march 2001 AD Hooked
pornography’s terrible curse
Unbelieving husbands • Famous Conversions • Clever devils Rejoice! Walk in the Way
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L VITAE L S E X DEI AM PA web site: www.plc.vic.edu.au March 2001 No. 524
EDITORIAL FAMOUS CONVERSIONS
Bringing man low ...... 4 Harold E. Hughes ...... 21 Pornography subverts God’s plan for relationships. The bath that truly cleansed.
PORNOGRAPHY CULTURE WATCH Addicted to sex ...... 5 Pornography is not harmless or victimless. Its stain is seeping wider TV Watch: Friends ...... 23 every day. Peter Cheney reports.
Furtive and alone ...... 8 PARENTING “Peter” tells Jason Summers of his lonely and unending battle. Safe sex ...... 24
An ever-present help...... 9 A biblical morality is the only guarantee, suggests Marion Andrews. Jason Summers shows that the trapped are not bereft of hope.
Elephantiasis ...... 10 LETTERS ...... 25 The jungle is all around you, suggests Read Mercer Schuchardt.
DEVOTION PRAYER ...... 26
Before a fall ...... 12 One sin, above all, encapsulates the others. C.S. Lewis explains. BOOKS
A Brief History of the Presbyterians ...... 27 CHURCH DIRECTORY
Presbyterian Churches, state by state ...... 13 A Study Commentary on Exodus ...... 27
What’s Darwin Got To Do With It? ...... 27 NEWS
Home Front ...... 17 ESSAY Theos ...... 17 An overrated virtue ...... 28
Across Australia ...... 18 Non-Christians think tolerance the supreme Christian characteristic. World News...... 19 Peter Barnes explains why they’re wrong.
THE AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN (ABN 81 498 399 755): The national magazine of the Presbyterian Church of Australia. Acting editor-in-chief: Robert Benn. Editorial committee: Robert Benn (NSW), Stuart Bonnington (WA), Peter Hastie (NSW), Guido Kettniss (Queensland), Barney Zwartz (Victoria). Graphic Design: Sandra Joynt for A&J Moody. Advertising and subscription inquiries: Walter Bruining, PO Box 375, Kilsyth 3137; Phone: (03) 9723 9684. Subscription: $32 a year + GST; bulk (minimum of five copies to one address) $29 each + GST. Overseas: $A43. Office: PO Box 375, Kilsyth 3137. Phone: (03) 9723 9684. Fax: (03) 9723 9685. Email: [email protected] Printed: Newsprinters Pty Ltd, Melbourne Road, Shepparton 3060. Published: Monthly except January by the National Journal Committee of the Presbyterian Church of Australia; Convener Robert Benn. Opinions expressed are those of the contributor and not necessarily those of the PCA, the editor or the committee. Acceptance of advertising does not imply endorsement. Contributions: Submitted articles are welcome. The deadline is the first of the previous month. Donations are always welcome. Print Post approved 34918100384. www.presbyterian.org.au
AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN • 3 EDITORIAL The curse of pornography Selfishness and greed are at the core of this modern tragedy.
clicked on my email service last week American Psycho, which Frankum had deeply influential and consumed by an and was surprised to find several mes- pored over several times in the weeks addiction to pornography … The FBI’s sages that bore lewd and suggestive leading up to the tragedy. own study on serial homicide shows that titles – with accompanying attach- There was no doubt in Dr Milton’s the most common interest among serial Iments – which someone had sent me. mind that pornography not only fed, but killers is pornography.” Where they came from is anyone’s guess, also inflamed, the wild and violent pas- Here we have first-hand confirmation but I didn’t wait to find out. I hit the sions that erupted with volcanic force in of the dangers of pornography. First, from “delete” button and consigned them to Frankum’s soul. Unfortunately, Frankum a forensic psychiatrist and then from the oblivion. I suspect that what was waiting never lived to be able to confirm Dr lips of a serial killer. They simply add all for me in those attachments was the latest Milton’s view. He turned the gun on him- their own observations as a postscript to in state-of-the-art pornography – a series self and ended his own miserable life in what the Bible has been saying all along: of alluring pictures intended to turn me the Plaza carpark. self-centred sex and greed damns. The into a compulsive browser of sex websites. Nevertheless, confirmation of Dr scripture is clear that marriage is patterned I don’t think my suspicions were mis- Milton’s assessment came from the lips of on the union of spirit, mind and body. placed because a friend of mine has one of the world’s most notorious serial Sex comes into the picture as the cli- received the same sort of unsolicited mail killers, Ted Bundy. Bundy grew up in a max of the union that has been achieved at from similar sources. But our experiences deeply committed Christian home, and he the level of the mind and the spirit. It serve as a warning – sexually explicit mate- had a privileged education. At the time of comes into play as a result of an already rial is finding its way into Christian homes his many killings, he was a conscientious existing intimacy and unity. The tragedy through an active campaign by the sleaze law student whom no one ever suspected of pornography is that it arouses desires industry. of being guilty of such heinous crimes. Yet for sexual gratification without any desire Why do I raise this? Because exposing Bundy murdered 28 young women and for intimacy, communion or companion- yourself to the influence of pornography girls. Why? Because, on his own testi- ship. It treats the other person as a “sex- can harden your heart towards God, mony, pornography invited him into a object” – someone to be exploited. It is desensitise your conscience about the way pattern of self-centred sexual fantasy and intrinsically selfish and wants to avoid the you treat others, and cause you to plunge violent behaviours. cost of being a faithful companion and a headlong into destruction like the For Bundy, it all began at 13. He dis- loving communicator with one’s spouse. Gadarene swine. Am I being over-dra- covered some “dirty” magazines in a As such, it must be condemned. For the matic? I don’t think so. dump near his home. He developed an Christian, it subverts God’s goal of deep Several years ago, the NSW State addiction for the stuff, and in time, found union with one’s husband or wife. Coroner held an inquiry into the that only violent images stimulated him. ______Strathfield Plaza massacre. In his report, He progressed from soft-core pornogra- he referred to expert evidence given by phy to getting his kicks from seeing From the Convener the Government’s leading forensic psy- women being tortured and murdered. chiatrist, Dr Rod Milton, that in his opin- ‘The porcelain was ion there was a direct causal relationship On the night before his execution in the cold to my hand as I between Wade Frankum’s murderous vio- Florida State Prison, he gave an exclusive stepped into it, my lence and the pornographic literature and interview to Dr James Dobson. This is shoe soles squeaking video material he had been viewing. In what he said: “My experience with on the tub bottom. particular, Dr Milton singled out the book pornography that deals on a violent level In it, I lay down, with sexuality is that once you become feeling strange to be addicted to it, you keep looking for more in a tub with my clothes on. With the shot Christian Singles potent, more explicit, more graphic sorts gun resting on my stomach, I positioned of material. You keep craving something it with the muzzle in my mouth toward which is harder … Then you reach that my brain. Reaching down, my thumb jumping-off point where you can begin to found the trigger and I was about to push wonder if maybe actually doing it will give it…” In the second of our new series on you that which is beyond just reading famous conversions, we offer the dra- about it or looking at it… matic testimony of Howard E. Hughes, “I’ve lived in prison for a long time the American Senator who mentored Any nice singles can join! now. And I’ve met a lot of men who were Charles Colson. Send for FREE colour brochure: motivated to commit violence just like PO Box 122 WALLSEND 2287 me. And without exception, everyone of Robert Benn, Ph/Fax: 02 4955 5445 them was deeply involved in pornography Convener, www.christiansingles.com.au – without question, without exception – National Journal Committee ap
AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN • 4 PORNOGRAPHY Net nightmare A solitary obsession that can ruin a life
or Wes, it began at the age of nine, “There’s so much porn on the Web when he saw a copy of Playboy Pornography does no harm? that you couldn’t get through it in a life- left out by a friend’s father. He Ask the growing number of addicts, time, and there’s more arriving all the spent his teens hiding adult maga- who spend hours feeding their habit at time,” Dr Putnam says. Fzines under his mattress. By his 20s, he home and the office, often destroying Suddenly, employers hoping to har- was a pornography addict, continually their personal relationships and losing ness the power of the Internet also have hunting for the images to feed his all-con- their jobs. The toll is rising, but to worry about workers being tempted suming fantasies. Peter Cheney finds there is no easy while on the job. According to the By his early 30s, Wes was married with solution in sight. American Management Association, three children, a house in the suburbs of about 45 per cent of large US companies Washington, D.C., and a high-paying job already monitor their workers’ Internet as a fundraiser. But he had a secret life: he use. The global market for access-control cruised the wrong end of town, looking addicts in North America is six million – software, estimated at $100 million last for porn shops, hooked on the mix of and rising constantly. Onlinesexaddict.org year, is expected to reach $500 million by guilt and thrill that had become the psy- receives more than 1000 requests a day for 2003, according to International Data chic equivalent of crack cocaine. help. “I don’t think the average person can Corp., a research firm. His work suffered and his sex life with grasp the actual scale of the problem,” Employers can block access to certain his wife trailed into near nothingness: says clinical psychologist Dana Putnam, types of sites (in some cases, relaxing the after his time with the fantasy goddesses, who maintains the site and runs a sexual- ban during breaks and after hours), chart a real woman was too much trouble. ity clinic in California. people’s surfing history or simply arrange In 1995, just when Wes thought he had The Internet has erased cultural, geo- to have pictures taken of their employees’ hit bottom, he discovered the Internet. graphic and legal boundaries. The days of computer screens every 30 seconds for Soon, he was hooked more deeply than ever hiding X-rated magazines on a blocked- review. before. “I already had a problem, and the off top shelf and checking ID at the door For parents, meanwhile, on-line porn Internet made it worse,” he says. “I could of a sleazy theatre are over. The Web has has created a security nightmare. Special get porn anytime I wanted. And I did.” made a vast array of pornography available software programs, such as Net Nanny Wes is far from alone. Sex therapists to anyone with a computer and an and Cybersitter, make it difficult to access estimate that the number of Internet porn Internet connection. porn sites, but experts say nothing can
AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN • 5 PORNOGRAPHY
guarantee success with a computer-savvy allow viewers to watch women in their child. What’s more, filtering programs apartments as they dress, sleep and have would have to be installed on every com- sex. puter a child will encounter. Dr Cooper believes that the massive Pornography has always been a bigger interest in pornography stems from a business than most people realise, but in deep conflict within Western culture, recent years it has undergone an unprece- which bombards people with sexual dented boom, largely because of the imagery yet still approaches sex from an growth of satellite and cable television ser- essentially Puritan perspective. vices, which rake in billions from X-rated “We are inundated with sex as a simple programming. answer to life’s complex problems. Entire But the Internet has emerged as an industries sell sex as a commodity, and we even better delivery vehicle. Adult con- are constantly being sold on the idea that tent is already the Web’s biggest business, sex can make us happy. The average with estimated annual sales of $4 billion. teenager sees something like 14,000 sexual And “what you see now is just the images in a single year. There is an inun- beginning,” says Dr Al Cooper, a dation of sex, followed by a long series of California therapist and academic known buts – ‘but don’t do this’ and ‘don’t do as the Masters and Johnson of cyberspace. this.’ The buts go on and on and on. There “There is much, much more to come.” Dr is a tremendous, built-in conflict. We sell Cooper cites studies showing that the sex, yet we don’t accept it.” number of people using the Internet Many analysts consider anonymity the increases by about 25 per cent every three But those figures do not tell the full most important factor of the triple-A months, suggesting that it really is becom- story. Web-tracking firms estimate that engine. By allowing consumers to remain ing a “universal appliance” like TV. more than six million Web users spend at unseen, the Internet has removed the least 11 hours a week at sex sites and some social inhibition that once limited the According to Media Metrix, which spend 80 hours or more. porn market. tracks Internet usage, North America Obviously, Dr Cooper says, people like “There are a lot of people who would now has more than 100 million users, and sex. But the Internet has given pornogra- never go into a porn shop or a strip joint,” porn sites are their favourite destinations phy an unprecedented boost because of Dr. Putnam says. “A college professor — “sex” has become the most popular what he calls the triple-A engine: accessi- isn’t going to go to a magazine store to search term and adult sites get more page bility, affordability and anonymity. buy pornographic magazines – a student hits than any other single category. The The Web offers a sexual cornucopia: might see him. He’ll find it a lot easier to most recent Media Metrix statistics show sites that feature everything from celebri- sign on to the Internet.” that the average home Internet user ties in the nude to live sex shows. As well, spends 64.6 minutes a month visiting sex there are chat rooms, swingers groups, That was certainly the case for Wes, the sites and office users spend 65.7 minutes. porn video reviews and “girl cams” that Washington fundraiser. The constant availability of on-line porn deepened his addiction by allowing him to indulge him- Service opportunity with self virtually any time he wanted. He was MISSIONARY AVIATION FELLOWSHIP soon spending as much as half his time searching for porn on the Web, both at home and at the office. information technology It took him on a roller-coaster ride of sexual thrill, guilt and depression. “The officer cycle is like this: You have pain. You turn to porn. Then you feel guilty. Then you start covering up. You start isolating your- Missionary Aviation Fellowship has a vacancy for an Information Technology self. That produces more pain. And you Officer with their Papua New Guinea operation based in Mt Hagen, to turn to porn again.” commence as soon as possible. By 1998, Wes was in a state of crisis. The successful applicant will provide support services and training to about His marriage was on the rocks and his 40 IBM PC users on a Novell network. A relevant tertiary qualification is required professional reputation was slipping. for entry to PNG in this capacity. The appointee will work closely with the “Porn modifies your approach to sex,” he Information Technology Manager who is based in Cairns. says. “It can do it in very subtle ways that A job description and other information will be sent on request to email you don’t even realise. Before long, you
AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN • 6 spouses of cyberporn addicts, a woman cern us. Everyone knows that violent who gave her name as Felicia described porn and kiddie porn are bad. But even the suffering her husband’s addiction had seeing people have intercourse, in an caused and how the Internet had made impersonal way, may have an effect. And things even worse. “I cry after making no one knows what the effect will be.” love because I know that me and me alone Legal experts say it is virtually impossi- will never be good enough to fulfill his ble to turn back the tide of Internet porn. sexual desires. Through the years, I have Alan Young, an Osgoode Hall profes- thrown away hundreds of dollars’ worth sor who has worked extensively in the of sexually oriented material. He always area of obscenity law, says on-line sex is replaced them. Now, he has the Internet, covered by the same legislation as other my worst enemy. No stopping him now.” forms of porn, but is difficult to prosecute The very nature of the Internet has because of jurisdictional issues and the made exerting control more difficult than size of the Web. ever. Porn producers make their sites easy “The more material there is, the harder to find by loading them with keywords it becomes to make a dent. The Internet commonly used in non-sexual searches. has become this vast highway of porn. For In some cases, they have acquired inno- law enforcement, there is an obvious prac- cent-sounding site names – a visit to tical problem – how do you deal with it www.whitehouse.com will yield no infor- all? I suppose if we were willing to write mation about the U.S. presidency. the police a cheque for $10 billion, they Filtering out sexual material with screen- tional material ever was. “We have no idea might be able to do something.” ing software is difficult because of the of what the effect is going to be on kids,” For pornography addicts, the rise of Web’s sheer scale and the ingenuity of the he says. “Kids have always been able to Web pornography has been like gasoline porn makers. access porn in some form. When I was 12, thrown on a fire. Their pain is easy to see Dr Cooper believes that dealing with I found someone’s father’s Playboy, and I on the hundreds of Web sites devoted to Internet pornography calls for strong par- saw a naked person. I would say that was the problem of on-line porn addiction. enting, not software Band-Aids. “The an acceptable image. But a kid today can On the Breaking Pornography reality is that there’s going to be more find more than Playboy. They can find Addiction site, a woman who listed her- pornography than ever before. Parents violent sex, bestiality or anything else they self as CRM asked others to help her have to remain close to their children,” he want.” understand her husband’s obsession: says. “They have to be aware of what Dr Putnam adds that exposure at an “What causes people to seek sexual grati- they’re doing.” early age can produce an unwanted fication in paper or electronic images? Is it Dr Putnam says Web porn may be far “imprinting” effect. “It isn’t just the obvi- guilt? Many people are raised to believe more dangerous to children than conven- ously bad pornography that should con- that sex is dirty, sinful, dangerous and just
Teachers • HSIE Co-ordinator Applications are invited from enthusiastic and committed Christian teachers of reformed persuasion, for the above position available from the beginning of 2001. Human Society and Its Environment (HSIE) at Sutherland includes the year 7 to 10 subjects of History, Geography and Commerce and the year 11 and 12 subjects of Modern History, Geography and Legal Studies. The successful HSIE applicant will teach as well as lead a team of three other staff members. Sutherland is a Christian parent controlled, Kindergarten to HSC, Protestant, co-educational school with enrolment in 2000 of 760 students and a staff of over 70. Buildings and facilities are all modern and well equipped. The school is located at Barden Ridge in a delightful bushland setting 25km south of Sydney. Interested teachers should write (with full details of teacher training, teaching experience, Christian experience and church affiliation) to: The Business Manager Sutherland Shire Christian School P.O. Box 390 Sutherland NSW 1499 Telephone enquiries welcome on 02 9543 2133 or by email [email protected] or www.sscs.nsw.edu.au We see ourselves as an extension of the home, so that Christian teaching given in the home is reinforced by the school in a non elitist caring environment. Our aim is to strive for excel- lence in the academic and personal life of all students so that they may reach their potential to the glory of God and the enrichment of life.
AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN • 7 plain bad. As a result, they often cannot I control it,” he wrote. “Before Jesus, associate the sexual act with love or inti- there was no choice. I did it all the Tell us something of the history of your macy. However, the desire is still there time.” Tony warned CRM not to expect struggle with sexual fantasy. and must be fulfilled. too much: “Dear lady, be careful about The first time I got in contact with “Is it fear? There is much talk about getting hopes too high. Addiction really pornography was when I was in school. I the risks of diseases and unwanted preg- never leaves us.” was about 14, and a fellow brought a few nancies in sex education classes. Is it Recovering from on-line porn addic- Playboy magazines into the school yard and that these ‘paper beauties’ demand tion is a painful and difficult process, as he gave me a couple which I took home. I nothing, and are simply there to fulfill Wes, the Washington fundraiser, has dis- looked at them for a while, then at around needs and fantasies without expecting covered. In 1998, with his marriage on the age of 15 a friend of mine had a video anything in return? What I really want the rocks and his career in jeopardy, he player and we started to hire out X-rated to know is, why does he do it? I already finally acknowledged to his wife that he videos. We watched them at my mate’s know that it isn’t something wrong had a problem and went to a therapist, house fairly regularly. with me. Why does he prefer these who diagnosed him as a sex addict. But the real struggle began at the age of 18 gross caricatures of women to me?” As part of his healing, Wes started an when I started buying magazines myself. I Many men wrote in response, trying on-line help group called no-porn.com, began buying Playboy, which is a subtle mag- to provide at least a partial answer. where he shared his experiences with azine, and I looked over them for a while, A man who identified himself as other addicts, a community that turned but eventually I began to feel the need for Clive responded to CRM’s “paper beau- out to be far larger than he ever imag- something more revealing then the Playboy ties” theory. “I think that’s part of it. ined. His site gets 300 to 400 visitors a type magazines. I progressed to Penthouse But a man who is mature spiritually and day, often more. and others where the pictures are more psychologically ought to choose the Wes considers himself fortunate explicit and then I started buying videos. I rewards of interaction with real people because his marriage survived his har- was probably 19 by this time and things to the dubious and temporary highs of rowing journey through porn addiction. increased from then on and it has been a fantasy, even with the reality that rela- Many don’t. “In the last month, I know struggle ever since. tionships bring a degree of pain, hard- of a dozen marriages that broke up,” he ship and difficulty.” says. “A lot of women feel that they Would you say that your exposure to Tony wrote to say he was a Christian can’t compete with the fantasy images.” pornography was both progressive and who had been in “sexual bondage from addictive in character? the day I was born,” and said he had This is an edited version of an article that Yes, it is like drug addicts. When they found it far easier to beat alcoholism first appeared in The Globe and Mail, a have their first hit of heroin they don’t stop than sexual addiction. “Because of Jesus, Canadian national newspaper. ap at just one, they want more and more. You just have to pass a newsagent and see a beau- tiful girl on the posters outside and you begin to desire her. It has become addictive and very powerful, for even when I have had girl friends I would still be looking at the magazines and movies.
When you had your first exposure to pornography at 14 did you have any idea that it was going to enslave your life in this way? No, I just thought that it was a bit of fun. Just like going out with your mates and drinking. There seemed to be no harm in doing that so what was the problem with looking at naked women.
What do you think of pornography now? It’s very dangerous. It affects your walk with the Lord. You start to minimise your sin by saying “If I am nice to my mother and good in other areas of my life God won’t worry about my sexual immorality,” but if you are staggering in one area then it affects your whole relationship with the Lord. When you allow sin to remain in one area of your life you lose your joy and are never sat- isfied. Also these women that you see in maga- zines are not the women of real life. So when you decide to go out with a girl you want
AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN • 8 PORNOGRAPHY
years, both in actual behaviour and in fantasy? When I became a Christian I stopped When looks can kill looking at the videos and magazines. I “Peter” tells Jason Summers of his unending and devastating battle. remember when I was breaking up the videocassettes I wanted to have just one last look, but I prayed that God would give me strength not to do that – and he did. I broke them up without looking at it. someone who looks like the girls in the I used to say that I would never sleep But even though I stopped looking at movies and magazines. When you discover with a married woman but when you have the videos and magazines I still had a strug- she is not like that, you become disap- a sexual fantasy and the opportunity comes gle with lust. On TV there are plenty of pointed. up, you would sleep with her regardless. It naked women and it is still a struggle. I leads you to do things that you never then came across the Bible verse where it How did your fantasy life affect your thought you would. says if your eye causes you to sin pluck it relationships with real people? out, so I stopped watching TV and started Before I became a Christian I had a fan- How did your sexual immorality affect reading the Bible more, and felt that I was tasy with certain types of women, and at your spiritual growth? drawing closer to the Lord. my work one of the girls was just like one I remember hearing a sermon on of my fantasies. She was married and I had Romans that made me realise that sin Has this addiction been fully broken or a desire to sleep with her, and in fact at one affects your walk with the Lord. This is are you still struggling with pornogra- stage I walked up to her and was just about true. As I said before, sin steals your joy phy and lust? to ask if she would sleep with me but at the and makes you restless. It is greatly affect- No, it has not been fully broken. I have last minute I turned away. You can see how ing my spiritual growth. come a long way, but presently I have my addiction to pornography was even begun to fall back into my old habits of changing my morals. What has changed you over the past struggling with those magazines. ap
Our very present help Jason Summers
Peter’s story is still being written. He the product or expression of this union. the old self, to be made new in the atti- is presently seeking to be freed from his The person who is addicted to pornogra- tude of our minds. Not only are we to sin. The reality is that a number of you phy wants the consequence of sexual grat- stop our selfish sexual behaviour, but we who are reading this article know from ification but does not want to achieve it in are to put on the new self, that is to start experience the way pornography the way God designs it, namely through being selfless in every area of life. We are enslaves. Maybe you, like Peter, are still the intimacy of marriage. to replace one form of habitual behav- battling the bondage. It has ruined mar- People who are addicted to pornogra- iour with another. riages, destroyed friendships, and even phy aren’t so much addicted to lurid For example, the person who is Christian ministers have shipwrecked material as they’re addicted to self-cen- addicted to pornography must not just their ministries on the rocks of porno- tredness. They’re committed to serving throw out the magazines (put off the old graphy. themselves, to doing whatever they can to self) but must also begin to be selfless in The addictive nature of pornography find a convenient way for sexual gratifica- every area of his life (put on the new self). and the associated lust makes it espe- tion apart from the commitment of giving If he has been a selfish employee, hus- cially difficult to break free. Yet there is themselves in marriage to another person. band, or father, he now needs to work at great hope, for through the word of This, of course, reveals that at the heart of being selfless. This needs to happen in God and the power of the Holy Spirit pornography and its associated lust is self- every relationship he is in. True and lasting the Christian is able to break the cycle of ishness. change will not come about by just stop- sin. How do we break free of this sexual ping the bad behaviour but it must be How? Firstly we need to be con- selfishness? Some suggest taking cold replaced with the right behaviour. fronted with God’s program for sexual showers, exercising, and staying busy. Ephesians 4 is God’s action plan for gratification. God intended sexual gratifi- Unfortunately these activities fail to true and lasting change. With the power cation to be an expression of communion tame the dragon within. As we have of the Holy Spirit and the instruction of and intimacy that can only be found seen, the heart problem is spiritual, and the Word, “Peter” and all those enslaved within marriage (Gen 2:24). In 1 so it is to the Bible we turn. In Ephesians by selfish sexual practices can experience Corinthians 7:3-4, Paul teaches that sex is 4:22-24 Paul says that we are to put off real and lasting victory. ap
AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN • 9 PORNOGRAPHY Elephantiasis How it’s coming out of the jungle into your lounge room
ombine a clever but inherently In fact, the elephants are so overbred flawed species with the products Read Mercer Schuchardt that they’re stampeding into every aspect of its own recent audiovisual of daily life. The “mainstreaming” of ele- inventions – from the photo- phants into the culture is observable to the, graphC to the Internet – and one result, uh, naked eye. Examples are everywhere. among many, is a subspecies that is financially vulnerable young women with So images of elephants have now secretly but unanimously addicted to negligible professional skills other than imprinted themselves on the surface of pornography. acting? Acting in elephant films is pretty our culture. But these images indicate a I’m really sorry I had to say that word. straightforward stuff, and even a no-talent condition that is more serious, if harder to The word “porn” itself is from Greek, and girl can become famous simply by letting detect: we are now weaving the philoso- refers to the lowest type of prostitute the elephants walk all over her. The irony phy and methodology of the elephant into available. The term “pornography” means is that, in a recent Hugh Hefner interview, the actual fabric of Western life itself. the graphic visual display of women as the the Playboy magnate actually took credit Take, for starters, the success of Maxim cheapest kind of whores. Nowadays, the for the fact that girls can now use the ele- magazine. Here’s a periodical that shows word reeks of moral outrage and disap- phant industry to gain entrance into more flesh on its covers than Playboy proval, which is why you don’t bring up Hollywood, as witness the inspiringly itself. It sheathes many of its retail issues the topic in polite society. This is also why nihilistic careers of Pamela Anderson and in plastic wrap (the primary signifier of the porn industry labels its own products Jenny McCarthy. “adult” material on a newsstand). It laces with such morally acceptable terminology At any rate, how many of these ele- its covers with the word “sex” in the as “adult material,” “gentlemen’s clubs,” phant videos you personally watch each largest font possible as many times as pos- and “mature entertainment” – implying year is not something anyone wants to sible. All of which signifies to the young that consumers of this material are some- know. For sheer comparison’s sake, let’s and emotionally vulnerable male between how more sophisticated or grown-up than assume that the market demand for non- 18 and 34 that there will be plenty of ele- the rest of us. elephant films is equal to that for elephant phants inside. But the surprise is, there Bald use of the terms evokes such a vis- films. If this really is the case, then statis- aren’t any elephants inside. There are sug- ceral reaction that we are unable to think tically speaking there’s a percentage of gestions of elephants – plenty of pictures clearly about the reality they name. So for American men out there who are watch- of half-dressed girls – but not anything the rest of this article, instead of saying ing 750 elephant films per year, or about you wouldn’t expect to see on say, the “porn” or “pornography”, I’m going to two elephant videos every night. And it’s nightly prime-time viewing hour. talk about “elephants”. pretty safe to say that a lot of these men The very market demand for elephants have jobs outside the elephant industry. Let’s leave aside for the moment defin- tells a large part of the story. Hollywood Jobs like marketing and advertising for ing deviancy down and just look at what produces an average of 400 G to R-rated products and services that have nothing to you do get instead. In Playboy you get films each year, which is a little more than do with elephants. naked women who, beyond their air- one a day. If you add up all the films you Which is why you may, on a personal brushed bodies, are at least plausibly real watched in theatres and on television and level, be done with elephants, but on the members of the human species. They have home video, you probably saw some- cultural level, the elephants are not done hometowns and hobbies and dreams that where around 50 Hollywood movies last with you. go beyond posing naked. Once you open year. This is about one movie a week. By up Maxim, however, you get fully dressed comparison, the elephant industry (whose women, or partially undressed women, heart is located right next to who are portrayed as wishing to discuss Hollywood’s, geographically speaking), nothing other than sex. That’s part of the produces an average of 666 elephant reason Maxim is the best-selling men’s videos every month. (We couldn’t make magazine on the market. Even Advertising this number up if we tried.) Age, the money-is-the-only-measurement industry magazine, gave Maxim its maga- This should give you pause for several zine of the year award, despite calling the reasons, but especially if you have a editorial content “raunchy”. daughter clamouring to go to L.A. and Here is where it gets interesting. make it in the movies. It makes sense, Maxim magazine started in 1997, the same after all, that the elephant industry was year that the Internet achieved sufficient born right in Hollywood’s backyard. momentum to become a mass medium Where else are you going to find a con- (on the order of television and radio). If stantly fresh supply of beautiful and you didn’t already know, elephants are the
AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN • 10 number one reason people go to the (green is used almost exclusively to imply In other words, Satan isn’t stomping Internet, in terms of keyword searches “health” in the food industry). So you around town like a roaring lion these days. and sites visited. shovel these babies into your mouth, reap- Evil comes in subtly, by masquerading as Maxim started peddling their particular ing zero nutritional value and zero health good, under the radar or beyond the range brand of less-is-more elephants the same benefit, thanks to the linguistic associa- of our ability to decode icons, images, and year that the Internet started delivering tions of words and colours. So here’s a linguistic patterns, not to mention histor- more-is-more elephants to the majority of junk food (bad) that promotes itself with ical and cultural references. Western male eyeballs. In a sense, Maxim the signifiers of health (good) so that A recent book on advertising is titled succeeded by bridging the psychic gap you’ll eat more of them (bad), gain weight, Under the Radar: Talking to Today’s between what was happening privately in and then have to eat healthy for a while to Cynical Consumer. A back-page plug for the culture via the Internet, and what was lose it (bad). Their advertising slogan takes the book gleefully admits that its authors acceptable in the public mindset. If every- note of the hypocrisy: “Being bad was are “advertising innovators” who “have one secretly had sex on the brain, then never so good.” come up with more outrageously clever Maxim succeeded by coming along at just • Lingerie Barbie: Here’s every prepubes- ways to get past consumers’ detectors the right moment to justify that guilty cent girl’s dream doll (good), except that than anyone else in advertising today.” feeling, as though to say, “We know that she’s wearing nothing but pantyhose, a you know.” garter belt, and a bra (bad). This is from The consumer is you. When this hap- From Maxim’s vantage point, the days Mattel, the people who sued the rock pens, you are being involuntarily lobot- of young boys furtively flipping through band Aqua (also in 1997) for writing a omised for the sake of some corpora- National Geographic to find female flesh is song called “Barbie Girl” that Mattel tion’s profit. The elephant is now in the now a poignant moment of cultural inno- claimed portrayed Barbie in “sexual and service of what I like to call the stealth cence. unsavoury terms”. economy. The thing keeps going, but Not all these products are available in nobody quite knows how. Only now, The elephant methodology seems to fol- Australia, but their counterparts are – and with the future in question and democ- low a pretty strict code of conscience the advertising. racy itself seemingly up for sale, is it get- management. If the products of the ele- What’s interesting about these exam- ting some attention. phant industry are bad, which we all seem ples is not so much that they exist, but Why does any of this matter? Because instinctively to know (why else would that they all seem to exist by virtue of the elephant is in the room now, and they be consumed in private?), then the their silent recognition of an absolute everyone’s pretending not to notice, hop- elephant succeeds in getting into your moral authority. If today’s mass mar- ing that if we ignore him long enough home by packaging itself into morally keters deny that the law of God is written then maybe he’ll just go away. And that’s manageable mouthfuls. Consider the on our hearts, then they at least seem just the way the elephant likes it. attempted management of your psyche in willing to concede that it is written on the the packaging and marketing of the fol- backs of our cheques. Getting us to part Read Mercer Schuchardt is the founder of lowing non-elephant products: with those cheques has become a game of Cleave, The Counter Agency and a gradu- • Coors Light in the Widemouth Can: massaging our awareness of this absolute ate student in media ecology at New York Here’s an alcoholic beer (arguably bad), moral law into manageable and manipula- University. This article was first published but it’s light beer (good), so you can drink ble portions of perception, as evidenced on the BreakPoint website of Prison more of it, thus the Widemouth Can above. Fellowship. ap (bad). You’ll feel good! And faster! • Nabisco’s bite-sized Mini Oreo cook- ies, miniature cookies that you “pour” into your hand from a giant “milk” con- tainer. These things are pure sugar and K. M. SMITH animal fat (bad), but they’re so tiny (good), that you can eat more of them Funeral Directors – since 1877 (bad). You’ve never eaten a whole one- 53 BROOKES STREET, BOWEN HILLS pound package of the original full-sized TELEPHONE (07) 3252 2031 Oreos at one sitting, but home alone, with 1- 1/182 Bay Terrace, Wynnum, (07) 3548 4133 a gallon of milk, you’ve probably eaten For prompt courteous and considerate attention to your Funeral requirements half a package. Let me tell you, knocking we are available 24 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK. down a container of Mini Oreos is easy – Our Head Office is located at 53 Brookes Street, Bowen Hills – with ample off-street park- never mind that it too is a half-pound ing available. If it is more convenient, our trained staff will make funeral arrangements in package. No guilt whatsoever. your home. If you prefer, the arrangements can be made by telephone. • Nabisco’s SnackWell’s products, any kind: Here’s a brand whose name implies FREECALL 1800 819 938 that its products are somehow good for To: K.M.Smith, Freepost 202, PO Box 2170, Fortitude Valley, Qld, 4006 you, since the word “well” is the key buzz------word of the healthcare industry (wellness, Please send me information on pre-arrangement of Funerals. wellbeing, and the like). The packaging is Name: ...... in bright, healthy green, implying an invig- Address: ...... orating natural and organic product, the kind of foods that vegetarians would eat ......
AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN • 11 DEVOTION Our besetting sin Christianity is nothing to be proud of. C.S. Lewis explains.
now come to that part of Christian in competition with every one else’s pride. morals where they differ most It is because I wanted to be the big noise sharply from all other morals. There IN THE at the party that I am so annoyed at some- is one vice of which no man in the PRESENCE one else being the big noise. Two of a Iworld is free; which every one in the trade never agree. Now what you want to world loathes when he sees it in someone OF GOD get clear is that pride is essentially compet- else; and of which hardly any people, itive – is competitive by its very nature – except Christians, ever imagine that they while the other vices are competitive only, are guilty themselves. so to speak, by accident. I have heard people admit that they are Pride gets no pleasure out of having bad-tempered, or that they cannot keep something, only out of having more of it their heads about girls or drink, or even than the next man. We say that people are that they are cowards. I do not think I proud of being rich, or clever, or good- have ever heard anyone who was not a looking, but they are not. They are proud Christian accuse himself of this vice. And of being richer, or cleverer, or better-look- at the same time I have very seldom met ing than others. If every one else became anyone, who was not a Christian, who greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere equally rich, or clever, or good-looking showed the slightest mercy to it in others. fleabites in comparison. It was through there would be nothing to be proud There is no fault which makes a man pride that the devil became the devil. Pride about. It is the comparison that makes more unpopular, and no fault which we leads to every other vice: it is the complete you proud: the pleasure of being above are more unconscious of in ourselves. anti-God state of mind. the rest. Once the element of competition And the more we have it ourselves, the Does this seem to you exaggerated? If has gone, pride has gone. more we dislike it in others. so, think it over. I pointed out a moment That is why I say that pride is essen- The vice I am talking of is pride or self- ago that the more pride one had, the more tially competitive in a way the other vices conceit: and the virtue opposite to it, in one disliked pride in others. In fact, if you are not. The sexual impulse may drive two Christian morals, is called humility. When want to find out how proud you are the men into competition if they both want I was talking about sexual morality, I easiest way is to ask yourself, “How much the same girl. But that is only by accident; warned you that the centre of Christian do I dislike it when other people snub me, they might just as likely have wanted two morals did not lie there. Well, now, we or refuse to take any notice of me, or different girls. But a proud man will take have come to the centre. According to shove their oar in, or patronise me, or your girl from you, not because he wants Christian teachers, the essential vice, the show off?” her but just to prove to himself that he is utmost evil, is pride. Unchastity, anger, The point is that each person’s pride is a better man than you. Greed may drive men into competition if there is not enough to go round; but the proud man, even when he has got more Position Vacant than he can possibly want, will try to get still more just to assert his power. Nearly all those evils in the world which people put down to greed or selfishness are really Assistant to the Minister far more the result of pride. The Christians are right: it is pride Applications are invited from ministers for the position of part-time Assistant which has been the chief cause of misery to the Minister in the parish of North Sydney-Greenwich, N.S.W. in every nation and every family since the The position will involve working mainly with the Greenwich congregation world began. Other vices may sometimes but assisting in some aspects of the work of the whole parish. bring people together: you may find good A suitable remuneration package will be negotiated and the successful fellowship and jokes and friendliness applicant will be expected to commence work on 1 May, 2001, among drunken people or unchaste peo- or another mutually agreeable date. ple. But pride always means enmity – it is Applications close with the Minister, Rev. Dr. Paul Logan, P.O. Box 682, enmity. And not only enmity between North Sydney, 2059, on 12 April, 2001. man and man, but enmity to God.
Further details may be obtained from Dr. Logan on: This extract is taken from Mere Telephone: (02) 9955 1662 Fax: (02) 9955 0845 Christianity, by C.S. Lewis, first published Email: [email protected] in 1952. ap
AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN • 12 CHURCH DIRECTORY
Come worship with us! If you are passing through or moving nearby, feel free to ring the Minister, Clerk or Elder.
14-16 Bibbys Place. 9.30 am. (English) & Cnr Burwood Rd. & Stanley St. Concord 11.00 am. (Mandarin) Rev. C S Tang (02) 9688 7880 (H) australian S.Clerk: Stanley Chen (02) 9753 2073 COOTAMUNDRA (Scots) capital territory BOWRAL – MITTAGONG Cnr Parker & Francis Sts 11.00 am. Bowral: 20 Bendooley St. 10.30am. I.M. Rev F. Monckton (02) 6977 1642 Kid’s Church: 9.30 am. 1st & 3rd Sunday COWRA CANBERRA, BELCONNEN Mittagong: Cr Alice & Edwards Sts. 9.00am. 46 Macquarie St. Also Gooloogong, Cnr Gatty St. & Ross Smith Cres, Scullin. Rev. Doug McPherson: (02) 4872 4052. Morongla. Sunday Service 10:00 am BURWOOD Rev John McClean Ph (02) 6342 1467. Elder: Mr R Howe (02) 6247 9586 48 Belmore St. 9.15am (English) CRONULLA CANBERRA, FORREST (St Andrew’s) Burwood: 11.00 am (Cantonese) 13 Croydon St. 9.30am. 1 State Circle (opp Parliament House). 5.00 pm (English). Rev. Russell Stark (02) 9523 5875. Service Times: 9.30am. & 7.00pm. Rev Jim Elliott (02) 9745 3935. EAST MAITLAND Church Office: (02) 6295 3457 Rev. Dennis Law (02) 9715 3889 George St. Beresfield: Beresford Ave. CANBERRA, TUGGERANONG CAMPBELLTOWN Raymond Terrace: Irrawang St. Isabella Plains Primary School, Ellerstone Ave. 34 Lithgow St. 8.30 am. 10.00 am. 6.30 pm. Rev Donald Smith (02) 4933 7443. Worship Service & Sunday School 10.00am. Rev. Greg Goswell (02)4625 1037 EPPING Rev Tim Abbey (02) 6292 6772 CANTERBURY CITY Bridge & Rawson Sts. GUNGAHLIN-NORTH BELCONNEN Earlwood: 40Collingwood Ave. 5.00 pm. Rev David Tsai (02) 9876 1188. Ngunnawal Primary School 10.00am. Lakemba: 1005 Canterbury Rd, 9.00am. FORSTER/TUNCURRY I.M: Rev. Keith King Sunday School (Lakemba) 10.30am. Bruce St. Forster, 11.00am. Enquiries: (02) 6253 8257. Rev Colin Dubi (02) 9558 3284. Rev John Thompson (02) 6552 1082. CARINGBAH GILGANDRA (St Stephens) 393 Port Hacking Rd. 14 Myrtle St. 11.00am. & 9.00am. (4th Sun). Rev Graham Flick (02) 9524 6406 (O). Also at Gulargambone, Tooraweenah. new south wales CASTLE HILL GOSFORD 247 Old Northern Rd. 9.30am. & 6.00pm. 17 Mann St. Church, 8.00am 9.45am 6.30 pm. Rev Dr Ron Keith (02) 9634 2911. Gosford: Office: Ph/Fx (02) 4323 2490. ANNANDALE CESSNOCK (St Andrew’s) Rev Rod Mallinson (02) 4385 5231. Hunter Baillie, Johnston & Collins Sts. Cnr King & Cooper Sts. Yth Pst. Steven Soldatos (02) 4368 6415 10.00am, Rev Colin Alston (02) 9969 8071. 9.30am. & 7.00pm. GRIFFITH Welsh Church: Chalmers St, Surry Hills. Enquiries: (02)4992 2412 Opp. Collina Oval, Blumer Ave. 9.30 am. 3.00pm. each Sunday. CHATSWOOD Rev. Peter Gobbo (02) 6962 4827. ARMIDALE St Andrew’s, Anderson St. Dr L. Thorpe (02) 6962 1934 Faulkner St, 9.30am. & 7.00pm. 9.00am.& 7.00 pm. GUNNEDAH Rev. Richard O’Brien (02) 6772 3093 Lane Cove, St James, Farran St. 11.00am. Marquis & Barber Sts. ASHFIELD Rev. Jeff Read (02) 9419 5932 (W) 2077 (H) Boggabri: Court House Liverpool Rd. & Knox St. CHERRYBROOK HURSTVILLE Rev Peter Hastie (02) 9798 6572. John Purchase Public School Hall, Purchase Cnr. Park Rd. & McMahon St. English: BEACON HILL-NARRAWEENA Rd. Service: 9:45am. Rev. John Irvin (02) 9.30am. & 6.30pm. Indonesian: 4.00pm. 244 Warringah Rd. 9.30am. & 7.00pm. 9875 4894. Rev. David Pak (02) 9980 8255. Rev Kevin Murray (02) 9153 8176. Rev. Andrew Clausen (02) 9451 5076. CHINESE CHURCH KIAMA (Scots’) BEECROFT Cnr Crown & Albion Sts. Surry Hills. Terralong St. 9.00am. Mary St., 8.45am. 10.30am. & 6.30pm. Ph (02) 9331 4459, Fx (02) 9360 6020, Jamberoo: (St Stephen’s) Allowrie St, Rev Martin Levine (02) 9876 2478. English/Cantonese/Mandarin/ 11.00am. (2nd Sun). Session Clerk: Session Clerk: Ray Dunlop (02) 9876 2478. Bilingual Services. Joyce Schweitzer (02) 4232 1020. BEGA – EDEN Rev John Ting (02) 9331 4459(O). KOGARAH Bega -Upper St; Eden – CWA Rooms, Imlay Rev Joe Mock (02) 9642 8861(H). Cnr Kensingrton & Derby Sts. St. Clerk: Mrs J Gill (02) 6495 6062 Rev. Daniel Ng (02) 9331 4459 (O) 9.30am. & 7.00pm. BLACKTOWN (EAST) Parish Wkr Mrs Irene Chang (02) 91814996. Rev Ray Osborn (02) 9587 5577. Gallop Grv. & Heffron Rd. Lalor Park, Chinese Church (Burwood) KOREAN, SYDNEY (Young Nak) Service Times: 10.30am. & 6.00pm. 46-48 Belmore St. 11.00am 7-9 Manson St, Telopea. 9.30am. 11.00am. Rev Stuart Coulton (02) 9626 0866. Rev Dennis Law (02) 9331 4459 (O) 3.00pm. Rev Charles Kim (02) 9684 2090(C), BONDI COFFS HARBOUR (St Andrew’s) (02) 9150 7939(H), (02) 9816 3807 (S.Cl.). Cnr. Castlefield & Miller Sts. 10.00am & 187 High St. 8.00am. 9.45am. & 6.30pm. LEETON 7.00pm. Rev John Graham: (02) 9365 5388 / Rev Peter Moore (02) 6652 3183(O). Cnr. Sycamore & Cypress Sts. 10.00 am. (02) 9597 5214 CONCORD Rev. Phillip Strong (02) 6953 3579 BONNYRIGG Cornerstone Community Presbyterian Church LISMORE (St Paul’s) Western Regions Chinese Church Meets Concord Public School 9.30 am. 188 Keen St. 9.00 am. & 7.00 pm.
AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN • 13 CHURCH DIRECTORY
Rev Peter Playsted (02) 6624 7050 9.00am. & 6.30pm Rev A. Gardiner (07) 3831 7458(O). MACQUARIE Rev Stuart Andrews (02) 6765 8754. BUNDABERG (Scots’) Herring &Abuklea Rds, Marsfield Tamworth Community Presb Church, Cnr. Water & Alice Sts. 9.00am & 7.00pm. Rev. Rex Swavley (02) 9878 4202 Oxley High School Piper St Nth T’worth Rev David Newman (07) 4153 2954 MANLY (St Andrew’s) 10 am. Rev Keith Walker (02) 6762 5759 PEACE PRESBYTERIAN Raglan St. & Augusta Lane. 9.45am. 5.30pm. Manilla: Court St. Student Centre, Deception Bay State High May/Sept; 7.00pm Oct/April. Rev. Vic Johnson (02) 6785 1627. School 9.30am. Rev Tony Lang (02) 9976 2801 TAREE Pastor Bob Whiting (07) 3886 7367. MAROUBRA, Kingsford Albert St. 9.00am. CABOOLTURE 8 Robey St, Maroubra. 9.30 am. 7.15 pm. Rev John Thompson (02) 6552 1082(O). 24 Cottrill Rd. 9.00am & 6.00pm. 94 Houston Rd, Kingsford 11.15am TENTERFIELD Rev. G. Watt (07) 5494 1181 Chinese Service, Maroubra 4 pm. 117 Logan St. CAIRNS Rev Johnnie Li (02) 9349 1312 TERRIGAL (Scots Kirk) 85 Sheridan St. 9.15 am. & 6.30 pm. MOREE (St Andrew’s) 2 Willoughby Rd. Rev Donald Broadwater, (07) 4036 0421(H). Cnr Albert & Auburn Sts, 10.00am. Rev Phillip Paul (02) 4385 2240. Rev Russell van Delden, (07) 4054 3241 (H). Rev. L. Fowler (02) 6752 1083 WAHROONGA Pastor Ron Lyons. (07) 4055 1769 (H). MOSMAN (Scots Kirk) Wahroonga Presbyterian Church, CALLIDE VALLEY Belmont Rd. (nr Military Rd), 9.00am. Cnr. Illoura Ave. & Stuart St. 9.30am. Biloela: Cnr. Kariboe & Melton Sts. Rev R J McCracken (02) 9969 6101. Rev. Murray Fraser (02) 9489 3690 10.00am. & 6.00pm. MURWILLUMBAH (St Andrew’s) WEE WAA Jambin: Three Ways 8.30am. Wollumbin St. 9.00am. & 7.00pm. Mitchell St. Pastor Walter Posthuma (07) 4992 1441 Tyalgum: 11.00am. (3rd Sun). Mr Mark Powell (02) 6795 4259 CALOUNDRA Rev. Philip Strong (02) 6672 1088 WENTWORTH FALLS (St Andrew’s) Cnr Kalinga & Ormutz Sts. 9.30am. & NEWCASTLE (St Andrews) Falls Rd. 9.00 am. Session Clerk: Mr Bernie 7.00pm. Rev N. Thomason (07) 5493 3594 Cnr. Laman & Auckland Sts 9.15am & 7.00pm. Tucker (02) 4757 3518 CAPALABA Office: (02) 4929 2857 WENTWORTHVILLE 74 Lyndon Rd. 8.30am & 6.00pm NORTH SYDNEY-GREENWICH 7 McKem St. Girraween: 15 Tungarra Rd. Rev B Enchelmaier (07) 3824 0958 (St Peter’s) 234 Blues Point Rd. 10.00am. Rev. David Griffin Phone: (02) 9896 3297. CHARLEVILLE & 6.45pm. Wednesday 1.15pm. WESTLAKES Galatea St. Rev Terry Sadler, (07) 4654 3188. Greenwich: (Taylor’s Memorial) Warnervale Community Hall, Warnervale Rd CHARTERSTOWERS 86A Greenwich Rd. 10.00am. S.School 8.30 am. Service 9.30 am. Blackthorn Hall, Thornburgh College, Rev Dr Paul Logan (02) 9955 1662. Rev. Esa Hukkinen (02) 4393 5530 King St. Mr. S. Mcdonald (07)4787 3395 Assistant Rev A B Clark (02) 9638 7471 WEST WYALONG CLAYFIELD (Scots Memorial) PARRAMATTA CITY Pioneer Memorial, Court St. 9.00am. & 29 Bellevue Terrace, 9.30am. Cumberland High School, Dunmore Ave. 11.00am. Also at Barmedman, Mahda, Rev W. Savage (07) 3262 1230 (O). Carlingford. Rev. Luke Tattersall. Talimba & Weethalle. CLEVELAND S. Clerk: Mike Whiteman (02) 9484 1240. Mr. Lance Jackson (02) 6972 2143. Cnr Bloomfield & Ocean Sts. 10.15am & PENRITH (St Andrew’s) WOLLONGONG (St Andrew’s) 6.00pm. Rev Brian Enchelmaier Doonmore St. near High St, 9.00am. & Cnr Kembla & Burelli Sts. 9.45am. & (07) 3824 0958 7.00pm. Rev William Morrow (02) 4721 2440. 6.00pm. Rev Bruce Hammonds (02) 4226 COORPAROO PORT MACQUARIE (St Andrew’s) 1458(H) (02) 4226 1725(O). Emlyn St. 10.00am. & 7.00pm. Cnr William/Munster Sts, 9.00am., 10.30am WOOLGOOLGA Rev Jorge Lievano (07) 3219 8012. Rev S Donnellan (02) 6582 2505 Cnr Scarborough St.& Landrigan Close. CREEK ROAD RANDWICK Rev Peter Moore (02) 6651 2301. PCYC Centre, 27 Narracott St., Carina Alison Rd. & Cook St. 10.00am. & 5.00pm. WOONONA 9.00 am & 5.30 pm. (02) 9399 3183. 7 Gray St. Rev Peter Currie (02) 4284 4057. Rev Peter Barson (07) 3398 3607. ROSE BAY (St Andrew’s) WOY WOY Rev D. McDougall (07) 3397 5244. Cnr Dover Rd.&Carlisle St. 10.00am& 6.00pm. 120 Blackwall Rd. 9.00 & 10.30 am. DALBY Rev Bruce Christian (02) 9388 1206(O). Rev. Jamie Newans (02) 4342 2856 Condamine St. (cnr. Patrick St). RYDE Rev Roland Lowther (07) 4669 7074 Bowden & Squire Sts. Putney: Douglas St. EUMUNDI Rev Andrew Unwin (02) 9809 3197. Memorial Drive, 10.45am. (weekly) & SOUTHERN CROSS queensland 6.30pm. (2nd & 4th Sunday). Park Ave. East Lismore Rev Desmond Morris (07) 5441 3053 Rev. Stephen Cree (02) 6621 3655 GAYNDAH SPRlNGWOOD ACACIA RIDGE Warton St. 10.00am. 160 Macquarie Rd. 10.30am. & 7.15pm. Cnr. Mortimer & Beaudesert Rds. Pastor Errol Shepherd (07) 4161 1916. Winmalee: 481 Hawkesbury Rd. 9.00am. 8.45am. & 6.00pm. Pastor Stephen Teale, GLADSTONE (St Andrew’s) (02) 4751 1188(O). (07) 3277 0010, (07) 3344 5022 (H). 149 Goondoon St. 10.00am. & 7.00pm. Ron Green (S Clerk) (02) 4751 2369. ASCOT Rev. David Secomb (07) 4972 1058 STRATHFIELD (St David’s) 68 Charlton St. (Near Airport). Tannum Sands: Barker Rd. & Marion St. 10.00am. & 6.30pm. Rev Guido Kettniss (07) 3216 4151. Cnr Pacific Drive & Ocean St. 8.00am. Rev Robert McKean (02) 9746 8123. Rev Les Hall (07) 3267 0558 I.M. Rev. J. Chandler (07) 4922 1825 SUTHERLAND BALD HILLS GOLD COAST Cnr Flora & Glencoe Sts. 9.30am & 6.30pm 58 Strathpine Rd. 8.30am. & 7.00pm. Arundel: 132 Allied Drive 9.15am. SYDNEY (Scots Church ) Rev Peter Bloomfield (07) 3261 4305. Rev Bob Carner (07) 5545 0947 142 Chalmers Str., Surry Hills (temporary) BRISBANE KOREAN Robina: Cnr University & Cottesloe Drives Service Time: 10.30 am. 145 Ann St. 8.00am. 12.00 noon, 7.30pm. 10.00 am. & 6.30 pm. Rev. Adrian Van Ash (02) 9817 0587 Rev Dr M. M. Y. Kim (07) 3300 3132 Rev. Kevin Ridley (07) 5571 1416 TAMWORTH (St Stephen’s) BRISBANE (St Paul’s) GYMPIE 23 Matthews St, also at Moonbi. 53 St Pauls Tce. Spring Hill. 11 Crown St. 9.30am. Woolooga 11.00am.
AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN • 14 CHURCH DIRECTORY
Rev. D Cranney (07) 5482 7629(O). SANDGATE PENOLA HERVEY BAY (St David’s) Loudon St. 9.00am. & 6.00pm. Portland St. 10.45 am. Rev. Alan Clarkson Denmans Rd, Scarness, 9.30am. & 7.00pm. Rev John Gilmour (07) 3261 7804. (08) 8737 2984 Also Dergholm, Kalangadoo Rev. John T Roth (07) 4124 7018. SPRINGSURE PORT AUGUSTA IPSWICH Charles St. 10.30am. Jervois St. 11.00 am. Cnr Limestone & Gordon Sts. 8.20am. Emerald: High School Frazer St., 8.30am. Rev Laurie Peake (08) 8648 6777. 10.00am. 6.30pm. Coominya: 8.00am. Rev B J Harrison Phone (07) 4984 1550. SEACLIFF Forest Hill: Church St, 9.00am. TEWANTIN Kauri Pde. Seacliff. 9.30am. Rev John Langbridge (07) 3294 7999. Anglican Church, William St. 11.45am. Rev Wally Zurrer (08) 8296 0801. Rev Wesley Redgen (07) 3282 9829. Rev Keith L. Mayers (07) 5445 9209. WHYALLA ITHACA THE GAP 28 Ramsay St. 9.00 am. 100 Enogerra Tce, Paddington. 1195 Waterworks Rd., 9.00am. S/ Clerk: Helen Mashford Service: 9.30 am. 6.30pm. Rev David Niven (07) 3300 2987. (08) 8645 0818 Rev. Robert Herrgott (07) 3300 6158 THURINGOWA -TOWNSVILLE MACGREGOR John Calvin, Carthew St. Kirwan. 268 Padstow Rd. Eight Mile Plains 8.30am. Condon: Rev Bill Lutton (07) 4723 8022. Rev Jorge Lievano (07) 3219 8012. TOOWOOMBA NORTH (St David’s) tasmania MACKAY Mary St. Also at Geham Cnr Harvey St. & Evans Ave. Mackay. TOOWOOMBA WEST 9.30am. & 7pm. St Andrews: 57 West St. 9.00am. & 5.00pm. DEVONPORT (St Columba’s) Sarina: Sarina Beach Rd. 7.30am. Glenvale Rd: 35A Glenvale Rd. 8.00am. Edward St. Don: Waverley Rd. Pinnacle: Red Cross Hall, 4.00pm. Rev R. Sondergeld (07) 4633 4188. Rev. Donald Geddes (03) 6427 8753 (1st & 3rd S’day). Mr Ross Turner (07) 4634 6053 HOBART Rev. Jim Brown (07) 4955 3829. Mr Mike Stone (07) 4635 0651 (St John’s) 10.00 am & 7.00 pm MALENY Mr Wayne Harrison (07) 4634 9066 188 Macquarie St. (03) 6223 7213 Cedar St. 9.00am. TOWNSVILLE (St Andrew’s) Rev. Robert White (03) 6278 1370 Rev. Des Morris (07) 5441 3053 113 Wills St. City. 9.30am. & 6.30pm. LAUNCESTON MAROOCHYDORE Rev Archie MacNicol (07) 4771 2460. (St Andrew’s) Civic Square. Okinja Rd. Alexandra Headland. VICTORIA POINT Church Office: (03) 6327 2590. 9.00am. & 7.00pm. 164 Colburn Ave. 8.30am. Yth. Pastor: Brett Rutherford (03)6331 2584 Rev Keith Mayers (07) 5445 9209. Rev Brian Enchelmaier (07) 3824 0958 I.M. Rev. Donald Geddes (03) 6427 8753 MARYBOROUGH WYNNUM MOLE CREEK 523 Alice St. 9.00am. Cnr Bay Tce & Cedar St. 9.00 am & 6.00 pm. Int. Mod. Rev. D. White (03)6278 1370 Pastor John Tucker (07) 4123 5920. Rev Dr George Logan (07) 3893 1712 MONTROSE MILES Cnr. Islington Rd. & Walker St. 10.00 am. Miles 80 Murilla St., 9.00am. Rev. Steve. Warwick (03) 6272 2608. Dulacca Temple St.,2nd & 4th Sunday RIVERSIDE Condamine 1st & 3rd Sunday S’time 7 am south australia Eden St. Also Glengarry & Winkleigh. W’time 11am Manse: (07) 4627 1180 Int. Mod. Rev. D. White (03) 6278 1370 MONTO Pastor D. L. Christie (03) 6330 2231. Bell St. 10.00am. & 7.00pm. (2nd & 4th ADELAIDE (St Andrew’s) ROKEBY Sunday). Abercorn 11.45am. (1st Sunday). 92-98 Archer St. North Adelaide. 10.30 am. Presby. Community Church, Tollard Dr. Kalpowar: 7.30pm. (3rd Sunday). Session Clerk: Mr. Jim Petrie (08) 8395 6252 Rev. Dr. David Mitchell (03) 6223 4860. Pastor Brian Hoy (07) 4166 1441. Largs North, Brenda Terrace. 11.00 am. SCOTTSDALE NAMBOUR Rev R. Burns (08) 8267 1056. George St. Bridport: Westwood St. 21 Solanda St. 8.45am ELIZABETH Mod. Rev. R. White (03) 6278 1370 Rev Des Morris (07) 5441 3053. 106 Goodman Rd, Elizabeth South. 9.30 am STANLEY (St James) NORTH PINE Session Clerk: Mr Bob Arstall (08) 8825 5226. Fletcher St. Rocky Cape, Mawbanna 57 Old Dayboro Rd. Petrie.10.00am. & MILLICENT Mod. Rev. D. Combridge (03) 6425 9525 6.30pm. Rev Neil McKinlay (07) 3285 2104 Cnr Fifth & Sixth Sts. 10.30 am. ULVERSTONE (St Andrew’s) NUNDAH Rev Andrew Slater (08) 8733 2062. 65 Main Rd. 10.00am. 14 Rode Rd. Rev Guido Kettniss MT BARKER Rev Daniel Combridge (03) 6425 9525. (07) 3216 4151. Rev L Hall (07) 3267 0558. Hutchison St. 10.30 am. WEST TAMAR REDCLIFFE PENINSULA Pastor Rupert Hanna (08) 8391 3151. Auld Kirk Sidmouth. WoodyPoint, Cnr. Ellen & Hawthorne Sts. MT GAMBIER Mod: Rev. John Britton (03) 6339 4480 9.30am. & 6.00pm. Allison St. 10.00 am. 6.30 pm. Also Allendale, Scarborough: Jeays St. 8.00am. Glenburnie, Nelson (Vic), OB Flat. Rev. Peter Whitney (07) 3284 2578. Rev R. Waterhouse Ph/Fx (08) 8723 9028 ROCKHAMPTON (St Andrew’s) MURRAY BRIDGE Cnr. Bolsover & Derby Sts. 10.00am. & Masonic Hall 5.00pm. (1st, 3rd & 5th S’day) victoria 6.00pm. St John’s: Parnell St. 8.30am. Rev Wally Zurrer (08) 8296 0801. Rev Charlie Kennedy (07) 4922 8241. NARACOORTE ROCKHAMPTON (John Knox) Church St. 10.00am. ARARAT Rundle St. 10.00 am. & 7.30 pm. Rev Rudi Schwartz (08) 8762 1035 Cnr. Campbell St. (Pyrenees H’way) and Rev. Jon Chandler (07) 4922 1825 NORWOOD (St Giles) Queen St. 10 am. Mr Norman Sharp ROCKHAMPTON ( St Stephen’s) 79 The Parade. 9.30 am. O.(03) 5334 3747 H. (03) 5352 4054 Burnett St. Nth Rockhampton, 8.30am. Session Clerk: Mr. John Clark (08) 8331 7582 ASHBURTON Rev Jon Chandler (07) 4922 1825 PARA HILLS Junction of High St. and High Street Rd. Mt Morgan: St Enoch’s, East St. 9.00am. 174 Maxwell Rd. 10.30 am. near Warrigal Rd. 10.15am. Rev Gilbert Jansen (07) 4938 2485. Session Clerk: Mr. Ian Robbie (08) 8395 1585 Rev Peter Orchard (03) 9889 6034.
AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN • 15 CHURCH DIRECTORY
ASPENDALE ELTHAM 9.30am Cnr Station St. & Lyle Grv. 9.00am. & 23 Batman Rd. 10.00 am Sorrento:St Andrew’s, Kerferd Rd.11.00am. 6.00pm. Rev A. Campbell (03) 9580 0530. Rev. Don Elliott (03) 9439 9720 Rev. Robert Boan (03) 5984 2078. AUBURN ESSENDON SUNSHINE Cnr Rathmines & Station Sts Cnr Wilson & McPherson Sts. McKay Memorial, Anderson Rd. 10.00am. & Hawthorn East 10.00 am. Moonee Ponds 9.30am. & 7.00pm. 7.00pm. Rev Cor Vanderhorn (03) 9311 1661 Rev S P Swinn (03) 9882 5256 Rev. Paul Ridgewell (03) 9370 1281 SURREY HILLS (St Stephen’s) BALACLAVA FRANKSTON Canterbury & Warrigal Rds. 10.15am. & Hotham St. & Denman Ave.10.00am. 30 Radiata St. 10.30am. & 6.00pm. 7.00pm. (2nd Sun: Youth Service 7.00pm). Rev Mike Wharton (03) 9527 3270. Rev David Kumnick (03) 9786 2976. I.M. Rev. Peter N Orchard (03) 9889 6034 BENDIGO (St John’s) HAMILTON UPPER YARRA – WARBURTON Forest St. 10.30am. St Andrew’s, Gray & McIntyre Sts. 10.00am. 3471 Warburton H’way. 10.30am. & 6.00pm. Rev Andrew Clarke (03) 5443 6189. & 5.00pm. (last Sunday of month) Powelltown: Main Rd. 9.15am. BLACKBURN Rev Keith Bell (03) 5572 1009 (03) 5966 2309. 53 Gardenia St. 11.00am. HAWTHORN WANGARATTA – REGIONAL PARISH Rev P Locke (03) 9725 6417 580 Glenferrie Rd. 11.00 am. & 7.00 pm. Wangaratta, 158 Rowan St. Yarrawonga, BUNDOORA Rev Dr Graham Lyman (03) 9819 5347. 47 Orr St. Myrtleford , 78 Standish St Bundoora Hall, Noorong Ave. 10.00 am KANGAROO GROUND Rev. Neil Harvey (03) 5721 6444 Admin: Mrs M Goodson (03) 9431 1851 265 Eltham-Yarra Glen Rd. 9.30am. WARRNAMBOOL (St John’s) BURWOOD S. Clerk: Dr R.Baldock. (03) 9437 1265 Warrnambool: Cnr Spence & Manifold Sts. (Chinese Presbyterian Church) 11.00am. KOREAN 10.00am & 7.00 pm. Sunday Night Life 5.30 Cnr. Greenwood &Tennyson Sts. 16 Walnut Rd. North Balwyn. South Warrnambool: McDonald St. 9.30 Rev Dr John Elnatan (03) 9801 7645. English language service. 11.00 am Woodford: Mill St. 11.00 am CAMBERWELL- Trinity LEONGATHA Warrnambool Office: (03) 5562 2029 cnr Riversdale & Waterloo Strs. 10.00am. Cnr. Bent & Turner Sts. 10.00am. Rev Chris ten Broeke (03) 5561 5373 Rev. Philip Mercer (03) 9836 4102 Session Clerk: (03) 5662 4734 Rev. Philip Burns (03) 5561 7899 CAMPERDOWN-TERANG MALVERN WAVERLEY – KNOXFIELD 9.30 am Aug – Jan. 11 am Feb – July 161-163 Wattletree Rd. 10.30am. & 5.00 pm. Highvale Primary School Ashton St. Terang: 1 Warrnambool Rd. Rev John S Woodward (03) 9509 7373. Glen Waverley 9.30am. Camperdown: Campbell & BrookeSts. MELTON S. Clerk: Mr W. Vandenberg (03) 9878 0494. I.M.Rev. C Ten Broeke (03)5562 2029 Mowbray College, Centenary Ave. WEST FOOTSCRAY CANTERBURY Rev Peter Owen (03) 9747 8195. 141 Essex St. (Scots) 10.00 am. 146 Canterbury Rd. 10.30am. & 7 pm. MOE – YARRAM Session Clerk: Ms J Swift (03) 9687 5701 Rev. Grant Lawry (03) 9836 4601. Moe: 34 Fowler St. 10.00am. WILLIAMSTOWN (St Andrew’s) CANTERBURY JAPANESE Yarram: Cnr. Dougherty & Montgomery 87 Cecil St. 10.00am. & 7.00pm. (1st & 3rd. 146 Canterbury Rd. 10.30 am Sts. 2.00pm. Rev Jared Hood (03) 5127 1296. Sun). Rev. Bruce Riding (03) 9397 5338 Rev. Hugh Price (03) 9894 2384 NOORAT-DARLINGTON WODONGA-RUTHERGLEN CAULFIELD-ELWOOD Noorat: Cnr Mc Kinnons Bridge & 59 Mitchell St. Wodonga. Rutherglen: Caulfield: Neerim/Bambra Rds. 11.15am. Glenormiston Rds. 10.30 am. Community Centre, Sheridan’s Bridge Rd. Elwood: Scott/Tennyson Sts. Darlington: Hall St. 8.45 am. (1st & 3rd Pastor Ian Leach (02) 6024 4028. 9.15am & 4.00pm. Sundays) Rev. Barry Oakes (03) 5592 5220 WOORI YALLOCK Rev Stephen Tay (03) 9505 3013. NUMURKAH Healesville Rd. 9.15am & 5 pm, (7pm DLS) Assistant: Mr John Cho (03) 9571 5218 58 Saxton St. 11.15am. Tallygaroopna: Rev David Brown (03) 5964 6014. CHELTENHAM (Pioneers’ Memorial) Victoria St. 9.30am. Cobram: Cnr High 8 Park Rd. Cnr. Charman Rd. 9.30am. and Pine Sts. (Anglican Church) 2.30pm. CLIFTON HILL Pastor Trevor Cox (03) 5862 1621. Cnr Michael&McKean Sts North Fitzroy. RESERVOIR western australia 10.30 am 81 Edwardes St. 10.00 am. & 7.00 pm. Int.Mod. Rev Peter Phillips (03) 9481 4642. Rev Chris Siriweera (03) 9460 9523 CROYDON HILLS RINGWOOD-HEATHMONT BICTON Good Shepherd Lutheran Primary School Cnr. Waterloo St. & Canterbury Rd. Harris St. & View Tce. 9.00am & 7.00pm. 53-57 Plymouth Rd. Croydon. Heathmont 10.00am. Enq: (03) 9728 3374. Rev Stuart Bonnington (08) 9339 3542. 10.00am. & 6.00pm. ROCHESTER FREMANTLE (Scots) I.M.Rev. John P Wilson (03) 9898 9384 Cnr. Victoria St. & Echuca Rd. 11.00am. & Cnr South Tce & Parry St. 10.00 am DANDENONG 7.30pm. Timmering 9.30 am Chinese Worship & Sunday School. 3.00 pm. 51 Potter St. 10.00am. ST KILDA Rev James Nocher (08) 9319 2208. Rev Henri Joyeux (03) 9792 4252. Cnr Alma Rd. & Barkly St. 11.00am & WHITFORDS (St Mark’s) DONVALE 7.00pm. Rev Bob Thomas (03) 9537 1642 (O) Anglican School, St Marks Dr Hilarys. Cnr. Springvale & McGowan’s Rds. 9.30am SHEPPARTON 9.00am. Rev Alan Perrie (08) 9447 1074 & 6.30pm. (03) 9841 7020 (O) Cnr. Hayes & Leithen Sts. 9.00am. & Rev Gerald Vanderwert (03) 9842 9493. 7.00pm. Also Stanhope, Kyabram. DROMANA – MORNINGTON Rev John Sutherland (03) 5831 6494. To register your church in this section of the Dromana: St Andrew’s, Gibson St. 9.00am. SOMERVILLE Australian Presbyterian is an easy, low cost Mornington (TheChapel) Cnr Strachans Cnr Jones Rd. & Park Lane. exercise. Facsimile the AP office on: Rd.& Nepean Hwy. 11.00am. Rev. Ian Brown (03) 5977 5469 (03) 9723 9685 or E-mail us at: Rev Andrew Venn (03) 5975 9514 SOUTH YARRA [email protected] DROUIN 621 Punt Rd. 10.00 am. & 6.30 pm. Church St. 9am. 10.30am. 7.30pm. Sept- I.M. Rev. M. Wharton (03) 9527 3270 The Annual Fees are: April; 7.00pm. May-Aug. SORRENTO – RYE Congregations under 50 $45.00 plus GST I.M. Rev. J.C. Hood (03) 5127 1296 Rye: St David’s, Col’wood & Lyons Sts. Congregations 51 -99 $55.00 plus GST Congregations 100 or more $65.00 plus GST
AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN • 16 NEWS
a founding member of St Andrew’s Meals on Wheels in 1964. Congratulations to them both and to home three members who received the Lilley Australia Day Award for their many years of service to the community. .front Marjorie Sands received her award for her work at St Andrews Hospital and her many years of ministry at Gateway Nundah (Qld). Beth Dawson received her award for her many years with St Johns’ Ambulance and Australian Community Care. Jim Wyllie, an elder from Scots Clayfield, was another recipient.
Graham Gordon Presbyterians honoured Several Presbyterians received recogni- December. Mr Gordon comes from a tion in the Australia Day honours list in long line of Presbyterian elders. His January. father, grandfather and great-grandfather Cole Milne Bradbury, Taralga, NSW: were all elders, dating back to 1870. The Order of Australia (OAM). For service occasion was marked by a presentation at to the community of Taralga through the Presbytery, as well as some coverage in sporting, ex-service and social support the LaTrobe Valley newspaper. groups. Mr Bradbury has been an elder in Iris Gerard St Stephen’s Presbyterian Church since Appointments 1963. Iris Irene Gerard, Rowes Bay, Qld: On 4 February an appointment service OAM. For service to the community of Jubilee was held for the Rev. Trevor W. Cox to Townsville through Meals on Wheels. Mrs the charge of Waverley Knoxfield (Vic). Gerard has served as a member of the Graham Gordon celebrated 50 years Rev. Neil Harvey of Wangaratta Women’s Group at St Andrew’s service as an elder at St Andrew’s preached. Presbyterian Church, for 52 years and was Presbyterian Church, Morwell (Vic), on 3 Tony Archer has been appointed as
Theos coffee shops Clinton LePage reports on the 2001 Cowes experience. This summer was my fifth year after a big night, and had our biggest the local churches, were diverse and involved in the Scripture Union Cowes numbers ever. challenging. Our basic program includes (Phillip Island) Theos team and my 3rd As well as music we have pool and quiet-time, Bible study, team meeting, year as a co-director. Theos are coffee table tennis and sell cheap food and worship and small groups in the morn- shops run for young people. drinks, but we do have free tea, coffee ing. Afternoon activities include beach Ours is based at the Cowes Anglican and milo. Our focus is developing rela- volleyball, cricket, swimming and just Church hall, decorated with black plastic tionships with people, so we introduce hanging around the hall. Then we open over the walls and lights and parachutes ourselves and talk to people (but hope- up shop from 8.30pm to 1am nightly. over the roof. The hall has couches, fully listen more than we talk). Theos Theos is really a life-changing experi- chairs and tables (covered with butcher’s isn’t really an in-your face evangelism it’s ence which I can highly recommend to paper, with crayons available), and the more about evangelising through friend- any Christian. A big part of it is just liv- team provide live music and play CDs. ship. This year’s team of 16 members ing in a community with other We held a dance party from 12.30am to met heaps of people and developed rela- Christians, working and being focused 5am on New Year’s morning, largely as a tionships with quite a few of them. on something together and really seeing form of publicity and also as a safe and Our Bible studies on Philippians, run God work. Many of us are already look- alcohol-free place for people to hang out by some of the team and ministers from ing forward to next year’s Theos.
AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN • 17 NEWS
home missionary to the Warburton Historical register closely with refugees through its refugee Charge (Vic). Tony, an applicant for can- and displaced peoples program, com- didacy, studies at the Presbyterian mends the visit as a positive step, and has Theological College, Melbourne. A comprehensive register of provided the MPs a list of key questions it Rev. Ken Brown has been appointed Presbyterian ministers in Australia from felt the detainees should be asked. supply minister to the Charge of Drouin, 1822 to 1901 is being prepared by Dr According to Carolyn Kitto, director of Presbytery of Gippsland (Vic), for 12 Malcolm Prentis of Sydney (author of CWS, non-government organisations months. The Scots in Australia) and Rev. Dr working in the area have expressed con- Roland Ward of the Presbyterian Church cern about the level of access to the New elders of Eastern Australia, covering some 1000 detainees. ministers who served the various Peter Kooy has been ordained and Presbyterian churches in Australia to July Annual car baptism inducted and Walter Bruining inducted 1901 when the PCA was formed. as ruling elders within the session of the The work is well advanced. In Victoria Thousands of Australian children will be Ringwood/Heathmont Charge (Vic). the original minutes are being searched washing cars in May to raise money for because previous published lists/parish Bibles. Each year hundreds of Sunday Something old, something new histories have many errors. Overseas schools around Australia take part in The career details will be included, and refer- Bible League’s Children’s Bible Sunday, We had been driving for hours, reports ence to publications. which gives Australian children the Rev. Russell van Delden. We were hot and The authors request help in such areas opportunity to share the great news of the hungry. But then the kids saw it. We as marriage/family details (ie number of Gospel by providing Bibles for those slowed and turned in for a quick meal in children, specifying any of public promi- overseas. The program begins on Sunday airconditioned comfort. What they had nence), and information about descen- 6 May culminating with Children’s Bible seen, of course, was one of the world’s dants who have been ministers or mis- Sunday on 27 May. most recognisable logos – a large yellow sionaries. Other activities include reading testi- ‘M’. Colourful, simple logos are every- The writers hope to publish a limited monies and stories of the everyday lives of where. The Presbyterian church has had a edition by the time of the GAA in July. people in wild locations, activity sheets, a very recognisable symbol for the last 100 Please send any information to Rowland colouring-in competition, and cake stalls years with its crest. Ward at 358 Mountain Hwy, Wantirna and devonshire teas. The theme for However, few might realise that there 3152, fax (03) 9720 4871, or email Children’s Bible Sunday this year will be are in fact five versions in use, ranging [email protected]. Bible translation, involving the Bible from a more-rounded shape with only League and Wycliffe Bible Translators. four stars and a burning bush to the elon- For more information, or to receive the gated design with five stars, a cross, burn- free resource kit for “Children’s Bible ing bush, rose, thistle and shamrock. But Sunday” contact Greg or Karen at The it is dated. Its intricate design and Latin Bible League on 1800 800 937 or email wording shows that it comes from a pre- across [email protected]. The website is vious century (1883, in fact). Yet for www.bibleleague.com many, it still serves as a wonderful symbol of God’s goodness to our church Staines memorial throughout its history. Should we replace australia it and risk hurt and division in our A small stone monument commemorat- church? Or should we keep it and have ing the deaths of missionary Graham our younger members reluctant to use it? Staines and his two sons, Philip and The General Assembly of Australia Timothy, has been erected at Beaudesert, established a Logo Committee to work in Graham’s home town in southern conjunction with the Committee on the Queensland. The monument was the cen- Centenary of the PCA to produce a mod- trepiece of a Sunday afternoon remem- ern emblem/logo which will reflect the brance service on 21 January, two days mission of our church in Australia as we before the second anniversary of the trio’s begin our second century on 24 July. We MPs in detention murder by Hindu extremists in Orissa, think it is best to keep our crest, and to India. create a modern logo to exist alongside it Members of the Human Rights Sub- The memorial was commissioned by for those who prefer. Over the past year, Committee of the Joint Standing the Beaudesert Shire Council. Speakers we have produced a range of draft Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence included George Bartle, former pastor of designs. The best will soon be available and Trade recently inspected detention the Mt Tamborine Presbyterian Church, for inspection and comment at facilities at the remote Curtin RAAF base who recalled counselling Graham Staines www.iig.com.au/logo. Russell van Delden in Western Australia. The visit is part of a in the late ‘50s after a Christian Endeavour is convener of the Logo Committee. series of inspections to assess the condi- testimony meeting “in a cow paddock tions under which detainees live. The near Rathdowney”. detention centres have been the focus of Rev. Lloyd Carter, chairman of the considerable unrest and increasing criti- Evangelical Missionary Society in cism in the wider community. Christian Mayurbhanj, said, “This is not only a World Service (CWS), which works memorial to them, but also to what they
AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN • 18 NEWS represent – the Gospel of Christ; to sacri- ficial and humble service.” Mrs Gladys Staines quoted Psalm 46: “God is our refuge and strength ... Be still world and know that I am God”. She said many Hindus had written, offering condolences and saying “this is not Hinduism”. news Democratic convention This year’s Christian Democratic Party national convention is being held from 9 to 11 March at the Southern Fred Nile, David Flint and Peter Barnes Cross College, 40 Hector Street, Chester Hill in Sydney. The convention is open to all concerned Christians. Chinese bestseller. Jamboree 2001 The Bible has become a bestseller in More than 12,500 young Scouts gath- China, with 25 million copies printed in ered at Cataract Park, Sydney, to celebrate the People’s Republic over the past 13 the centenary of Federation as part of the years, according to China’s state office for 19th Australian and 22nd Asia-Pacific religious affairs. Deputy director Guo Scout Jamboree held at Cataract Park, Wei, speaking at a meeting celebrating a Sydney in January 2001. jubilee edition in Nanjing, said the Bible This 12-day formal gathering of Scouts ranks second only after the books of the from all over Australia and various coun- former leader Deng Xiao Ping. tries around the world is also a time of There are, however, still restrictions. fun and fellowship, consisting of activi- Bookstores are not allowed to sell the ties such as abseiling, caving, tours and Jenny and Peter Stokes (Saltshakers “Book of Books”. This is why many many other scout type activities. Kevin Melbourne) addressing the National churches set up bookstalls where Cooper, minister with out charge, of Centenary Conference Christians and Non-Christian may Rutherford, NSW, was chaplain to one of obtain bibles. There are also 70 official the eight sub-camps, ministering to 1360 Australia Day Conference distribution centers. Scouts aged from 11 to 15 and 56 adult According to official estimates, there leaders. are approximately 25 million Christians in The chaplains were drawn from all Professor David Flint, chairman of the state registered Protestant churches, and denominations and it was their job to try Australian Broadcasting Authority, gave 3.2 million Catholics. Church experts put and make the Word of God a living reality the keynote speech at the National the figure much higher – at 40 to 60 mil- in the community of the sub camp, Kevin Centenary Conference on the Australia lion. Most of them belong to house reports. “The duty to God is a positive Day weekend in January. Mr Barrie churches and groups not recognized by part of the Scout program and it is the Unsworth, chairman of the NSW the Chinese authorities. They sometimes chaplain’s role to reinforce attitudes to Centenary of Federation Celebration suffer persecution at the local level. God within people in an effective manner Committee, gave the closing speech. and to help the spiritual and physical well- Delegates came from NSW, Victoria Bombings in China being of everyone in the sub camp.” and the ACT, and were sponsored by the Australian Federation of Festival of Voice of the Martyrs reports that in the Light. Rev. Fred Nile chaired the confer- last week of November more than 400 ence, which took as its theme the opening unregistered Christian and non-Christian words of the Australian Commonwealth places of worship in the Ouhai district of Constitution: “Humbly relying on the Wenzhou were destroyed or closed down blessing of Almighty God.” Speakers by Chinese authorities. Many places were included Rt. Rev. Charles Pass, Rev. Dr literally blown up. Many private homes Peter Barnes, Justice Lloyd Waddy, Mr used as house churches were included in Richard Eason, Rev. David Cartledge, the destruction. The recent attack was Dr Graham McLennan, Mr and Mrs said to be necessary “to maintain social Peter and Jenny Stokes, Mr Philip stability”. In the past year over 1200 reli- Benwell and Mr Neville Pollard. gious buildings have been shut down or The conference plans Christian her- destroyed in the province of Zhejiang itage parades in October, as part of the centenary celebrations in each capital city Attacks in Indonesia to celebrate Australia’s Christian pioneers. Chaplain Team – Australian Jamboree Addresses are available on audio and video In an orchestrated campaign of violence 2001 tape from GPO Box 141, Sydney 2001. against Christians in Indonesia on
AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN • 19 NEWS
Christmas Eve, at least 14 people were hours in January for showing a Jesus film Landmark in Turkey killed and 100 injured. The violence is in Jehra, a remote village on the regarded by political commentators as an Rajasthan-Gujarat border in western Fourteen months after the Istanbul effort to destabilise President Wahid’s India. Compass reports that the Protestant Church filed for legal status democratic government. Christians were seriously injured but are as a religious foundation, Turkey’s “The almost simultaneous explosions expected to recover. highest court granted it on December outside Catholic and Protestant churches 7. The court overruled all previous in seven cities across Indonesia were con- Maluku Christians’ plea appeals, allowing the establishment of demned by Mr Wahid, who said forces the first legally recognised Turkish trying to oust him were fomenting vio- Alarmed by mounting evidence that per- evangelical church. The church’s pastor lence. Newspapers reported that “most of haps as many as 1000 Protestant and called it a landmark decision for the the bombs were planted in cars parked Catholic Christians on the islands of Kesui country’s few thousand Turkish outside targeted churches. Clergymen and Teor have been forcibly converted to Protestant Christians. received others wrapped as gifts. Police Islam, often involving painful circumci- In less happy news, a Syrian Orthodox defused 13 unexploded devices.” sions, leaders of the Maluku churches parish priest in Turkey has publicly issued an emergency appeal to United rejected charges that he “provoked hatred Taliban to execute converts Nations to prevent further coercion. and religious enmity” by telling local reporters that his Christian minority The supreme leader of Afghanistan’s Iranian converts stranded community had been victims of genocide ruling Taliban militia warned in January by Turks 85 years ago. Put on trial that his regime will apply the death Mahmoud Erfani fled Iran into Turkey December 21 before Diyarbakir’s Second penalty to any Muslim who converts to with his wife and three daughters 18 State Security Court, Fr. Yusuf Akbulut another faith. Omar also specified that months ago, to escape a decade of trou- could be jailed up to three years if con- “any non-Muslim found trying to win bles for converting from Islam to victed. converts will also be killed”. Christianity. But because they have no “proof” of persecution, the family is Christians evicted Pastors Pay ‘War Tax’ stranded in central Turkey and could be deported any day back to Iran, where A month after four Christians in Colombia’s violent groups are demand- Erfani could be tried and executed for Turkmenistan were arrested and tortured ing money from churches and pastors in apostasy, Compass reports. by secret police, all three of the married the form of “war taxes” to support their men and their families have been forcibly activities, Compass reports. Failure to Salvation Army banned evicted and their homes confiscated by comply invites kidnapping or death for the government, Compass reports. The the pastor or his family. Extortion has A Moscow city court rejected on 28 Christians were implicated in the discov- become a booming industry in Colombia, November the Salvation Army ministry’s ery of “contraband” Christian videos that fed by public fear of these violent groups. appeal for reregistration as a religious were found in their wrecked car on organisation in Russia. The court upheld a November 21. Indian Christians beaten district court decision to deny reregistra- Turkmenistan is described as the most tion, stating that the word “army” indi- repressive of the Central Asian republics. Members of a radical Hindu group beat cated that the organisation might be mili- Only the Sunni Muslim Board and the two Christian workers for more than two tary and a threat to national security. Russian Orthodox church have gained official registration. Protestant Christians, and other religions and cults, General Assembly of Australia have been banned, and subjected to police National Director raids and large fines. All active foreign AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN WORLD MISSION Christians have been expelled in the last two years. The current National Director, Robert Benn, is resigning in May to take up a parish ministry. Applications are therefore invited from suitably qualified persons for the position of National Director, Clinton offends communists to commence duties as soon as convenient after June of this year. The successful applicant will have an enthusiastic commitment to cross cultural mission in an overseas President Bill Clinton, who visited context, and the ability to communicate this message effectively. Preferably applicants will have overseas Vietnam late last year before handing the experience in missionary service, or at least in visiting mission situations. The position requires leadership, presidency to George W. Bush, spoke to administrative and management skills. In addition to promoting the missionary cause of the Church and the the archbishop of Ho Chi Minh City, recruiting of missionary candidates, duties include liaison with State Committees of APWM and Partner Mission Societies, pastoral care of missionaries, and mission publicity. Jeane Baptiste Pham Minh Man, and The position is based in Sydney where the successful applicant will work talked of religious freedom when he in cooperation with the Executive Committee. addressed students at Hanoi National University. Freedom, he said, “does not Potential applicants are encouraged Dr David Pilgrim threaten the stability of society.” to contact the Convener for the National Convener, APWM According to Religion Today, Terms of Appointment and further 33 Seymour Street details of the role of the National Hurstville Grove NSW 2220. Communist leaders were not impressed Director. Applications should be Dr Pilgrim can be contacted by phone/fax on 02 9586 2372 by his comments or his visit with the submitted by 10 May to: or by email at [email protected] archbishop.
AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN • 20 FAMOUS CONVERSIONS Harold E. Hughes
had controlled me. What was the point of While the New Testament tells us living? I’d failed everyone who had meant that people come to Christ in many dif- anything to me; I was a disgrace to my ferent ways, perhaps few are as dramatic town. I didn’t go to church – that would as that of former US Senator Harold E. be phony. I was a hypocrite in everything Hughes. In his autobiography, The Man I did; I couldn’t even tell the truth any from Ida, Hughes recounts how the light more. I couldn’t do anything right. Why first dawned in his soul after years of not just end it? alcoholism and troubled marriage. Harold E. Hughes The thought hung there, like the echo Hughes, who is well-known for the of a tolling bell. A cold feeling of logic crucial role that he played in discipling overcame me. Why not? I had thought Charles Colson during his time in was curtly rejected, for I would always tell about this before but had brushed it away. prison for Watergate, began life as a them I could control it. But deep down I Yet the more I considered the alternative, farm boy. But he outgrew the farm. He had begun to hate myself. I wasn’t at all the more sense it made. Why go on doing had the personality and skills that sure I could control my drinking. I was the things I hated? The more I thought marked him out for a career in pubic still haunted by the fear in Mother’s eyes about the disorder in my life and the affairs. But his love of socialising and when I slammed the whiskey bottle down inability to control it, the more I wanted meeting with people made him vulner- on her kitchen table. I had trouble sleep- to end it. I was just an evil rotten drunk, a able to what was destined to become the ing; when I did I’d have nightmares of liar. And what should happen to evil men? curse of his life: drink. He found himself men dying around me in shellbursts, and I They deserved to die. caught in its clutches and couldn’t break would awaken screaming and crying. And I got up from the bed and went to the free. It almost destroyed his marriage I had lost count of the jails I had been in closet where I kept my rifle and shotgun. and nearly cost him his life. for drinking or brawling. I opened the door and considered both, Had it not been for his encounter A drum beat of doom seemed to fill then reached for the shotgun. It would be with Christ, Harold Hughes would my days and nights. I cringed at people’s the most certain. It was a single barrel have been a dead man. He had reached comments, at knowing winks, at seeing Remington pump gun, 12-gauge. I slid the end of the line. But his conversion the flush in my face in the mirror, at the three shells in the magazine and pumped proved to be a significant turning-point. deepening fatigue which racked my body. one into the chamber. Tears streaming He subsequently became an elected Yet I was powerless to stop doing the one down my face, I lay down on the bed, State Governor and finally won a spot thing that caused it all. rested the shotgun on my chest and put in the US Senate as a Democrat. It was Trying to escape the horrible-self- the muzzle into my mouth. The cold steel during this time that he played a leading loathing, I found myself wandering about rasped my teeth and tasted of oil. role in the rehabilitation of Charles the house, a sense of blackness closing in Reaching down, I found I could push the Colson, from arch-politician to on me. In the bedroom, I slumped on to trigger with my thumb. This way every- Christian statesman. our bed. I sat there, realising the awful thing was certain: I did not want to botch This edited excerpt is taken from the hopelessness of my condition. I couldn’t it and spend the rest of my life as a veg- book The Man From Ida Grove control my drinking; for 10 years alcohol etable. (Hodder and Stoughton 1975). Then I thought of the awful mess and stains this would leave in the bedroom. I remembered the men I had seen shot fter falling “off the wagon” in overseas. I was leaving Eva and the girls Des Moines, I had been coming with enough bad memories. Getting up, I home drunk more often. At walked into the hall and into the bath- times I’d be belligerent and foul- room. It could be cleaned more easily. Amouthed. Though I never struck Eva, my Carefully holding the Remington, I verbal abuse made her cringe like a beaten climbed into the tub. kitten. One night both Connie and Carol It was as if a malignant force was were awakened by my shouting and I whirling me toward a frightening almost stumbled over them at the top of precipice. the stairs where they were huddled crying. By then, I had decided that drinking It was an old-fashioned claw-footed tub. was an inevitable part of my life and I no The porcelain was cold to my hand as I longer made claims about trying to stop. stepped into it, my shoe soles squeaking Anyone who tried to talk to me about it on the tub bottom. In it, I lay down, feel-
AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN • 21 FAMOUS CONVERSIONS
ing strange to be in a tub with my clothes I slid to the floor, convulsing in Father,” I cried through hot tears, “I will on. With the shot gun resting on my heavy sobbing. As I lay face down on do it.” stomach, I positioned it with the muzzle the tiles, crying and trying to talk to in my mouth toward my brain. Reaching God, my throat swelled until I couldn’t For a long time I knelt there. Then I down, my thumb found the trigger and I utter a sound. Totally exhausted, I lay stood up, breathing heavily as if I had just was about to push it. silent, drained and still. I do not know climbed a long hill. Reaching into the tub, A terrible sadness filled me. I knew how long I lay there. But in that quiet I picked up the shotgun. I shuddered as I what I was doing was wrong in God’s bathroom, a strange peace gently settled thought how close I had come to using it. eyes. Yet, my whole life had been wrong. over me. Something that I had never Taking it to our bedroom, I unloaded the And God had always been very remote. In experienced before was happening, shells and placed the gun back in the a few years my family would get over it, I something far beyond my senseless closet. As I closed the closet door, a faint reasoned. They would have an opportu- struggles. A warm peace seemed to set- accusatory echo sounded: “Coward . . . nity to rebuild their lives. But if I tle deep within me, filling the terrible afraid to pull the trigger.” remained here, I would never change and emptiness, driving out the self-hate and Doubt chilled me. Had my experience only hurt them more. The thought came condemnation. My sins seemed to evap- in the bathroom been another of the that I should explain all this to God before orate like moisture spots under a hot, many illusions I had gone through pushing the trigger. Then if he could not bright sun. before? I was so deceptive to myself and forgive this sin, at least he would know God was reaching down and touching others. But something far stronger kept exactly why I was committing it. me. A God who cared, a God who loved saying: “Stay with God, follow him, Climbing out of the tub, I knelt on the me, who was concerned for me despite believe.” tile floor and laid my head on my arms, my sins. Like a stricken child lost in a I knelt at the bed: “Father,” I prayed, “I resting on the cool tub rim. “Oh, God,” I storm, I had suddenly stumbled into the don’t understand this or know why I groaned, “I’m a failure, a drunk, a liar and warm arms of my Father. Joy filled me, so deserve it. For you know how weak I am. a cheat. I’m lost and hopeless and want to intense it seemed to burst my breast. But I put myself in your hands. Please give die. Forgive me for doing this.” I broke Slowly I rose to my knees and looked up my family back to me ... and give me the into sobs, “Oh, Father, please take care of to him in the awe of gratitude. Kneeling strength never to run again. Father, I put Eva and the girls. Please help them forget on that bathroom floor, I gave him myself myself in your hands.” me …” totally. “Whatever you ask me to do, For a long while I knelt there. Then I climbed into bed, rested my head on the pillow and for the first time in months slipped into a deep, peaceful sleep. Bright sunshine streaming through the window awakened me. An exuberance filled me, and then I remembered the night before. I got up and made coffee, thinking how close I had come to killing myself. I knew that if I drank again I would put myself under the control of dark forces that would lead me to the same horrible pit. But I also knew I had someone with me, a personal being who had reached down in my desperation and comforted me. As I thought of him, again that strange joy filled me. ap
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AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN • 22 CULTUREBOOKS WATCH
knowing love and acceptance among a name – and they’re always glad you came” TV Watch group of friends. And there is some great (or so said the theme song). Friends humour along the way, courtesy of some I think part of the appeal of these clever script writing. shows is that they touch on a deep long- Reviewed by Luke Tattersall Now, I’ll be the first to admit that there ing that all people have: a desire to are plenty of less-than-helpful themes in belong, to be a part of a group where we the show. Many of the themes are a reflec- will know acceptance and support. We tion of the age we live in – the homosex- have a desire to know there is somewhere ual relationship of Ross’s ex-wife, the fact we can go where “everyone will know that most of the characters are jumping your name”, a place where people will be from one bed to another, Ross’s divorces, “there for you”. to name just a few. But let’s put those aside for a moment As Christians I think we know that this and think about the bigger idea of desire is not wrong. That’s how God has “friends”. That’s what drives the show. made us. We are wired for relationships. The characters are friends with each other, We are made to be in relationship with and nothing can damage that relationship. other people. People need people. They will always be there for each other, In a strange way I think the characters So no one told you life was gonna be this no matter who else comes and goes. in Friends and Cheers are looking for way. One thing that all the characters seem exactly what we should be offering as Your job’s a joke, you’re broke, you’re love- to have in common is that they come churches. They want a place to belong life’s D.O.A. from dysfunctional homes. Ross and and be accepted. They want to be a part of It’s like you’re always stuck in second gear. Monica have the most normal parents – a group that will support them and care And it hasn’t been your day, your week, but they are still very weird. They aren’t for them. They want to be a part of a your month or even your year. able to be completely honest with their group where they will know love and But I’ll be there for you – when the rain parents. But that seems to be OK because acceptance. starts to fall they have their friends. It’s tragic that churches often give the I’ll be there for you – like I’ve been there Another message that comes through opposite impression. Churches are often before. with Friends is that there is no “judgmen- seen as the place where you will be judged, I’ll be there for you – like you’re there for me talism”. No one is judged according to where you will be made to feel uncom- too. their job or income or even intellectual fortable when you come in, where people o goes the theme song from the capacity. You may be a palaeontologist like won’t remember your name for the first smash hit TV show Friends. A new Ross or an out of work actor (and not so six weeks that you come along. season has just begun and I’m sure bright) like Joey, or a waitress like Rachel. But more than that – if people are look- the viewers of this show will ensure But they’ll all be accepted, no matter ing for a friend – if they are looking for thatS this show sits in the number one rat- what. someone who will always be there for ings position for another year. Ross, That is not to say that the friendships them – then they are really looking for Monica, Rachel, Chandler, Joey and are perfect – far from it. But they are will- Jesus, aren’t they? When you read what Phoebe are all back for another year as ing to put up with whatever idiosyncrasies Hebrews 2 says about Jesus it is clear that Friends. the others may have – Monica’s obses- he is the perfect friend – the one who can My guess is that most of you have seen sive/compulsive behaviour, Phoebe’s ter- understand and sympathise with all the it at least once (and the ratings would cer- rible songs and singing, etc. They will put things we go through – the one who is tainly indicate that). But for those who are up with it because they are friends. there for us. By placing our trust in him – not regular viewers, let me fill you on the This is by no means the first show to by accepting what he has done for us on main idea of the show. The name of the promote the ideals of belonging and the cross – we can be forgiven and have a show, and those lines from the theme friendship. The TV show Cheers in the friend, a brother, who will be there for us song, really sum up what it is all about: it ‘80s was based around the same idea. The ... forever. is about friends. It is about belonging and bar in Boston was a place where you could security. It is about having a group of peo- find acceptance and understanding – a Luke Tattersall is the pastor of Parramatta ple who will care for you. It is about place where “everybody knows your City Presbyterian Church. ap
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AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN • 23 EVANGELISMPARENTING Safe sex The Bible’s moral standards apply equally to male and female.
om and Dad, you can be to confession on its anniversary every year proud of yourselves. You for the rest of your life.” raised two daughters in How much better are the memories of Southern California and a wedding day for two chaste people? ‘Mboth of us were virgins on our wedding How much better it is to celebrate day!” together with gladness and a pure heart? Tim and Beverly LaHaye rejoiced The anniversary Lee speaks of is a lonely when their daughter said this on the way one, charged with guilt and regret. to her wedding. She and her sister had Marion Andrews In 1995, an American teenager with both, like Daniel, “resolved not to defile” cerebral palsy came to Australia on a themselves with the sexually permissive speaking tour. She spoke to young peo- Teenagers need to know that the only ways of our day. The LaHayes say to par- ple about Jesus Christ and life, teenage way to have safe sex is to marry a faithful ents, “You can raise virtuous children in sex, abortion and chastity. Gianna Jessen husband or wife. this permissive society.” was the unwanted baby of a teenage Our society is wrong. Not every Parents have always wanted children, mother but she survived abortion. When teenager is sexually active and many are and particularly daughters, to go into mar- she was 12 years old, her adoptive deliberately choosing chaste lifestyles. In riage as virgins. Queen Victoria’s mother mother told Gianna her birth story. Her the 1980s, Australian school texts like slept in the same bed as her daughter until immediate reaction was, “Well, at least I Maestro promoted sexual activity among her wedding day to protect her from the have cerebral palsy for an interesting rea- school children. To my surprise, in promiscuous behaviour of those around son.” Looking for Alibrandi, set in a Roman her. Even today, many fathers, not partic- Her long-term reaction has been to Catholic school in Sydney in the 1990s, ularly moral themselves, have old-fash- witness to the God who preserved her life the main character, Josie, rejects casual ioned values for their daughters. and the forgiveness Jesus brings. She calls sex. In contrast, her friend, Lee, admits Christian parents do not differentiate young people to reject fornication and she has been damaged by her first sexual between moral standards for girls and embrace chaste lifestyles. encounter. boys. The Bible is the fairest book in the Lee says, “It is a loss of innocence you world, setting the same standards for male im and Beverly LaHaye, in Against The know. Just like everyone says it is. I think T and female. Fornication – voluntary sexual Tide, give two sets of questions: one for it’s the only thing you have left that intercourse between an unmarried man fathers to ask sons; one for mothers to ask belongs to you and that belongs to that and an unmarried woman – is listed with daughters. American parents (or those cocoon of childhood.” the works of the sinful flesh (Gal. 5:19). who write books) tend to be more intense Josie says, “You think that even if I did Let it not be named among you! (Eph. in conversations than we in Australia. I’m sleep with him I wouldn’t have been able 5:3) not sure how far I would have got asking to hold on to him?” Tragically, there is a strong communal my daughters these questions! However, “Jose, your loss of virginity will be belief, promoted by Hollywood, secular I believe they are a good spring-board for written in a diary and you’ll probably go education and our culture in general, that thought and discussion. chastity is an impossible standard. People A few years ago, a 13-year-old girl do not believe that sexual desires can be wrote in her diary, “I don’t understand controlled, and refuse to believe that any boys. Don’t they realise it is stupid to go single person remains celibate for any with someone and know you are just length of time. This is Satan’s lie. Sex is a going to drop them straight after a year or powerful force but it is a physical appetite two! I don’t want a boyfriend until after and healthy living involves controlling all uni cause I’m just going to break his our appetites. (See Dr Rex Russell in What heart.” the Bible Says About Healthy Living) We need to do all in our power to pro- Why are condoms being promoted for tect and nourish this innocence. safe sex? Pregnancy occurs in 12 per cent Humanist education, with co-ed sex of couples using condoms. “In promiscu- classes, breaks down children’s natural ous sex, even with condoms, the infection reserve, and breaks it down too early. For rate is 100 per cent with the human papil- this reason, writers like James Dobson loma virus (HVP).” There is no cure for and Tim and Beverly LaHaye believe this virus, which is suspected of eventually children should be educated in Christian causing cancer of the cervix and penis schools or at home. And that is another (Russell). Scenes from Looking For Alibrandi story! ap
AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN • 24 LETTERS
Scriptures to parents of Nambucca For the children School an attack on parents rights and the biblical understanding of sin and human- Those mourning the breakdown of Tom ity. But it is more than that: it is an anti- and Nicole’s marriage may have noticed letters Christian attempt to silence God. It fol- that the Cruise-Kidman divorce is going lows the homosexual anti-vilification bill. to be “civilised”, for the sake of the child- NSW is quickly becoming an anti- ren. However Dr Judith Wallerstein, who Christian state. The next step may be to conducted a landmark 25-year study of forbid the teaching of the Scriptures in children of divorce with a matched con- any public place and to prevent proselytis- trol group, found that children suffer ing. deeply from their parents’ divorce even A careless sleeping church indeed when there are no disputes. may not care. It does not proselytise “Adult children of divorce are telling us anyway but those who at least go by the loud and clear that their parents’ anger at name of Christ should be aware that if the time of the break-up is not what mat- they do not think the Word of God ters most,” Wallerstein says. “Unless there (Christ) worth suffering for at the was violence or abuse or unremitting high Beyond the banal hands of man, they will certainly suffer conflict, they have dim memories of what at the hands of God. transpired during this supposedly critical As a Christian and artist (composer These laws come about through an period. It’s the many years living in a post- and poet), I read Michael Jensen’s article ineffectual Church failing to speak divorce or remarried family that count ... “Sublime depravity” (AP, November) authoritatively in the name of Christ It’s feeling sad, lonely and angry during with interest. I can understand the anxi- and failing to suffer for righteousness’ childhood. It’s travelling on airplanes ety of those who think that time is sake. No one belongs to Christ who alone when you’re seven to visit your par- short. They could do worse than follow will not suffer for him. The NSW ent. It’s having no choice about how you Paul’s example of seeking to be all things Church needs to act decisively both in spend your vacations ... It’s reaching to all men so that by all means he might speaking out and in determining what adulthood with acute anxiety. Will you save some (1 Cor 9:22). When he was measures it will take to protect itself ever find a faithful woman to love you? writing to the Corinthians, who were from financial and perhaps physical Will you find a man you can trust? Or will arty, impressed by their Greek culture attack. Concern should also be shown your relationships fail just like your par- and full of their own importance, he for those children who are not cor- ents’ did?” called them “barbarians” (1 Cor 14:11- rectly disciplined, for what a child Staying together for the sake of the 12). The pointedness of the remark is should learn in five minutes with the children is often considered old-fash- more apparent in the Greek than in rod will take him, through many sor- ioned. But Wallerstein is telling us it made some translations). When he addressed rows, perhaps a lifetime. a lot of sense. the Athenians, who were arty and impressed by their Greek culture and Neil Cadman, Roslyn Phillips full of their own importance, he quoted Norman Park, Qld Festival of Light, Adelaide classical Greek poetry to them (Acts 17:28). Note that this very Jewish Pharisee and theologian actually knew some classical Greek poetry. PRESBYTERIAN THEOLOGICAL CENTRE If we believe that the intellectuals and the aesthetes of this world are peo- SYDNEY ple for whom Christ died (Rom 14:15), we should make more of an effort at understanding their thought processes and prejudices so that we might be intellectual to win the intellectuals and artistic to win the artistic. Our current (and mostly deserved) reputation is for aesthetic and intellectual banality. GRADUATION CEREMONY AND COMMENCEMENT SERVICE Those who believe that the time is short have a lot of delegating or catching up to do. Wednesday 14th March 2001 At 7:30pm Ted Grantham, Croydon, NSW To be held at Suffering now or later St James Presbyterian Church Belmore Street, Burwood Peter Barnes (AP, January) correctly The Occasional Address will be given by Dr Vic Eldridge calls the forbidding of the quoting of the
AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN • 25 EVANGELISMPRAYER
moderator 10 Corowa parish; 4 congregations with 31 Virginia-Banyo parish, northern about 190 communicants and 19 Brisbane; about 50 communicants and elders; Peter and Sharon Pallett, exit 4 elders; Lindsay and Elizabeth appointment; Bruce Gorton, interim MARCH 2001 Timms. moderator. 21 West Tamar parish (The Auld Kirk, 11 Alex and Sybil Shaw from Epping, Sidinouth) Tasmania; about 60 com- APRIL 2001 Sydney, working with Language municants, the elders and preachers; 1 Millicent parish, in South Australia’s Recordings since 1969, the Korean John Britton, interim moderator SE; 2 congregations with about 70 recordists he has been training in 22 Moree parish, northern NSW;4 con- communicants and 6 elders; Andrew Chaing Mai, Thailand; and the effec- gregations with about 70 communi- and Jan Slater. tive use of recordings distributed cants and 10 elders; Les Fowler, 2 Kiama parish, south of Sydney, includ- recently in a PNG “Wokabout”. inducted last year, and Shirley. ing Jamberoo; about 75 communi- 12 Canterbury parish, Sydney; about 12 23 All Christian witness in Canada – 28 cants and 6 elders; Noel and Fleur communicants and 3 elders; Cohn and million people, 37% of British origin, Creighton, exit appointment; Norman Elizabeth Dubi. 28% of French, 3% indigenous – 45% Secomb, interim moderator 13 A clear and powerful proclamation of RC, 32% Protestant (including 3 Ashley & Sarah Manly from Croydon the message of Christ’s once for all 215,000 Presbyterians), 12% non reli- Hills Presbyterian Church, Victoria as atonement on the cross, and response gious and 4% following other religions they study Arabic in Jordan in con- in faith and love at services and Easter 24 Western Blacktown (Doonside) nection with his work as a computer camps and conventions. parish, western Sydney; about 24 specialist with Middle East Christian 14 John and Pat Warner working among communicants and 3 elders; David Outreach. Somali people in Sydney and beyond. and Caron Balzer (exit appointment) 4 Bible College students and those 15 A new grasp of the present and eternal Luke Tattersall, interim moderator studying biblical and theological sub- consequences of the triumph of the 25 Rochester-Timmering parish, Vic.; 2 jects by distance methods to enhance Lord Jesus over death. congregations with about 125 com- their Christian service. 16 Presbyterian Inland Mission board municants and 7 elders; Chris Perona, 5 All those involved in the spiritual dan- (Jack Knapp, superintendent) and all exit appointment gers of the occult and those working staff including the newest Patrol 26 Tocumwal-Finlay-Berrigan parish, to mediate Christ’s deliverance to Padres David Hart (WA) and Owen NSW on the Murray; 3 congregations them. Oakes (NSW). with about 90 communicants and 7 6 Praise God for the spectacular growth 17 Colac parish, Victoria; about 80 com- elders; David and Jenni Stone. of the church in China (a nation of 1.3 municants and 8 elders; Philip and 27 The advance of the Gospel among billion people) in the past half century Sharon Daffy. Chile’s 15 million people – 58% RC, of communist rule – from 5 to over 80 18 Presbytery of Melbourne West,Vic; 5 28 % Protestant (mainly pentecostal) million – and pray for its need for parishes (including Scots Church); 2 and 9 % non religious, speaking younger trained pastors and scriptures, appointment parishes and 2 home mis- Spanish and 6 other languages. and steadfastness under persecution. sion stations with 610 communicants 28 Presbytery of Rockhampton Qld.; 6 7 Robert and Beverley Harvey from and adherents,1 student chaplain, 1 parishes and 1 home mission station Annerley, Brisbane. WEC missionaries missionary; Peter Phillips, Clerk. totalling 27 congregations with 745 in Brazil since 1967, now Regional 19 The Protestant church in East Timor communicants and adherents, 2 minis- Secretaries for Latin America. with it’s 15,000 members, 12 pastors terial candidates, 2 retired ministers; 8 Presbytery of Northern Rivers, NSW; (20 have not returned), and 75 Home Charles Kennedy, Clerk. 12 parishes totalling 30 congregations Missionaries. APWM is actively 29 Mt Evelyn parish, Melbourne; about with 2200 communicants and adher- involved working with the local 65 communicants and 5 elders; Mark ents, 2 retired ministers, 1 under juris- churches, supplying personal and and Linda Crabb. diction; George Ayoub, Clerk. humanitarian aid as well as equipment. 30 Belconnen home mission station, 9 Essendon parish; about 50 communi- 20 Kogarah parish, Sydney; 2 congrega- Canberra; about 45 communicants cants and 6 elders; Paul Ridgewell tions with about 50 communicants and and 6 elders; vacant, John Baillie, inducted last year, and Gaye. 9 elders; Ray and Margaret Osborn
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AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN • 26 BOOKS
It is not at all clear how Smylie would mean that God sought to kill Gershom, define Presbyterianism, as it is always not Moses (Ex.4:24-26). So there is scope evolving. Would John Knox have recog- for debate! books nised Norman Vincent Peale, Robert A misprint on page 225 needs to be McAfee Brown or Lois Stair? One hardly corrected – it is the 3rd, 6th and 9th thinks so, but they all appear here as if plagues which arrive without warning. they all belonged in the one ark. There is Overall, this is a most promising start to not much analysis in the work, which suf- what should be a very worthwhile series of fers, as so many historical works do, from commentaries. a mild case of triumphalism. What’s Darwin Got to A Study Commentary Do with It? on Exodus Robert C. Newman and John L. Wiester, Vol. 1, chapters 1-18 with Janet and Jonathan Moneymaker John Currid Downers Grove: IVP, 2000 Durham: Evangelical Press, 2000 Reviewed by Peter Barnes A Brief History of the Reviewed by Peter Barnes Encouraging people to read and think Presbyterians Calvin said that the chief excellency of through issues is not an altogether easy James H. Smylie an expounder was “lucid brevity”. There task today, but this user-friendly cartoon- Kentucky: Geneva Press, 1996 are a number of modern commentaries – style work may help those who are will- Reviewed by Peter Barnes not always German either – which seem ing to tackle the issue of evolution as to adopt a policy of ignoring both the opposed to creationism. The question of adjective and the noun. Dr Currid, how- the length of days in Genesis 1 is side- The title of the book is actually some- ever, is genuinely helpful and stimulating stepped, but the issue of design is handled what misleading, as it concentrates on in this treatment of the first 18 chapters of very competently and with remorseless Presbyterianism in the United States. The Exodus. logic. Phillip Johnson says that the result Reformation is not dealt with particularly His theme is that Exodus is not so is “more fun than a barrel of well, and Scotland is mainly treated as much a contest between Egypt and Israel Australopithecines’’. background for what took place in the as one between the gods of Egypt and the Like Queen Victoria, I was not so New World. God of Israel. Dr Currid’s extensive amused, but it is highly recommended, The American story is treated in an knowledge of Egyptian mythology thus and will do much good to all who read it. overview which is helpful, albeit lacking in serves to illumine many a text. a number of areas. Smylie makes some Dr Currid tends to favour a later date doubtful assertions, as when he claims for the exodus than this reviewer would. that the refusal of the American He also considers that the Hebrew mid- CHRISTIAN Presbyterians to revise their confessional wives did not lie to Pharaoh in order to standards in the 19th century led to the save the Hebrew babies, as God may have BOOKS growth of the Methodists and Baptists given each of the Hebrew mothers a For Sale/Wanted (p.73). Certainly, on the revivals Smylie quick and easy labour (Ex.1:18-19). The We stock a wide range of new writes as an Arminian of the Finneyan sta- strange passage where it is usually & secondhand Evangelical & ble – it is the preachers who convert their thought that God tried to kill Moses for Reformed titles hearers. not circumcising Gershom is explained to Catalogues available Hours: Open Mon-Fri 2:00pm-5:30pm & Sat 10:00am-1:00pm RED ROCK Rockdale Would you? like to Christian Books Near Coffs Harbour rent our house, 2BR, 11 Watkin Street 2 Bedroom Holiday House for approx. 2 months Rockdale NSW 2216 $150 per week June-July this year? Tel (02) 9568 2813 Fax (02) 9590 3268 $20 cleaning fee Mornington Email [email protected] M. Hall, 12 Bimble Ave Peninsula Vic. or visit our web site at: S. Grafton Phone us, www.rcb.com.au Ph 02 6643 3068 Keith or Wilma RCB is supported by Bexley- on (03) 5983 8220 Rockdale Presbyterian Church
AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN • 27 ESSAY An overrated virtue Tolerance often simply reflects a lack of love.
oday one almost instinctively These days a fundamentalist is anyone regards tolerance as a Christian says that there is such a thing as truth. A virtue, a fruit of the Spirit’s work person who does not believe in the funda- within us. Sometimes one almost mentals of the faith – the inerrant author- Treceives the impression that the Christian ity of Scripture, Christ as God and man in message is that Christ came to make us the one person, his death as a substitute more tolerant. for sinners, his literal resurrection and Against this is the view of “Rabbi” coming again – is simply denying the Duncan: “The vague, cloudy men are Peter Barnes gospel, not coming up with an acceptable always talking against intolerance. Why, interpretation of it. There is but one way our very calling is to be intolerant; intol- to the Father in heaven, and that is erant of proved error and known sin.” nurse, Anita Cobby, was raped and mur- through His eternal Son (John 14:6; Acts Obviously, some civil tolerance is neces- dered by five men who cut her throat. Are 4:12; 1 Tim. 2:5). sary for a fallen world to survive. we meant to tolerate that? Of course not! A.W. Tozer could be blunt: “The fash- Imposing religious or political tests on Those who argue that, for example, we ion now is to tolerate anything lest we gain people has not proved to be very success- ought to tolerate homosexuality do not the reputation of being intolerant. The ful in the past. In a democracy, we either usually argue that we ought to tolerate tender-minded saints cannot bear to see have to allow everyone to vote or no one five men cutting the throat of a defence- Agag slain, so they choose rather to sacri- – although in the latter case that would be less woman. In other words, they are fice the health of the Church for years to the end of the democracy! The fact that a arguing not in favour of absolute tolera- come by sparing error and evil; and this great many people will vote for selfish rea- tion – nobody does – but of homosexual- they do in the name of Christian love.” sons and without much discernment may ity. Dorothy Sayers was of the same ilk: be true, but the alternative could well be The issue is thus not one of toleration “In the world it is called Tolerance, but in worse. but of what constitutes evil. Christians are hell it is called Despair ... the sin that In the 16th century the man who told to abhor what is evil (Rom. 12:9). believes in nothing, cares for nothing, became Pope Paul IV declared: “No man There are some things which we must seeks to know nothing, interferes with is to lower himself by showing toleration hate exceedingly, for to love God is to nothing, enjoys nothing, hates nothing, toward any sort of heretic, least of all a hate evil (Ps. 97:10). find purpose in nothing, lives for nothing, Calvinist!” and remains alive because there is nothing Within the Church too there needs to To love and to tolerate are not the same for which it will die.” be a certain amount of tolerance. We are thing at all. We are to love all, even our Tolerance must be married to truth if it not to judge one another (Rom. 14:13), enemies, but we are not to tolerate every- is not to be destructive. Even then, it is and the strong are to bear with (i.e. to tol- thing. The apostle Paul made it clear that better to speak as the Bible does, of speak- erate) the scruples of the weak (Rom. there is only one gospel, which is that ing the truth in love (Eph. 4:15). It looks 15:1). Those whom Christ has received Christ died and rose again in the place of as though Chesterton got it right when he ought to receive one other (Rom. 15:7). sinners. This and this alone is what we are said that “tolerance is the virtue of the There is to be a true catholicity about the to proclaim as a church (Gal. 1:6-9). To man without convictions”. Church, provided the gospel is received believe in Christ plus circumcision or with faith. Christ plus anything is to depart from the Peter Barnes is books editor of AP and However, there are clearly limits to the true gospel, and fall under the apostolic minister of Revesby Presbyterian Church, virtue of tolerance. In 1985 a Sydney anathema. NSW. ap
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AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN • 28