by Glyn Carpenter | 11 Dec , 2013 | FOCUS, Value of Life
European Dignity Watch reported yesterday on a significant decision that has implications for New Zealand and other liberal democracies.
Extract from the report
After a months-long intense debate about the ‘Report on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights’ (also called the Estrela report), a symbolic fight has been won today for democracy, for children, and for life. A majority of the European Parliament have just adopted the alternative resolution tabled by the EPP group and joined by the ECR group, and thus rejected the highly controversial report (with 334 votes in favour, 327 against and 35 abstentions). This is a historic setback for the abortion lobby and all their related stakeholders, as they have well-oiled machineries, huge EU-funded budgets and, therefore, great power of impact in political agenda setting.
Usually, such a non-binding report (that is precisely done for symbolic reasons and to create justifications for new laws and funding) would have passed plenary right away and without much attention, despite its radical content that disrespects the principle of subsidiarity, promotes a “right to abortion” against EU law, infringes the rights of parents and the freedom of conscience of doctors. Since all this comes in the guise of “women’s health”, who can be against it?
This time, however, things went differently: citizens in Europe are no longer willing to be dictated an agenda that goes against their profound convictions: parents who don’t accept to be pushed away as the primary educators of their children and who want to give their children love and education, not aggressive and inappropriate sex education and contraception; citizens who want the European Parliament to respect democracy and the boundaries of EU law; doctors and nurses who do not want to be forced to perform abortions.
Read the full report Estrela report rejected: Massive popular protest wins over well-funded lobby groups at the European Parliament – European Dignity Watch.
by Guest Author | 9 Dec , 2013 | FOCUS, Missional Living
I was introduced to the concept of mentoring in my early 30’s. A man whom I esteemed highly asked if I would be interested in a discipling relationship. Up till then I recall no one intentionally helping me walk more closely to Christ. He proposed a weekly meeting at the Auckland Harbor Bridge and that’s what we did – every Monday for six years! The model he followed was that I was the learner, he the teacher.
This more-mature to less-mature model has great biblical warrant: Moses to Joshua, Naomi to Ruth (or was it the other way round?), Paul to Timothy to name a few. This model is however quite limiting. The number of people who are available and confident enough to mentor those less mature is, in my church experience, scarce.
A few years ago, I realized that God was teaching me a more freeing and fluid approach: mutual mentoring (two or more people who come to listen and learn from each other and the Lord). It happened as I started meeting with a young pastor-friend called Don Overton. From day one he spoke into my life and I his. Our relationship became a two-way street.
How did this happen? Essentially it is an attitude, where two people, regardless of age or maturity-stage, meet humbly to experience the biblical one-anothers. Mutually they encourage one another, submit to one another, pray for one another, confess their sins to one another, and build each other up. God graced Don and I with that attitude.
The benefits are huge. No longer do you need to search for a mentor-guru. Mature mentors are a blessing from God (especially when they humbly come to listen and learn), but they are few and far between. All you need to do is ask, “Who is in my relational network that God may be ‘giving’ to me?” Jesus talked that way when he prayed to his Father, before he was crucified. Speaking of his 12 disciples, he said, “I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me… (John 17:9). We are not designed to be in a mentoring relationship with hundreds, just a few. Pray and ask God to lead you to someone you could mutually mentor.
What are some of your experiences as you have searched for a mentor? What do you think of the concept of mutual mentoring?
Rowland Forman is primarily a mentor to pastors. Currently he leads
Living Stones Leadership Ministries in New Zealand. He and Elaine have three children and seven grandkids. This year he published “The Lost Art of Lingering: Mutual Mentoring for Life Transformation” www.rowlandforman.com
by Glyn Carpenter | 6 Dec , 2013 | FOCUS, Secularism
Parents and board trustees need to be aware that the Bible in Schools program does not breach anyone’s human rights and is entirely consistent with an inclusive secular education system. Furthermore, it provides an important context for teaching values that are needed in our society.
Summary of a Symposium on Religion in Schools, held on Tuesday 15th October.
The NZCHR, generously hosted by DLA Phillips Fox, presented the Symposium on Religion in Schools. While the topic has garnered attention numerous times over the years, it is of current interest due to its recent exposure in the media. The event was chaired by John Hannam, partner at DLA Phillips Fox, and the question and answer session was facilitated by former Chief Human Rights Commissioner, Rosslyn Noonan. The panel consisted of three expert speakers; Peter Harrison, Simon Greening and Paul Rishworth.
Summary of Presentations
Peter Harrison, a Councillor of the New Zealand Association of Rationalists and Humanists and founder of the Secular Education Network, discussed his concerns in regard to the transparency, or lack of, in the religion in schools programmes. He noted that the names of such programmes were often ambiguous and parents were not aware of what was being taught to their children. Additionally, children typically had to be opted out. Again, this was something that was not always clear to parents. He questioned whether children were being educated or indoctrinated. While Peter believed that children should be taught about faiths of all kinds and that there should be freedom of belief, he was uncomfortable that it was primarily Christianity being taught, and that it was being communicated as the one true faith. He noted that state education is secular and that to allow religious instruction in the school environment went against that principle. CEO of the Churches Education Commission (CEC), Simon Greening, spoke on the changes that CEC are making in terms of their religious education programme. He outlined the functions of CEC which included training, resourcing and managing their volunteer teachers. He was aware of past problems and stated that religion in schools programmes have modernised and accepted that there are a variety of beliefs. He explained that there is great oversight of their volunteers and firm policies are in place regarding how lessons are presented. Reforms to the programme are on-going to ensure what is being taught is done sensitively, as well as being made relevant to children today. He proposed that the current legal position struck the correct balance between the right of a person to express their religious belief in a public place and the right of school students not to be discriminated against because of their belief. Simon stated that ultimately it was up to the school Board of Trustees, who are elected by their community, to decide whether there is a place for religious education in schools. Paul Rishworth, Professor at the University of Auckland, discussed how religious education fitted in under the law, and in particular under the Bill of Rights Act 1990. He explained how religious instruction in schools is still allowed under the Education Act 1964 before going on to explore whether this was defensible/lawful. First he acknowledged some theories and approaches to the state and religion; total separation of the state and religion, and equality and neutrality on the part of the state regarding religion. Paul suggested there were three possible courses of action in regard to religion in schools – mounting a legal challenge to the law, interpreting the law in a rights-consistent manner, and applying the law in practice in a rights-consistent way. Challenging the law on the basis that the state and religion should be completely separate may possibly result in a declaration of a breach of the Bill of Rights, but the law would not consequently be invalidated. The other two approaches focused more on the idea that the state should play a neutral role when it came to religion. Regarding the interpretation of the Education Act, the relevant section could be interpreted as embracing all religions and therefore could be consistent with the right to freedom of religion. Finally, if the Education Act is lawful then, in its application, it must be consistent with freedom of religion. This includes having a clear ability to opt in/out and having legitimate alternatives for students who did not participate in the programme. It therefore appeared to be something that was defensible/lawful. A question and answer session followed the presentations and many members of the audience contributed with thoughtful queries and comments. There was a significant turn-out and the event was well-received. It was particularly appreciated that each speaker had something very different to bring to the table, making for a fair and balanced discussion.
via Symposium on Religion in Schools – The University of Auckland.
by Guest Author | 2 Dec , 2013 | FOCUS, Missional Living
This article appears in the December 2013 Missions Interlink Bulletin.
11/27/2013 — J. Lee Grady
Residents displaced by Typhoon Haiyan still manage to come together to worship the Lord—even in 16 inches of standing water.
Right after Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines this month, a friend sent me the amazing photo I’m posting here. It’s a snap-shot of a church service held a few days after the monster storm displaced 3 million people and killed more than 5,000. Notice that the worshippers are standing in about 16 inches of water. A flooded church did not keep these people from thanking God that they were spared.
If you are reading this online, you are already blessed because 70% of the world has no access to the Internet. Here are 10 more things you should be thankful for:
- Got drinkable water? About 1.1 billion people in the world don’t have access to clean drinking water. Because of that, about 9 million people will die this year because of water-related illnesses. The next time you open a bottle of Dasani or drink from your tap, remember that millions of women around the world spend an average of four hours daily walking to get water.
- Do you eat three meals a day? The World Health Organization estimates that one-third of the world’s population is overfed, one-third is underfed and one third is starving. Approximately 925 million people in the developing world are chronically undernourished, and 15 million children die annually because of hunger.
- Got electricity? About 1.5 billion people in this world have no access to electrical power. In the nation of Malawi, where I preached two weeks ago, only 9% of the people have electric lights. Do you enjoy that oven in your kitchen? The next time you prepare a meal, remember that 2.5 billion people in the world still use wood or charcoal to cook their food. Do you enjoy your washing machine? Data analyst Hans Rosling recently reported that 5 billion people in the world still wash their clothes by hand.
- Got a roof over your head? The U.N. Commission on Human Rights says there are 100 million homeless people in the world. One in three children in the world live without adequate shelter. And today there are about 42 million people who are living as refugees. Most were displaced by war and live in crude camps.
- Do you own a car? The United States still has the highest number of motor vehicles in the world. Globally, only 1 out of every 8 people has access to a car. Many of the others either walk, take crowded buses or public vans or ride on bicycles, rickshaws or animals. Did you fly somewhere in the past year? You are blessed. Only 5 to 7% of people in the world have ever flown in an airplane.
- Do you have a flushable toilet? The United Nations Development Program reports that 2.6 billion people do not have access to any toilet facilities. India has the largest percentage of people who lack adequate sanitation. About 638 million Indians must go outdoors.
- Can you read? Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names. There are 72 million children who should be in school but are not enrolled. If you have a college degree, you are in a privileged minority; only 6.7% of people in the world have a college diploma.
- Do you have health care? In developing countries, you might wait 8 hours to see a doctor in a clinic where there are no medicines and no electricity—and you might have to bribe the doctor to see him.
- Do you have political freedom? About 1.6 billion people in the world live in repressive societies where they have no say in how they are governed. They face severe consequences if they express their beliefs or assemble peacefully. The most oppressive countries today include North Korea, Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Eritrea and Equatorial Guinea.
- Are you free to worship? More than 75% of the world’s population lives in areas with severe religious restrictions. Christians in more than 60 countries face persecution simply because of their belief in Jesus Christ.
I encourage you to make your own list of blessings. Thanksgiving is not an optional virtue. Without it, our pride swells and our selfishness consumes us. This is why David wrote,
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits
Psalm 103:2, NASB
Thanksgiving is an important exercise because it adjusts our attitude. It calibrates our hearts so we remember again why we are blessed and
who deserves the credit for our blessings.
J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma and the director of the Mordecai Project.
Visit the Missions Interlink website
by Glyn Carpenter | 11 Nov , 2013 | FOCUS, Marriage and Family, Media Releases, Value of Life
MEDIA RELEASE
11 November 2013
Stuff.co.nz reported last week that children as young as 13 are being issued with 12-trip passes to safer sex, in an effort to drive down abortions and teenage pregnancies.
Condom Card Aims To Cut Teen Pregnancy | Stuff.co.nz
The scheme is being trialled in Hawkes Bay but the report says it could be picked up nationwide.
National Director of New Zealand Christian Network is wondering what is it going to take for Kiwis to ‘wake up’ and reverse the sexualisation insanity going on in our country.
“For so long we’ve tolerated an increasing sexualisation in society – in adverts, TV, films, videos, and music – that we’ve become like the frog in boiling water – too stupefied to realise we’re being cooked to death.
The decision over whether to give condoms to an underage person who is sexually active and refuses to stop is actually a very difficult one. Even though it would have been utterly unthinkable 30, even 20, years ago – it’s where we’ve arrived at.
But if the situation is not to deteriorate further, if we are to reduce the negative statistics related to the selfish individualism which exists in our society, we have to make some radical changes, and be prepared to commit to them unto the change has taken hold.
There’s been endless hand-wringing over the group of young boys in Auckland who have posted claims of sexual exploits on social media which amount to drugging and rape of girls.
But there’s been precious little comment about the sexual imagery that is ubiquitous in society, from which soft- and hard-core porn are inevitable transitions for some. And there’s enough consensus among experts establishing the link between porn and the behaviour being condemned that it should have everyone focused on changing the culture of sexualisation.
And just what are we teaching to our young folk regarding sex?
Wherever the bar is set it is the nature of young people to push against it – to test the boundaries. This is what is so great about young people – they push boundaries, try things that older folk have lost the drive or courage to do.
But if the bar in this area is not set at the highest level, that sex has it’s proper place only in a committed faithful relationship, which is what marriage is all about, we share the responsibility when the problems occur.
See also Family First NZ slams free condom schemes | My Christian Daily
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by Glyn Carpenter | 30 Oct , 2013 | FOCUS, Media Releases, Secularism
MEDIA RELEASE
New Zealand Christian Network national director Glyn Carpenter is interested in the study on religious values of Kiwis being undertaken by Professor Joseph Bulbulia, of Victoria University (stuff.co.nz. 30 Oct). But he is surprised at the comment attributed to Mr Bulbulia that ‘census data showed the country had been secular since at least the 1960s’.
“That statement is so imprecise as to be meaningless and certainly not what one would expect to hear from a professional academic’ said Carpenter.
“It is also inaccurate given that even the most recent census data still shows around half of Kiwis still call themselves Christian.
“The constant repetition through the media that New Zealand is a secular might suit some people’s agendas” said Carpenter, “but it is confusing and misleading and just plain wrong”.
It is far better to describe New Zealand as a religiously plural country. It would not be inaccurate to even describe New Zealand as a significantly Christian country because the largest belief group in the country is Christian.
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via Former Priest Gets $760,000 To Study Religious Values… | Stuff.co.nz.
