Comments on: In Praise of Discrimination

By: Jenny

Jenny — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:47:48 +0000

Closer to home, there was an outcry when the Wynyard Baptist Church in Tasmania found that a seniors’ exercise class being held in their church hall was now being called a ‘Tai Chi’ class.
When the church said that wasn’t compatible with their Christian beliefs – and also offered to help them find an alternative venue, the group complained to the media!
It’s only a short step to actual claims and complaints of discrimination’!..
See www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25442458-29277,00.html
Jenny Stokes

By: david skinner

david skinner — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 07:56:16 +0000

Paul Gear, may I also add that the Bible does not attempt to disguise reality. It portrays human nature as it is. The fact that it describes King David’s ‘indiscretion’ with Bathsheba, subsequent murder of her husban Uriah and then attempted cover-up is not meant to set us an example to follow. Quite the opposite. What the Bible does show is that Jacob, by having two wives allowed discord, jeolousy and resentment to build up in his family and were it not for the fact that God overruled in that situation, history would not have panned out the way that it did.

David Skinner, UK

By: Bill Muehlenberg

Bill Muehlenberg — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 05:49:58 +0000

Thanks Paul

But the fact that the ancient Israelites sometimes imitated the customs of their neighbours in the Ancient Near East does not mean that Yahweh either condoned or approved of such practices. Deut. 17:16-17 was a clear warning about taking on extra wives, a practice quite common and widespread in the ANE.

And of course the special, one-off instruction to Hosea was meant as a very strong, symbolic message to Israel concerning its unfaithfulness, and in no way detracts from God’s intention that marriage between a man and a woman was to be the only legitimate means of sexual relationship.

Also, I present a small sampling of the evidence for the historicity and universality of marriage here: www.billmuehlenberg.com/2004/11/20/so-what-is-a-family/

Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

By: Paul Gear

Paul Gear — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:25:51 +0000

“Marriage has always been a social institution regulating sexuality between one man and one woman” is a bit of a stretch. Even the data in our own Scriptures doesn’t support that – whilst i completely agree that God’s plan is one man, one woman, for life, there are plenty of instances of deviation from that in Scripture that God seems to turn a blind eye to (e.g. Jacob & co, Elkanah & co) or even initiates (Hosea).
Paul Gear

By: david skinner

david skinner — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 06:22:29 +0000

“When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” Yes, but we in Britain have nowhere to flee.

www.christian.org.uk/news/20090623/new-commons-speaker-is-religious-liberty-critic/

David Skinner, UK

By: david skinner

david skinner — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 06:02:22 +0000

Taken to its logical conclusion it will mean that the Labour party will be forced to be led by members of the opposition parties and that the parties themselves will have to include Liberals, Nationals, Greens and Queenslander Billabong Diggers – this is not mention those parties that represent the black, left legged lesbians. Likewise with the Liberals and all other parties. There must be no discrimination, no distinction – the one party state. Welcome Marcuse, Marxism and Obama.

David Skinner, UK

By: Jane Munro

Jane Munro — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:30:44 +0000

Hi Bill,

You are so right, discrimination is necessary in everyday life. It is part of discernment. Why does the Victorian Equal Opportunity Review seem to mainly target Christian beliefs and values. Surely there are other areas where exemptions currently apply that should also be reviewed. Let’s think of all the areas where discrimination occurs, maybe we could fix those up too!

· That car salesman let Kevin Rudd use one of his utes. He didn’t loan one to Malcolm Turnbull as well. Unfair!
· The Premiers get together for the COAG meeting and distribute (our) money discriminately – more to this State for road infrastructure because they need more roads. That will have to stop. It must be equal dollars to each State, in future. Or should that be equal amounts per capita? This could get confusing.
· Public toilets always have more women’s cubicles than men’s. Men you’ve been cheated!
· The local clock faces East and West, not North and South. Must complain to the Council.
· Shopping Centres in the Big Smoke have Maccas, Red Rooster and KFC but in country towns citizens don’t have access to these fast food outlets. Who is to blame?
· The local Masonic Lodge only has high windows. I can’t see in, like I can with the house next door.

I’m warming to this Equal Opportunity stuff. I can see it has great possibilities. Bill, I’m thinking of starting a PEOPLE Campaign (Push Equal Opportunity Personally, Liberate Everyone). Just think of all the things we could get made bland and insipid with PEOPLE power. I’m working on the logo, it has to be something to imply that we are “anti-choice”, because to choose means to discriminate.

Please Bill, you’ve gotta come on board – oh and all you readers, you have an equal opportunity too. I don’t discriminate.

Jane Munro

By: david skinner

david skinner — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:02:38 +0000

So fundamental and radical are the changes to our society that the British government has embarked on far reaching diversity and non-discrimination training for all – from the child in the nursery to the elderly in the nursing home. But the government’s ultimate tool for change is fear. In this, the government has been spectacularly successful; by deliberately creating a climate of doubt and anxiety that puts the public at a severe disadvantage. Having been ordered to abandon our Judeo Christian conscience against which we were able to tell pretty well whether something was proved good or bad, right or wrong, we are totally dependent on the subjectivity of a magistrate or Attorney General. Never knowing whether what we will say will land us in court, we, the public have become compliant and silent. We are not prepared to gamble on being deemed as having committed a discriminatory and homophobic act when, with the threat of seven years in prison, the stakes are so high. This policy of creating doubt, uncertainty and unknowing is being deliberately and relentlessly pursued by the British government.

Soon to be in your area: www.christian.org.uk/news/20090624/failure-over-gay-rights-may-harm-police-career/

David Skinner, UK

By: Eric Miller

Eric Miller — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:20:05 +0000

Hi Bill,
The discussion seems to have drifted from the initial subject. To make a complex subject simple:
The state subscribes to the principle of separation of church and state. The state should therefore not interfere with the church’s refusal to accomodate a witches’ function, just as the church or churches do not tell them who may sit in Parliament House. If the witches applied to hold their function in the visitors’ gallery of said House, let us see if the government did not discriminate against them. “Contempt of Parliament” is (in their view) a serious and punishable crime. Contempt of the Church is likewise a crime but not a civil one. The latter crime, being against the Holy Spirit, has a much longer sentence attached.

Regards,
Eric Miller

By: Michael Webb

Michael Webb — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:36:57 +0000

Cheers Bill. Thanks for acknowledging the Catholic Tradition. I acknowledge your good Protrestant thinkers working hard on these questions too.
You are my favourite ‘Baptist boy’ ( said of course with a southern drawl) haha.

Regards

Michael ‘the Mick’ LOL