Schlissel in Perth

Gleanings is supporting a visit to Australia by Rev Steve Schlissel, from the Messiah’s Convenant Community Church in New York. Rev Schlissel will be coming to Perth for two weeks from the end of May to early June. He is author of several books which are also available in the Pro Ecclesia bookshop in Armadale. His books include Television or Dominion, Christian Culture in a Multicultural Age, Informed Worship and he has tapes on how to raise children.

Already several sponsors are committed to help fund the venture however if you would like to help sponsor the trip or have an interest in having Schlissel speak to your church or organisation please call Neville on 041 005 7416.

For info on Schlissel: http://www.messiahnyc.org/home.asp

His blog: http://www.schlissel.com/blog/index.php

Straight from the Heart

The Straight from the Heart Project is holding their 3rd concert @ King’s College, Freeway Church Auditorium, 170 Bertram Rd, Wellard. March 20 @7pm. Playing will be the Steenhof Family, Rolf Koens & Friends, Acme Joker, Kudos and H.I.M. people are invited to take their family and friends to this night of music, reflection and meditation.

Child Abuse

The number of children requiring protection from abuse increased 10% in the past year, according to a report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare released Jan 20. The report, Child Protection Australia 2008-09 showed Aboriginal Children were eight times more likely to be on a care and protection order. There were 3717 investigations of child abuse in WA in 2008-09, of which 1523 were substantiated.

For report: http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/cws/35/10859.pdf

Prayer Attacked

The WA Greens is calling for the removal of the use of the Lord’s Prayer in the Upper House of the WA Parliament. It has made a submission to the parliamentary committee which is reviewing the rules of the House. The Greens want a minute silence instead.

For story: http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/6706740/greens-threat-to-lords-prayer

Abbott Attacked

Opposition leader Tony Abbott has been under attack by anti-Christians for promoting religious education in schools and abstinence before marriage in a recent women’s magazine.

For article on Abbott and the Bible by Ben-Peter Terpstra: http://www.quadrant.org.au/blogs/qed/2010/01/abbott-and-the-bible

Action: Saltshakers says that like him, or not, Mr Abbott needs to be encouraged to stand firm against the attacks from those who think God is dead or even never was. They are asking that people please write to him tony.abbott.mp@aph.gov.au and encourage him to stand firm on Christian principals, the read the Word and stay true to it as he serves the people of Australia.

Internet Filtering

While welcoming internet filtering of some extreme pornographic material by the Fed Govt, Saltshakers in their Feb 2010 newsletter, expressed concern with the process where pro-life websites could also be banned. A trial of the filtering programme last year also included a ban on the site of Abortion TV, a pro-life webpage that contained photographs of aborted babies. Saltshakers is concerned that websites could simply be banned because they were deemed unacceptable to the authorities or people administering the system. “We need to know who will be responsible, and what accountability/transparency there will be,” Saltshakers says.

Pride Parade

The organisers of the homosexual march in Perth are asking for comments as they investigate whether to continue the march.

Action: As reported in The Advocate (Feb 2010, pg 6), The Baptist Churches of WA is encouraging Christians to write a submission to the organisers of the homosexual annual march. The organisers are seeking public comment on the event. “I encourage churches to place submissions with Pride WA in regards to the Pride Parade as they have asked for public submissions. This is an opportunity for the local church Christians to submit their thoughts and opinions about the event,” Baptist Director of Ministries, Mark Wilson said.

For the Advocate article p6: http://www.theadvocate.tv/ADV0210.pdf

Comments can be emailed to pride@pridewa.asn.au

Bunbury Syringes

Bunbury has received WA Govt funding to provide needles in a fixed address, to help drug users inject themselves, according to a December report in the Bunbury Mail. The WA Substance Users Association has been operating a mobile service for several years in Bunbury but feels that a fixed site is needed. The Association says that a fixed site would hopefully create a springboard to expand throughout the South West and Great Southern.

For story and to leave comment: http://www.bunburymail.com.au/news/local/news/general/syringe-centre-in-bunbury/1693974.aspx

Advertising Complaints

The Advertising Standards Bureau, which is a body of advertisers that self-regulates industry codes that it has developed, has rejected 23 complaints received from the public in January against its members, including six complaints against the graffiti covered “Wicked” campervans. The website shows that no complaints were supported by the Bureau in January. This was a lower number of complaints than that rejected in the previous month. Last year the Bureau received 600 complaints of which 80 they said breached their industry code of ethics.

A Case Study: Wicked campers operates under the catchphrase “Pay with your soul not your wallet”

The vehicles are covered with graffiti slogans such as “Don’t assume I’m not cheap. Meaningless punishment, running around getting whacked off scooby snacks, Honk if you had it last night, I lost my virginity but I still have the box it came in.”

Defending the slogan “Honk if you had it last night” Wicked campers says:

“It does not say what it is. It is not our fault that some people may read into this in a rude manner. Children would not read it like this, so this makes it suitable for its intended audience. We apologise that we can not control where people’s minds take them, they read what they choose to read. I hope you can see that we have not breached any code of ethics with this slogan, we especially have not breached section 2.3”

Action: To lodge a complaint against an advert: http://www.adstandards.com.au/pages/page38.asp

To find out how the self regulation works and to look at what adverts are causing offence and why the bureau has rejected the complaints visit: http://www.adstandards.com.au/pages/casestudy_search.asp

Girl Sexualisation

Choicez Media has released a new DVD called “Beautiful”, which is targeted at young women. The DVD addressed the impact of sexualisation of girls. Choicez Media also has DVDs on the problems with pornography.

For more: http://www.choicez.com.au/index.shtml