. How should we respond to vaccines developed from cell lines sourced from aborted fetuses? http://gsandc.org.au/should-we-object-to-and-boycott-vacci/

20.01.2022 "There are few safe havens for thoughtful people in today’s world"; "Christianity can [once again] become a grace-filled haven for curious questioners, doubting dissidents, and anyone seeking truth in a world where partisan narratives take precedence". Brett McCracken The Gospel Coalition https://www.thegospelcoalition.org//christianity-safest-s/

20.01.2022 This article is focused on the USA, but is a good summary of underlying demographic and identificative shifts affecting Western Christianity and "religion" in general. A couple of key points: "What’s dramatically declining in the U.S. is white Christianity. People of color are actually preventing a more precipitous drop in overall church participation." ... "The decline of membership in churches, synagogues and mosques cannot be equated with decline in religious curiosity or practice" because "secularization" actually "creates new occasions for spirituality". https://religionnews.com//behind-gallups-portrait-of-chur/

20.01.2022 In today's increasingly polarised world, we often feel we have to respond to the latest social fashion, either by signalling our allegiance to it, or by loudly, publicly opposing it. This 9Marks article invites us to keep the main thing the main thing. We're "herald[s] of the King of heaven", not "braying, politically-opinionated donkey[s]". The article is written for church ministers in today's conflict-riddled USA. But it presents principles relevant for all Christians ev...erywhere. https://www.9marks.org//how-to-hold-your-tongue-about-poli

19.01.2022 To be "zealous for truth", we need to pursue that truth "with a sense of love for the good, and for the well-being of those they believe in error, not a love for the fighting itself." Russell Moore The Gospel Coalition https://www.thegospelcoalition.org//unhealthy-people-crav/

19.01.2022 How has social media become so anti-social? A significant aspect of the answer is: because it permits sin's vices - selfishness, anger, pride, etc. - to get amplified. The Gospel Coalition https://www.thegospelcoalition.org//social-dilemma-bigger/ ... This doesn't mean social media is only, irredeemably, evil. We're posting on a social media platform, right here. But we must be aware of how it tends to amplify the evil inherent within us.

18.01.2022 "If the State now recognises an infant who dies in the womb, how can we also persist with the view that it is right to kill a child of the same age?" Murray Campbell https://murraycampbell.net//goodness-in-victoria-exposes-/

18.01.2022 "Unless you realise that your gospel message is competing with an alternate gospel message, which you need to wisely and sensitively deconstruct if you are ever to get a hearing, then you will constantly be dismayed at how little traction you get." Stephen McAlpine explains, in his usual concise way, how Western societal assumptions about reality, humanity, and the "good" life have shifted so far from the Biblical definitions of the same that the Christian message - the "gos...pel" - sounds false, dehumanising, and evil. He then challenges us to demonstrate, not just in words but action, that the Christian gospel is actually true, humane, and therefore deeply good. https://www.thegoodbook.com//why-does-the-good-news-sound/

17.01.2022 Contemporary secularity seeks fulfilment within this world. This quest for fulfilment is not wrong. The problem is we tend to seek fulfilment in all the wrong places. Tabletalk Magazine https://tabletalkmagazine.com/posts/contentment-2020-09/

17.01.2022 Murray Campbell shows how the Victorian bill effectively criminalises traditional Christian teaching and pastoral activities. https://murraycampbell.net//a-day-of-reckoning-victorian-g

17.01.2022 When it comes to gospel proclamation, "opposition and opportunity go hand in hand". Australian Church Record https://www.australianchurchrecord.net/unprecedented-times/

16.01.2022 Like any "euthanasia" legislation, Tasmania's Voluntary Assisted Dying ("VAD") bill is dangerous to the elderly, those who are terminally ill, and other vulnerable people. And it looks like it's dangerous for religious people and organisations as well. Eternity News Freedom for Faith https://www.eternitynews.com.au//euthanasia-a-letter-to-t/

15.01.2022 "There is no credible scientific evidence of a biological basis for GD [Gender Dysphoria] and the GIDS [Gender Identity Development Service] have stopped screening for one." With regard to de-transitioning, "the whole area is seriously underresearched, and nobody knows quite how many people regret their medical treatment or why. Prevention of harm, and informed decisionmaking, are thus rendered virtually impossible." It is therefore "wiser to attempt to work with GD psyc...hologically before resorting to potentially damaging physical treatment." This very recent paper is an excellent summary of how and why the "affirmation-only" approach to transgender identity is unscientific - not supported by empirical research - often ineffective, and sometimes downright dangerous. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1468-5922.12641

14.01.2022 "As we become more aware that treatment for children with gender dysphoria is often led by ideology and not by best medical practice, the Victorian government is instead deciding to further enforce ideology at the expense of medical professionalism and the rights of parents to love and raise the children." Murray Campbell's summary of the disastrous effects of the proposed Victorian "conversion therapy" bill, which goes before the Victorian upper house this coming week. https://murraycampbell.net//28/when-victoria-becomes-baby/

12.01.2022 "The gospel announces the ultimate healing for disease and death and sin, through the work of Jesus Christ. But God, in his grace, also and often provides healing through the good gifts of medical science." We continue our series on the development & use of vaccines by looking at how vaccines, like all medicine, are a good exercise of human ingenuity to care for people. http://gsandc.org.au/innate-mechanism-of-immunity-history-/

12.01.2022 A bill has been introduced into the Victorian state parliament which potentially criminalises traditional Christian teaching and pastoral practices. Please pray for the state of Victoria, Christians and churches in Victoria, and the PC Vic Church and Nation committee, as they urgently respond. https://www.eternitynews.com.au//prayer-to-change-sexual-/

12.01.2022 "Today we are in the paradoxical situation of having better" and safer "vaccine[s] ... than ever before, but a doubting public; "many people, including some Christians, are hesitant about receiving vaccination or allowing their children to be vaccinated." Why are people suspicious of vaccines? How did these suspicions arise? Are the suspicions valid? This is the third post in our series on questions about vaccines ... http://gsandc.org.au/vaccines-is-there-a-problem/

12.01.2022 "Christians would be poor stewards of God’s Word if we didn’t share it with others through" social media. But how do we prevent it from becoming just "another form of entertainment?" Trevin Wax The Gospel Coalition https://www.thegospelcoalition.org//when-the-bible-turns-/ Readers - how do you try to share God's word online? How have people responded? Have you seen Biblical material treated like "entertainment" like the article describes?

11.01.2022 In an era characterised by both enormous wealth and rapacious greed, here are some suggestions for how Christians can live as people of contentment and generosity - and do so distinctly as Christians, who treasure Christ. https://growingfaith.com.au//are-we-raising-unthinking-con

11.01.2022 In today's pluralised society, it's difficult for us Christians to believe, and assert, that Jesus is the only way to truly know God. Don't worry. "The early Jews made this claim among the pagan, polytheistic religions of the ancient Near East." And "[t]he early Christians made this claim among the pagan, polytheistic religions of the Roman Empire." From the archives of Core Christianity https://corechristianity.com//why-jesus-cannot-be-one-tru/

10.01.2022 Here's some good suggestions about what it means to minister in a "post-Christian", "secularised" society. It's written for the USA, but its observations are relevant to Western society in general. First Things https://www.firstthings.com//christian-witness-from-the-cu

09.01.2022 "The character of Christ can only be praiseworthy if His claims are true." National Moderator Peter Edward Barnes in AP: Reformed Thought for Christian Living. Or according to C. S. Lewis' famous trilemma, he cannot be merely a noble moral teacher - he must be either lunatic, liar, or Lord and God. https://ap.org.au//the-character-of-christ-and-the-person/

08.01.2022 "Violence against women and girls is an international disgrace. As long as elective induced abortion is framed as a way to promote women’s health, it will continue." TGC Australia https://au.thegospelcoalition.org//the-beijing-declaratio/

08.01.2022 "We’ve ceased to be a deliberative culture" - we no longer take the time to understand matters at sufficient breadth and depth to present a comprehensive case for the truth and goodness of our position - and have therefore "lost the ability to persuade". And "[w]ithout persuasion our only alternatives for influencing others are anger, coercion, and violence". The Gospel Coalition https://www.thegospelcoalition.org//amusing-ourselves-to-/

08.01.2022 Have questions about Covid vaccines? We're so glad you asked. The ethicality of the source & development of vaccines has been debated for decades. We're going to explore them in a series of blog posts, with special reference to the possible vaccine against Covid19. Introductory page: http://gsandc.org.au/vaccinations-the-big-questions/ ... Post 1: on "herd immunity" and the need for a vaccine http://gsandc.org.au/herd-immunity-and-the-common-good/

08.01.2022 The events in France have caused renewed discussion about what it means to: * tolerate religious criticism * uphold freedom of expression * be sensitive towards religious consciences - avoid "blasphemy" * be subject to "dhimmitude" - to be treated as a second-class citizen. ... Christianity Today https://www.christianitytoday.com//france-muhammad-cartoon See more

06.01.2022 "It is a paradox of the Christian life that the more profoundly one is concerned about heaven, the more deeply one cares about God’s will being done on Earth... To try to improve society is not worldliness but love. To wash your hands of society is not love but worldliness. J. I. Packer's observations on the nature, limitations, and rightness of Christian 'political' engagement is we relevant today as in 1985 (when this article was first published). From the archives of Christianity Today. https://www.christianitytoday.com//j-i-packer-activism-pol

06.01.2022 "I know from personal experience that there are many ex-LGBT voices like mine which testify to the life-saving benefits of counselling for unwanted homosexual or transgender feelings... But our experience and our research are being ignored by the Victorian government and by the media." MercatorNet https://mercatornet.com/weve-been-erased-by-victorian-po//