Comments on: Why Fight the Culture Wars?

By: Ian Brearley

Ian Brearley — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 20:35:11 +0000

The question is always going to be – “whose ideas are going to be put into legislation by which we all must live?”
This is where the Christians come in. If we don’t put forward the normal, healthy stuff that actually works (for this read Kingdom of God stuff), then guess whose ideas will go into the legislation – all the weird, untested, loopy stuff that I used to believe in in the hippie scene in the 1970s. God’s ways work! Weirdo loopy loony leftie stuff is produced by angry upset people who tend to be operating in some degree of death-wish – ask me, I was one of them.
Ian Brearley, Canberra

By: Gerard Flood

Gerard Flood — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 05:58:00 +0000

Dear Bill and interlocutors,
if Christians’ highest hope is to be with God, and if we are crippled by Original Sin, then consequently the function of the Law is, inter alia, to enable or facilitate the practice of virtue to facilitate our highest priority.
Eg, it would make sense if the Law allowed local government to decide for themselves if they will have more brothels in their midst or not. The Victorian Government with our consent, denies Local Government that power, despite fraudulent government advertising that community involvement is encouraged. It would make sense if pornography was less intrusive to the vulnerable.

It would make sense if the retail trading environment was not oppressed by the Juggernauts (supermarkets and institutional financial profiteers), to the destruction of the livelihood, security and viability of the families of workers and operators of small and family businesses. The Law was changed to facilitate the destruction of small retailers by the large. The Law badly needs reform to slow the rate of destruction of the livelihoods of these people, for their sakes, and for the health of the future general community. Who will do this work, if not Christians? Suggestions, please. (Lest we forget, some adequate access to the means of economic independence is essential for the conditions for the exercise of the basic freedoms of the person, which normally include the freedom to practice virtue).
With thanks to the preface to “Catholicism, Protestantism and Capitalism”, Amintore Fanfari, IHS Press, 2003.
Gerard Flood, Mentone

By: Jenny Stokes

Jenny Stokes — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 04:27:37 +0000

Keep up your good work, Bill!
It can be a thankless task – but as Christians we need to apply our Christian faith in every area of life, not just the ‘spiritual’ part!
The culture, morality and legislation of our nation are vitally important. If Christians aren’t involved in these vital areas, who is contribnuting the ‘ideas’?
Chuck Colson says “Ideas have consequences”. As Christians we need to examine the ‘ideas’, consider the consequences and offer alternatives to counter the bad ideas!
We need many more Christians engaging in the political and moral debate in this nation – not less.
Thanks again for your input into this area!
Jenny Stokes, Melbourne