DOCSLIB.ORG

A Measles Epidemic in New Zealand: Why Did This Occur and How Can We Prevent It Occurring Again?

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Measles Epidemic in New Zealand: Why Did This Occur and How Can We Prevent It Occurring Again? Journal of the New Zealand Medical Association Vol 132 | No 1504 | 25 October 2019 A measles epidemic in New Zealand: Why did this occur and how can we prevent it occurring again? An open-label feasibility study of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for treatment-resistant depression in the New Zealand healthcare context The burden of alcohol-related presentations to a busy urban New Zealand hospital emergency department Gender and The motivations Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae bacteraemia in the surgical behind science an immunocompromised host: the unexpected profession denial complication of a crustacean altercation Publication Information published by the New Zealand Medical Association NZMJ Editor NZMA Chair Professor Frank Frizelle Dr Kate Baddock NZMJ Production Editor NZMA Communications Manager Rory Stewart Diana Wolken Other enquiries to: NZMA To contribute to the NZMJ, fi rst read: PO Box 156 www.nzma.org.nz/journal/contribute The Terrace Wellington 6140 © NZMA 2019 Phone: (04) 472 4741 To subscribe to the NZMJ, email [email protected] Subscription to the New Zealand Medical Journal is free and automatic to NZMA members. Private subscription is available to institutions, to people who are not medical practitioners, and to medical practitioners who live outside New Zealand. Subscription rates are below. All access to the NZMJ is by login and password, but IP access is available to some subscribers. Read our Conditions of access for subscribers for further information www.nzma.org.nz/journal/subscribe/conditions-of-access If you are a member or a subscriber and have not yet received your login and password, or wish to receive email alerts, please email: [email protected] The NZMA also publishes the NZMJ Digest. This online magazine is sent out to members and subscribers 10 times a year and contains selected material from the NZMJ, along with all obituaries, summaries of all articles, and other NZMA and health sector news and information. Subscription rates for 2019 New Zealand subscription rates Overseas subscription rates Individuals* $317 Individual $442 Institutions $549 Institutions $591 Individual article $30 Individual article $30 *NZ individual subscribers must not be doctors (access is via NZMA Membership) New Zealand rates include GST. No GST is included in international rates. Note, subscription for part of a year is available at pro rata rates. Please email [email protected] for more information. Individual articles are available for purchase by emailing [email protected] NZMJ 25 October 2019, Vol 132 No 1504 ISSN 1175-8716 © NZMA 2 www.nzma.org.nz/journal CONTENTS EDITORIAL 56 8 The burden of alcohol-related A measles epidemic in presentations to a busy urban New Zealand: Why did this New Zealand hospital emergency occur and how can we prevent it department occurring again? Georgina Svensen, Bridget Kool, Nikki Turner Sarah Buller ARTICLES 67 Wintertime Vitamin D status and 13 its related risk factors among Differing protocols of managing children living in Auckland, adult diabetic ketoacidosis outside New Zealand of the intensive care unit make no Maryam Delshad, Kathryn L Beck, difference to the rate of resolution Cathryn A Conlon, Owen Mugridge, of hyperglycaemia and acidosis Marlena C Kruger, Berit P Jensen, Geo rey Braatvedt, Alfred Kwan, Jing Ma, Pamela R von Hurst Will Dransfield, Catherine McNamara, Cameron Schauer, Steven Miller, VIEWPOINTS Manish Khanolkar 77 24 Gender and the surgical A cost-effectiveness analysis of the profession Prediabetes Intervention Package Angela D McGregor (PIP) in primary care: a 84 New Zealand pilot programme On personal responsibility in Deborah Connor, Kirsten Coppell, medicine Andrew Gray, Trudy Sullivan Helen Ker 35 88 The cost of diabetes-related The motivations behind science hospital care to the Southern denial District Health Board in 2016/17 Alan McLintic Kirsten J Coppell, Shaun J Drabble, Janine A Cochrane, Rosemary A Stamm, 95 Trudy A Sullivan New Zealand needs a comprehensive interpreting 46 service An open-label feasibility study of Ben Gray repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for treatment- resistant depression in the New Zealand healthcare context Kate EM Godfrey, Suresh D Muthukumaraswamy, Cathy M Stinear, Nicholas R Hoeh NZMJ 25 October 2019, Vol 132 No 1504 ISSN 1175-8716 © NZMA 3 www.nzma.org.nz/journal CONTENTS CLINICAL CORRESPONDENCE OBITUARIES 99 106 Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae Kevin Vincent Marriott bacteraemia in an Tim Mason immunocompromised host: the unexpected complication of a 108 Antony Todd Young crustacean altercation Peter Pryor, Andrew Long Eben Jones, Peter Burrell, Tony Barnett, David Lyons-Ewing, Elisabeth Nuttall METHUSELAH LETTERS 110 103 Upadacitinib as monotherapy in Due diligence on today’s patients with active rheumatoid cannabis—a response arthritis and inadequate response Bob McCoskrie to methotrexate 105 100 YEARS AGO Clari cation: a rebuttal to 'The 111 value of frenotomy for ankylo- Operation to Replace the Most glossia from a parental perspective' Important Function of the Anterior Graham J Sharpe Crucial Ligament of the Knee Joint when Rupture of the Ligament has Occurred By JOHN CRAIG, F.R.C.S.I., Consulting Surgeon to Gisborne Hospital NZMJ 25 October 2019, Vol 132 No 1504 ISSN 1175-8716 © NZMA 4 www.nzma.org.nz/journal SUMMARIES Differing protocols of managing adult diabetic ketoacidosis outside of the intensive care unit make no difference to the rate of resolution of hyperglycaemia and acidosis Geo rey Braatvedt, Alfred Kwan, Will Dransfield, Catherine McNamara, Cameron Schauer, Steven Miller, Manish Khanolkar This study has shown that different protocols of insulin infusion in people with type 1 diabetes admitted to hospital with ketoacidosis made no difference to the rate of resolution of the metabolic abnormalities, nor length of hospital stay. A cost-effectiveness analysis of the Prediabetes Intervention Package (PIP) in primary care: a New Zealand pilot programme Deborah Connor, Kirsten Coppell, Andrew Gray, Trudy Sullivan A prediabetes programme delivered by primary care nurses—called the Prediabetes Inter- vention Package (PIP)—was piloted in Hawke’s Bay in New Zealand. The costs and benefi ts of PIP were com-pared with standard care. We found that the intervention is likely to be a cost-effective weight loss strategy for preventing or delaying progression to type 2 diabetes in people with prediabetes. The cost of diabetes-related hospital care to the Southern District Health Board in 2016/17 Kirsten J Coppell, Shaun J Drabble, Janine A Cochrane, Rosemary A Stamm, Trudy A Sullivan We estimated the cost of diabetes hospital admissions to Dunedin Hospital and Southland Hospital for the year 2016/17. There were 6,994 separate diabetes-related hospital admissions costing a total of NZ$41M. Where diabetes was coded as the main reason for hospitalisation the cost was NZ$2.2M, compared with NZ$8M if diabetes was coded as the main underlying reason for hospitalisation. A high proportion of the costs were attributed to cardiovascular disease, eye disease and diseases of the musculoskeletal system, many of which were related to diabetes. Hospital costs are likely to increase as the number of people diagnosed with diabetes increase unless interventions that target preventable diabetes-related admissions and programmes to prevent diabetes are prioritised. An open-label feasibility study of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for treatment-resistant depression in the New Zealand healthcare context Kate EM Godfrey, Suresh D Muthukumaraswamy, Cathy M Stinear, Nicholas R Hoeh A signifi cant number of people in New Zealand struggle with clinical depression. People with clinical depression have diffi culties with employment, maintaining healthy relationships, and have an in-creased risk of suicide. Many people with clinical depression do not respond to treatments with multi-ple trials of medications and talk therapy. Treatment with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is established as a helpful and safe treatment which is widely available internationally. Addi-tionally, rTMS can be safely used in combination with other types of treatment. However, currently the majority of the New Zealand population has almost no realistic way to access rTMS treatment. This study demonstrates that treatment with rTMS can be helpful and safely provided to many people in New Zealand struggling with clinical depression. NZMJ 25 October 2019, Vol 132 No 1504 ISSN 1175-8716 © NZMA 5 www.nzma.org.nz/journal SUMMARIES The burden of alcohol-related presentations to a busy urban New Zealand hospital emergency department Georgina Svensen, Bridget Kool, Sarah Buller This study analysed electronic patient records for adult alcohol-related presentations (ARPs) to a major New Zealand emergency department (ED) for a 12-month period (November 2017 to October 2018). Among 73,381 presentations, 7% were alcohol-related, the majority were male (65%) and aged 20–39 (52%). ARPs were more frequent at night, during the weekends, public holidays and over the summer months. Sixteen percent of injury-related presenta- tions were alcohol-related. ARPs commonly arrived at the ED via emergency services and had a longer length of stay than non-ARPs. Continued public health efforts are required to implement preventative strategies for alcohol-related harm in the ED and society as a whole. Wintertime Vitamin D status and its related risk factors among children living in Auckland, New Zealand Maryam Delshad, Kathryn L Beck, Cathryn A Conlon, Owen Mugridge, Marlena C Kruger, Berit P Jensen, Jing Ma, Pamela R von Hurst This study showed that approximately one-third of our population had vitamin D less than recommendations. Poor vitamin D status during childhood can affect long-term health, so opportunities to intervene during childhood should be pursued. A strong consideration should be given to the high-risk children for whom supplementation may be considered espe- cially in wintertime. Gender and the surgical profession Angela D McGregor Gender imbalance exists in the surgical profession, meaning there are more barriers for women to overcome when pursuing a career in surgery compared to men.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Family First New Zealand V Attorney-General [2020] Nzca 366
    FAMILY FIRST NEW ZEALAND V ATTORNEY-GENERAL [2020] NZCA 366 Court of Appeal of New Zealand, Clifford, Gilbert and Stevens JJ, 27 August 2020 Appeal seeking registration of a charity with a purpose of promoting traditional family values Key words: Charity, New Zealand, Charitable Purposes, Advocacy, Family, Ancillary Purposes, Education, Fourth Head, Human Rights 1. Family First New Zealand (Family First) was first deregistered by the New Zealand Charities Registration Board (the Board) in 2013, and over the next seven years, there were five decisions about their charitable status (Family First New Zealand v Charities Registration Board [2018] NZHC 2273; Family First New Zealand [2015] NZHC 1493). 2. In a split decision Clifford and Stevens JJ, Gilbert J dissenting, the Court of Appeal set aside the Board’s decision and declared that Family First qualified for registration under the Charities Act 2005 (NZ). 3. Family First takes a relatively traditional approach to the importance of families and marriage. Since its establishment in 2006 it has engaged in community discussions on divorce, prostitution, pornography, broadcasting standards and censorship, availability of alcohol and tobacco, gambling, abortion, euthanasia, embryonic cell research and the “anti-smacking” legislation. It has done this in many ways including published opinions, polemics and dissemination of various forms of research. First deregistration decision1 4. Family First was registered by the Board in 2007, but was deregistered in 2017. The Board summarised their reasons as follows (at [18]): First, the Trust’s main purpose is to promote points of view about family life, the promotion of which is a political purpose because the points of view do not have a public benefit that is self-evident as a matter of law.
    [Show full text]
  • A Dog's Breakfast
    A DOG’S BREAKFAST NEW ZEALAND’S ANTI-SMACKING LAW 13 YEARS ON JUNE 2020 AUTHOR BOB McCOSKRIE is the founder and National Director of Family First NZ. He gained a Masters of Commerce with Honours at Auckland University, and a Diploma of Teaching at the Auckland College of Education. He lectured at a tertiary institute in accounting and tax law for four years. In 1994, he set up a charitable trust working with at-risk youth and their families in South Auckland. In 1996 he was appointed a Justice of the Peace. From 2002 - 2006 he was breakfast/talkback host on Rhema Broadcasting nationwide radio, and television presenter on their Sky-TV current affairs show N-Zone Focus. In 2006, he established Family First New Zealand. Bob McCoskrie has authored a number of research reports, including It’s time for dinner: The Effect Of Regular Family Dinners On Family Life (2018), Defying Human Nature: An Analysis of New Zealand’s 2007 Anti-Smacking Law (2016) and was a contributor to 21 Reasons Why Marriage Matters (2009). He has had articles published in the NZ Medical Journal, NZ Herald, Dominion Post, Christchurch Press, Otago Daily Times, Newshub website, international newspapers including The Scotsman, and in community newspapers throughout New Zealand. He lives in South Auckland, is married and has three children aged 15 – 22 years old. ABOUT FAMILY FIRST NZ Family First NZ is a charitable organisation formed in 2006, and registered as a charity with the Charities Commission. Its purposes and aims are: • to promote and advance research and policy regarding family and marriage • to participate in social analysis and debate surrounding issues relating to and affecting the family • to educate the public in their understanding of the institutional, legal and moral framework that makes a just and democratic society possible • to produce and publish relevant and stimulating material in newspapers, magazines, and other media relating to issues affecting families • to speak up about issues relating to families that are in the public domain This report is © Family First NZ 2020.
    [Show full text]
  • Evangelical Women and Secular Society in New Zealand: an Investigation Into Feminism As an Ideology of Empowerment
    Evangelical Women and Secular Society in New Zealand: An Investigation into Feminism as an Ideology of Empowerment By Lydia A. Ellis A thesis submitted to Victoria University of Wellington in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Religious Studies School of Art History, Classics and Religious Studies Victoria University of Wellington 2012 II ABSTRACT This thesis examines the resurgence of evangelicalism in New Zealand and the conflicting nature of the lives that evangelical women in New Zealand live. Evangelicalism in New Zealand is growing and evolving and thus evangelical women are by necessity adapting to their secular setting whilst maintaining their faith. This study reveals many interesting findings, illustrating the often contradictory and challenging issues that evangelical women must face as they identify with feminism as a secular symbol while maintaining a conservative evangelical faith. Evangelical women in New Zealand today are living in two worlds. The women have a strong sense of identity and faith within evangelicalism however there are contradictions. Simultaneously there is a strong influence of secular liberal society which is evident through the women’s identification with feminist values. What has been discovered is that evangelical women can successfully live in two separate worlds – one secular and one religious. They can be women of faith while at the same time living their lives in a secular society. Similarly there is a significant gap between rhetoric and reality in evangelical women’s lives – what evangelical women articulate regarding gender roles in theory is not necessarily what occurs in practice. These challenges are defined by society and thus are a useful tool to assist in the understanding of the conflicts evangelical women have to negotiate on a daily basis.
    [Show full text]
  • Exvangelical: Why Millennials and Generation Z Are Leaving the Constraints of White Evangelicalism
    Digital Commons @ George Fox University Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations 2-2020 Exvangelical: Why Millennials and Generation Z are Leaving the Constraints of White Evangelicalism Colleen Batchelder Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/dmin Part of the Christianity Commons GEORGE FOX UNIVERSITY EXVANGELICAL: WHY MILLENNIALS AND GENERATION Z ARE LEAVING THE CONSTRAINTS OF WHITE EVANGELICALISM A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF PORTLAND SEMINARY IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY BY COLLEEN BATCHELDER PORTLAND, OREGON FEBRUARY 2020 Portland Seminary George Fox University Portland, Oregon CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL ________________________________ DMin Dissertation ________________________________ This is to certify that the DMin Dissertation of Colleen Batchelder has been approved by the Dissertation Committee on February 20, 2020 for the degree of Doctor of Ministry in Leadership and Global Perspectives Dissertation Committee: Primary Advisor: Karen Tremper, PhD Secondary Advisor: Randy Woodley, PhD Lead Mentor: Jason Clark, PhD, DMin Copyright © 2020 by Colleen Batchelder All rights reserved ii TABLE OF CONTENTS GLOSSARY .................................................................................................................. vi ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................... x CHAPTER 1: GENERATIONAL DISSONANCE AND DISTINCTIVES WITHIN THE CHURCH .......................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Proceedings of the Samuel Griffith Society, Volume 27
    Chapter 5 The Courts and the Marriage Debate Mark Fowler The national discussion on same sex marriage has recently turned to the implications for religious freedom.1 In July 2015, Australian Human Rights Commissioner Tim Wilson claimed: The question of religious freedom has not been taken seriously. It is treated as an afterthought. We cannot allow a situation where the law is telling people they have to act against their conscience and beliefs.2 In this paper, I aim to consider various ramifications of the proposal that the Marriage Act 1961 (Cth) be amended to permit marriage to be between persons of the same sex across various areas of Australian law, including solemnisation and dissenting ministers within religious institutions, solemnisation and celebrants (adopting, for the purposes of illustration, Bill Shorten’s proposed private member’s legislation), anti-discrimination law and the supply of services, the charitable endorsement of religious institutions and government grants. I will also consider certain of the philosophical and historical threads unique to the Western tradition that I consider to be relevant, including the independence of the church from the state, freedom of speech, the development of the freedom of individual conscience and liberal autonomy. Finally, I place the discussion within the philosophical discourse concerning the prevalence of the right over visions of the common good and consider whether Aristotelian theory may also make a contribution. Solemnisation Freedom to act in accordance with one’s conscience (including as informed, or burdened, by religious conviction) is at the root of the post-Enlightenment vision of the modern liberal state.
    [Show full text]
  • Boys Girls Other Making Sense of the Confusing New World of Gender Identity
    Boys Girls Other Making Sense of the Confusing New World of Gender Identity Report to Family First New Zealand 2015 About the Author Glenn T. Stanton is the Director for Family Formation Studies at Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs and a research fellow at the Institut du Mariage et de la Famille Canada in Ottawa. Glenn holds a graduate degree in Interdisciplinary Humanities from the University of West Florida with an emphasis in philosophy and history. He has been working professionally as a respected researcher in the field of sexuality and gender for nearly 25 years. He also debates and lectures on these topics around the world. Glenn has been widely quoted as a leading spokesperson on marriage and family issues in major newspapers and magazines such as The New York Times, Washington Post, USATODAY, Rolling Stone, Newsweek, Salon.com, The Advocate, Washington Blade, and Los Angeles Times. Glenn has also made numerous appearances on cable and network television shows such MSNBC, Nightline, ABCNews, FOX NEWS, CNN, the Today Show, as well as a return guest on the Dr. Phil Show on the topic of gender dysphoria and children. He is the author of seven books on various aspects of sexuality, gender, marriage and parenting and has contributed to many others. His two latest books are Loving My (LGBT) Neighbor: Being Friends in Grace and Truth (Moody, 2014) and The Family Project: The Book (Tyndale, 2014). Others are Secure Daughters, Confident Sons: How Parents Guide Their Children into Authentic Masculinity and Femininity (Multnomah, 2011) and The Ring Makes All the Difference: The Hidden Consequences of Cohabitation and the Strong Benefits of Marriage (Moody, 2011).
    [Show full text]
  • The Complete Idiot''s Guide to European History
    European History by Nathan Barber A member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. European History by Nathan Barber A member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. For Christy, Noah, and Emma ALPHA BOOKS Published by the Penguin Group Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, U.S.A. Penguin Group (Canada), 10 Alcorn Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4V 3B2 (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England Penguin Ireland, 25 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd) Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd) Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd, 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India Penguin Group (NZ), cnr Airborne and Rosedale Roads, Albany, Auckland 1310, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd) Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England Copyright © 2006 by Nathan Barber All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of information contained herein.
    [Show full text]
  • Margaret Thatcher and Helen Clark
    23. Are Women Leaders Different? Margaret Thatcher and Helen Clark Marian Simms Introduction Untangling the gendered aspects of political leaders' successes provides something of a puzzle. While many studies have demonstrated that gender may be a factor in lack of political success, few studies have examined gender as a factor in success. This is in part for methodological reasons Ð the number of women leaders is very small Ð hence quantitative approaches do not work well. Of course, the number of successful women leaders Ð defined as being re-elected to office Ð is even smaller. This chapter focuses on two very successful such leaders, the UK's Margaret Thatcher and New Zealand's Helen Clark, asking how and in what ways gender was part of their success. It argues that successful leaders operate on three levels: rhetoric or appearance, process, and policy. Gender is relevant to all three. At its clearest and most obvious, gender is integral to image. `Pretty boy' Tony Blair, or a Spitting Image (British television satire) sketch featuring cigar smoking Thatcher, are cases in point (Carver 2006: 453). Sinclair (2005) maintains that successful women and indigenous leaders utilise their bodies to differentiate themselves from mainstream leaders to increase trust in the particular organisation. Traditionally, politics has been a gendered occupation in Britain and other Commonwealth countries. Party leaders were seen as the fathers of the nation. It was no accident that the few early women politicians in were depicted as parliamentary `mothers'. This was in addition to the first women parliamentarians being political widows and or parliamentary daughters.
    [Show full text]
  • Broad Complementarianism in the Southern Baptist Convention
    Spring 2020 • Vol. 17, No. 1 The Baptist Center for Theology and Ministry New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary NOBTS President 2020 EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD James K. Dew, PhD Bart Barber, PhD NOBTS Provost First Baptist Church of Farmersville, Texas Norris Grubbs, PhD Rex Butler, PhD Editor & BCTM Director New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Adam Harwood, PhD Nathan Finn, PhD Typesetting North Greenville University Hampton Keathley Eric Hankins, PhD Book Review Editors First Baptist Fairhope, Fairhope, Alabama Archie England, PhD Dennis Phelps, PhD Malcolm Yarnell, DPhil Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary The Baptist Center for Theology and Ministry is a research institute of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. The seminary is located at 3939 Gentilly Blvd., New Orle- ans, LA 70126. BCTM exists to provide theological and ministerial resources to enrich and energize minis- try in Baptist churches. Our goal is to bring together professor and practitioner to produce and apply these resources to Baptist life, polity, and ministry. The mission of the BCTM is to develop, preserve, and communicate the distinctive theological identity of Baptists. The Journal for Baptist Theology and Ministry is published semiannually by the Bap- tist Center for Theology and Ministry. Copyright ©2020 The Baptist Center for Theology and Ministry, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. All Rights Reserved. This pe- ridiocal is indexed in the ATLA Religion Database® (ATLA RDB®), http://www.atla.com. CONTACT BCTM [email protected] www.baptistcenter.net SUBMISSIONS Visit the Baptist Center website for submission guidelines. Table of Contents Southern Baptist Complementarianism: Perspectives and Prospects ......... 1 Nathan A. Finn, PhD & Amy C. Whitfield, MA Women and Ministry in the Southern Baptist Convention: A Brief Historical Overview ............................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • How Does Same-Sex Marriage Affect You?
    How does same-sex marriage affect you? Biblical answers to frequently asked questions about homosexuality and same-sex marriage How Does Same-Sex Marriage Affect You? James C. Denison, Ph.D. President, Denison Forum on Truth and Culture www.denisonforum.org While only 3.8 percent of the American population is homosexual,1 issues related to homosexuality and same-sex marriage have been making headlines for years. Most recently, the Supreme Court's consideration of the Defense of Marriage Act and California's Proposition 8 have been in the news daily. Now that the Court has issued its ruling, let's address some of the most frequent questions people are asking about same-sex marriage. The questions that follow were submitted by Twitter and Facebook followers as well as friends of the Denison Forum team.2 Homosexuality and salvation Can a person be a homosexual and a Christian? One of my best friends in college, after he graduated, told me he was gay. He was a worship leader when I knew him and later became a music minister in a congregation that affirms homosexuality. While I was in seminary, my favorite staff member at our church admitted his homosexuality and is a worship leader today in a similar church. I am absolutely certain that both of my friends are Christians and will spend eternity in heaven. Why do people wonder if homosexuals can be Christians? Because God's word clearly teaches that homosexual activity is against his will (see Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:8-11; for more on these passages, see my "Homosexuality: a biblical overview"3).
    [Show full text]
  • The Prisoners' Dilemma and Political Systems: the Impact of Proportional Representation on Criminal Justice in New Zealand
    615 THE PRISONERS' DILEMMA AND POLITICAL SYSTEMS: THE IMPACT OF PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN NEW ZEALAND Nicola Lacey* This is the text of the 2010 Shirley Smith Address delivered by Nicola Lacey on 8 December 2010, organised by the Wellington Women in Law Committee. The lecture offers an analysis of why New Zealand has attached itself to increasingly punitive criminal justice policies over the last 25 years, and considers in particular how far this has to do with the shape of New Zealand’s political system. I INTRODUCTION I was honoured and delighted in equal measure by the Wellington Women in Law Committee's invitation to deliver this lecture in memory of Shirley Smith. I did not have the luck to know Shirley: but I do have the good fortune to count her daughter and son-in-law among my dearest friends. What I have read about Shirley Smith's life, and learnt from Helen and Keith, makes me wish intensely that I had known her – and deepens my sense of the honour of this invitation. As I read about her life, I reflected in particular on the way in which she shone even out of the shadow of two very powerful and charismatic men – her father and her husband – in her own rich and distinctive integrity. I have been lucky enough to forge my own career as a female legal academic in a path opened up by pioneers like Shirley Smith. Having spent three years as the only female fellow at New College in Oxford in the mid 1980s, and having managed to complete my own higher education without once being taught by a woman, I strongly identified with many of her stories.
    [Show full text]
  • Britain in the 20Th Century: Thatcherism, 1979- 1990 Transcript
    Britain in the 20th Century: Thatcherism, 1979- 1990 Transcript Date: Tuesday, 24 April 2012 - 6:00PM Location: Museum of London 24 April 2012 Britain in the 20th Century: Thatcherism Professor Vernon Bogdanor Margaret Thatcher was elected Leader of the Conservative Party in February 1975, much to the surprise of many leading Conservatives. Reginald Maudling, who had been Chancellor and Home Secretary in previous Conservative Governments, said that the Party had taken leave of its senses. Lord Carrington, who was to be Foreign Secretary in Margaret Thatcher’s Government, said that she would be out of the leadership by Christmas. However, she was Leader of the Conservative Party for 15 years and Prime Minister for 11.75 years, which is the longest continuous time of any Prime Minister since the Napoleonic Wars (Lord Liverpool 1812- 1827). Furthermore, she gave her name to an ideology: Thatcherism. She is the only Prime Minister of the twentieth century who did that. We do talk, it is true, about someone being Churchillean, but I think by that we mean a style rather than a set of ideas. But Thatcherism, is a set of ideas, and in this lecture I intend to describe what these ideas were. Now, Margaret Thatcher was very different from most of her predecessors, apart from, ironically, the man she supplanted, Edward Heath, with whom she had I think something in common. The four Prime Ministers of Conservative Governments in 1951 to 1964 were Churchill, Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan, and Sir Alec Douglas-Home. Churchill was the grandson of a duke; Eden was the son of a baronet; Harold Macmillan was the son-in-law of a duke; and Sir Alec Douglas-Home had been a 14th Earl before he renounced his title.
    [Show full text]