Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R). (Darron Cummings/Associated Press)
Last week I emailed an article to a group set up by NZ Christian Network to engage on the topic of secularism.
The article concerned a bill which was about to be signed into law by the Governor of Indiana in America protecting certain religious freedoms. The bill is apparently in line with the legal standard protecting religious liberty in all U.S. federal courts as well as 31 state courts.
So what’s the problem you might ask?
Well, the bill is being opposed by groups which say that if the bill becomes law it would effectively allow bigotry and discrimination. Specifically, they say it would allow people to discriminate against gays exercising their right to marry and receive services they are legally entitled to under law. Those in favour of the bill say it is necessary in order to protect their religious liberty and safeguard against being forced to support something they don’t believe in.
Now you might say, that’s just the way things roll in America. Culture Wars quickly come to the surface on all sorts of issues – sexuality featuring high on the list. And they often seem to pitch Christian conservatives against secular liberals in a battle-type scenario where it seems there are no clear winners.
Others would say, well there is a point to be made – religious freedom is a right, and we need to speak out to defend it, otherwise we will lose it, and then people will be forced to act in ways contrary to their religious convictions.
Then there are others who would say, the point that needs to be made is already well known – nothing further is gained from engaging in prolonged public debate, the state knows or should know the importance of protecting religious freedom, if the state removes such protection, let matters take their course.
We would really like to hear your thoughts on this. Without the chance to hear other people’s ideas, if the issue ever crops up in New Zealand, there’s a good chance that any public response will be divided and therefore more easily discounted.
Family values – Who decides what is “public benefit”?
NZย Christian Network (NZCN) is encouraging people to support Family First in its upcoming High Court case with the Charities Commission.
“People may hold widely differentย views on Family First. Not allย leaders inย the Networkย would agree with everything they say” said NZCN national director Glyn Carpenter.
“But there are deeper, more importantย issues at stake here” he said.
“If, as has been reported, the charities commission position is that “traditional family values are ‘controversial‘ and ofย ‘no public benefit'”ย and that “it is in the public interest to remove the Trust...”, thenย we would askย the Charities Commission to publish a clear statement about how they measureย what is ‘controversial’ and whatย constitutes ‘public benefit’.
“We ย will be writing this week to the Commission requesting this information and we will publishย the response when we get it.
“Family First is by every common sense measure a charitable organisation, working to strengthen marriages and families in New Zealand. And there is strong evidence thatย supports theย traditional family structure they advocate for.
“Some of the things they say may be controversial to some people. But that is probably true for every organisation in New Zealand. This position takenย by the Charities Commission must be bound by sound, transparent principles which apply equally to all. ย We need to be very careful before we allowย state power to be used to limit free speech”.
[ENDS]
New Zealand Christian Network is a broad-spectrum network of churches and Christian leaders, with a Board of Reference that includes leaders from all the main denominations. It seeks to present a biblically orthodox position on issues, reflecting the views of the majority of Christians in New Zealand.
For queries or further information contact:
Glyn Carpenter
National Director, New Zealand Christian Network
Mobile 022 1 847466
Email glyn@nzchristiannetwork.org.nz
www.nzchristiannetwork.org.nz
Christian faith is not a part-time activity. It is to be lived out 24-7-52. For many Christians this involves living out our faith at home, in our communities, and in our workplaces. But several myths about faith and work can prevent us from being effective witnesses in this area of life.
Kara Martin is Associate Dean of the Marketplace Institute at Ridley College, Melbourne, Australia.
When we met at Ridley one year ago I asked her if she could condense some of the most important messages sheย had learned that would help Christians be more effectiveย witnesses in their workplaces.
Myths about Faith and Work
Faith is to be lived out 24-7-52. For many Christians this involves living out our faith at work. But several myths about faith and work can prevent us from being effective witnesses in this area of life.
Work is cursed
We all know that work is tough and hard and frustrating. It is tempting to think that the one good thing about heaven is that we wonโt be able to work there! Around us, everyone wants to retire early so that they can stop working. Howeverโฆ
A careful reading of Genesis 3 shows that theย processย of working is cursed, not work itself. In fact, work is a good gift from God, and God himself is a worker who is still working (John 5:17)
Work may be frustrating, but it is not impossible, and God will often bless us through our work
God doesnโt care about my secular work
The focus of so many sermons and talks is on evangelism and worship. It feels like Gospel work is the only work that God values, and he only cares about the spiritual parts of our lives. Howeverโฆ
If you read Genesis 2 from verse 15, you will realise that the first work assignment from God was to till the earth (physical work), and the second assignment was to name the animals (creative/knowledge work).
God describes himself working through the prophets as a builder, gardener, singer, shepherd, potter and farmer.
God doesnโt just create the world, and leave it. He works to sustain his creation, and provide for his creatures, through all of us.
The only way I can be a Christian at work is to evangelise my workmates
Often there is pressure on us to use work as our opportunity to evangelise our colleagues. It sometimes feels that our pastor sees that as the only useful part about our job, aside from giving to the church. Howeverโฆ
Although proclaiming the Gospel is necessary, people often read our lives before they listen to our words.
There are many ways to express our faith in our work, and the most important way is to be excellent at our job. Peter in 1 Peter 2 encourages us to live such good lives that God might be praised.
In Colossians 3, Paul tells slaves to work whole-heartedly as if for Jesus. This suggests that our work can also be our way of serving God, of worshiping him.
If I am a serious Christian I should leave my job
We may have heard sermons about how God wants us to leave our jobs and go to the mission field or plant a churchโฆ Often it feels selfish to hold onto our jobs and ignore those calls. Howeverโฆ
Serious Christians should seek to serve God wherever they are placed. (See 1 Corinthians 7:17)
All of us need to continually ask God to prompt and guide us to the work he wants us to do, using the gifts and skills and passion and experience he has developed in us.
Truths about Faith and Work
Your work is good
God created work as a good gift for us. Working is actually part of human flourishing. Those denied work struggle in many ways.
We are all made in the image of a God who works.
We notice that God took pleasure in his work of creation, and we can take pleasure in our work also.
We need to separate work from employment, and learn not to value our work according to how much we are paid.
You can worship God through your work
In Genesis 2:15, humans are told to work the ground and keep the garden. The Hebrew words for โworkโ (avad) and โkeepโ (shamar) are later used in reference to worshipping God and keeping his commandments.
Work is one of the ways that we keep the Greatest Commandment: to love God and to love others.
You can work with Jesus to redeem the workplace
Evangelism is one aspect of redeeming the workplace.
We also do Jesusโ work of renewal when we are creative, we do good work, we act for justice, we build positive relationships or we right wrongs, or we stop evil.
Kara Martin Associate Dean, Marketplace Institute Ridley College, Melbourne, Australia
Amanda Jackson, newly appointed Women’s Commission leader for the World Evangelical Alliance
Amanda Jackson has just been appointed as the new leader of the Women’s Commission for the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA). NZ Christian Network (NZCN) is the New Zealand member of the WEA.
NZCN’s national director Glyn Carpenter got to spend a lot of time with Amanda at the recent WEA ILF (International Leadership Forum).
“I had met her once before in Auckland and knew a lot about her by reputation when she headed up Micah Challenge for Australia”.
“Micah Challenge Australia was regarded as something of a benchmark for Micah Challenge groups around the world.
“She clearly has got great leadership ability, so we’re delighted she’s taking on this role” said Carpenter.
NZ Christian Network has three women on its board, who have started talking to key women leaders about setting up a Women’s Commission or network in New Zealand and the South Pacific.
It has often been said that the answer to bad religion is not no religion but good religion.
A religion free society, or one where religion is relegated to only the private sphere (which is the stated goal of many secularists), leads to many problems.
In this article “Secularism can sometimes undermine women’s rights” which appeared this week on the openDemocracy website, Emma Tomlin, director of the Centre for Religion and Public Life and senior lecturer in religious studies at the University of Leeds in England, argues that the privatisation of faith can lead to the undermining of women’s rights because of the fact that once privatised, the ability for the state to engage with faith groups and their norms and values, diminishes.
…. If these conservative religious interpretations are not engaged with head onโin an informed and respectful wayโthen secularism and a liberal desire to โlet groups live their own private lives in peaceโ, can be harmful for women.
… By relegating religion to the private sphere, where women are more likely to be located than men, conservative religion often flourishes unchecked, strengthened by appeals to โgroup rightsโ. The liberal democratic state doesnโt want to โinterfereโ, but then effectively leaves women to fend for themselves.
It has been good to see a number of articles offering some balance to the mass demonstrations that have taken place in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo killings. ย Jeff Fountain from the Schuman Centre here highlights some of the inconsistencies …
“Let me exercise the freedom of expression everyone on the streets says they are defending: Je nโsuis pas Charlie! After the mass demonstrations in Paris and other cities across Europe and beyond, Iโm left unsettled and confused. What statement exactly were our leaders and the crowds trying to make?”
