Peter Beattie - no way!

He knowingly had a pedophile in his government and did nothing.
See http://www.newsweekly.com.au/articles/2003jun14_q.html

AK

Aslan
I was not aware of that.. thanx

Que?

"the free-loving, free-rocking, drug-infused pot-heads who still think they're at Woodstock started dominating public policy.... I'm talking about the generation that followed them. ie. Mark Latham's and Bob Brown's"

Mark Latham is far too young to have been at Woodstock. Bob Brown wouldn't be seen dead at Woodstock. And I don't believe either are dominating public policy. Do you?

Not at the moment ....Thank God !

BOAZ_DAVID - re your comments

>The 2 principles are 1/ Love God, 2/ Love your neighbour. There can never be 'public policy' about enforcing the first, but legislation based on the 2nd would always be sound, and would not be based on 'Them/Us' because it would take everyones legitimate interests to heart. Needless to say, in areas of morality, we would not accomodate certain lifestyle choices which are regarded as 'abominable' by God, which would include 'Incest, Bestiality and homosexual behavior'. These are not negotiable as far as we are concerned.

If those are your views you probably speak for a very small minority of the church.

I suspect that many would take the list a lot further than 'Incest, Bestiality and homosexual behavior'. A reasonable look at history (and places where christians still hold significant power) would tend to support that view. Should prostitution and porn be legal?

Personally I don't like 'Incest, Bestiality and homosexual behavior' but except where there are participants who are not consenting adults I don't see that it is anybody else's business (except maybe as a mental health issue).

I do think the non-negotiable should be protection of the innocent (children, animals, anyone not consenting to the activity and the taxpayer). If God feels really strongly about the issue let him act on it, however I would suggest he start by cleaning up his house first.

By the way I tend to think the same kind of stuff applies to a lot of other groups outside the christian church.

Rob,
yes, u made some very important observations.

1/ Where Christians hold substantial power.
2/ A lot of that stuff happens outside the Church.

Power does corrupt, even in the church. Jesus never indicated that "The Church" should be a huge organization held together by a cumbersome beaurocracy. He began with 12, of which 3 were specially close, and he taught them His 'life'. He gave them principles in parables. He showed how life is when God is King (He washed his disciples feet) he rebuked Andrew and John for being pre-occupied with earthly glory when he had already explained to the thick headed pair that He was going to Jerusalem to DIE (and rise).. it just did not sink in. (They asked if they can sit at His right and left hand in his reign) When Constantine adopted 'Christianity' as the official religion, he may as well have immersed the church in a sea of carnality. On that day, to be 'big' in the Church, was to be 'big' in the Empire.
The Church is called to be prophetic (to call back to God and righteousness), salty (to preserve) and illuminating (light, to show the way)

To be Christian, is a matter of the heart, not law. Sadly, secular society and powerful Churches always don't mix very well. If they DO mix well, that is the time to worry. The best I hope for is that we may simply use our democratic position to be all those things I listed above.

The role of the Church in making prophetic calls to righteousness, is not one of pride or moral superiority, but of humble recognition of its own weakness and sin. Nevertheless, God has called us to be His ambassadors.

I rejoice that we are able to canvass such issues here in the forum.
Perhaps we can role back some of the accumulated myths and stereotypes trotted out by the Media over a few decades now.