Comments on: Doing what we should have always been doing

By: Wayne

Wayne — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 10:21:43 +0000

In reply to Pete McAloney. I love this comment Pete because I find your words encouraging. Something I have wrestled with for a long time, and even so in past few months. How do we pastor a church that seemingly loses relavence even amongst those who appear to be worn out of hearing a msg of love God, love people. I do agree with your statement the church needs to be rescued from the church. And that of itself is also tragic.

By: Malcolm

Malcolm — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 08:15:24 +0000

Mike, I agree that the church needs to focus on showing how and why God’s ways are better by living them out and using their lives as exhibit #1 in their explanations (as per the Apostle Paul). A good resource on this is McDowell & Stonestreet’s book, Same-Sex Marriage: A Thoughtful Approach to God’s Design for Marriage. It’s hard to argue with someone who loves you (and others) better than you can love yourself.

Just a note: I’m not sure that your comparison of the results of the poll to a federal election helps give perspective, since federal elections are multi-way contests. Take a look at referendum results for a better perspective: the last carried referendum (on retirement of judges) had a yes vote of 80.1%, and the famous ’67 referendum on Aboriginals had a yes vote of 90.77%.

Having said that, a little research shows that the Abbot election of 2013 gave the coalition 60% and Labor 36% of seats in the lower house, a slightly wider margin than the SSM poll! (Although the senate result was not so lopsided.) And yet that comprehensive landslide did not seem to yield the Abbot government a mandate–we live in precarious times.

By: Susan

Susan — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 05:30:21 +0000

I’m not convinced that Australia is the only country struggling to trust the church. I was in Dublin the day the result of their referendum on same sex marriage was announced. Another yes vote, and many people said even though it’s a highly religious country, people were heartily sick of the church telling them what to do. For the same reasons Aussie are.

By: Pete McAloney

Pete McAloney — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 01:57:02 +0000

So many of my non-church friends tell me that they think the church is a self-serving institution that has no grace for or acceptance of anyone different from themselves. And yet they are so very interested in spirituality, the mysteries of the world they live in, and nearly always the teachings of Jesus. When I tell them about Pascal’s metaphor of everybody having a God-shaped hole within, they readily concede. And yet the church is the last place they would look for wrestling with their deep questions. It is so very tragic.
But! I firmly believe the church remains the heart of God’s plan for the world, the spotless bride (that sadly happens to be pretty spotty at the moment!) The church needs to be rescued from the church.

By: Kylie

Kylie — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 01:40:45 +0000

Love it. Thank you.

By: Erica Henley

Erica Henley — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 01:00:32 +0000

How about doing follow up articles about situations where Christians in Australia ARE loving their neighbours (far and wide)?
I can suggest lots of examples including Operation Hope – Northern Iraq Project.

By: Steven Clancy

Steven Clancy — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 00:11:28 +0000

It seems that mistrust in the church is just really finding a voice now that these things are coming to light. The elderly community, while not jumping as fast from .08% to 30% are at about 9% claiming no-religion or non-religious. That suggests to me that perhaps that mistrust had been ingrained but unable to find expression. I personally think that the church should welcome the backlash with humility and grace, as you suggest Mike, in order to refocus on the two greatest commandments.

Great article.