A God given position in creation

Sunday night is a special time for some of us. This is when Bones comes on TV at 8:30ish to amaze us by revealing the bad people who think they can get away with their dastardly crimes. In real life, Emily Deschanel also tries to do her bit to make the world a better place. Last month, she wrote an important letter to the National Institutes of Health in the United States deploring their transfer of 14 chimpanzees to a laboratory where they would probably meet with a nasty end (http://www.looktothestars.org/news/5870-emily-deschanel-stands-up-for-chimpanzees).

Is animal testing ethical and is it ever justified? Even popular secular (and often controversial) philosopher Dr Peter Singer thinks that the practice is sometimes permissible. If experiments conducted on a small number of animals is of benefit to thousands of people, then it is justified. He does give us some food for thought. Firstly, Dr Singer reminds us that causing unnecessary suffering to any living creature is morally wrong. He is a bit extreme in also claiming that eating meat should be considered morally wrong as the pleasure one may attain by eating say a medium rare fillet, does not justify the harm it would cause to the steak donor. Secondly, Dr Singer would say that all animals have as much right to live as humans (after all, he would argue we are just animals too). In that light, it would be just as justifiable to conduct experiments on people with irreversible brain damage instead of animals (http://www.utilitarian.net/singer/by/20061203.htm).

Dr Singer of course has many other interesting ideas some of which only make sense if one discounts the existence of God. As followers of Christ, we would have to disagree with many of his conclusions as they disregard the special value and position which God has bestowed on all humanity. The Bible teaches that all people are made in the image of God and therefore have a special place and purpose in creation (Genesis 1:26-28, Psalm 8:4-6, Revelation 21:3). All people therefore deserve dignity and respect and cannot be marginalised on the basis of physical ability, age or even for the sake of utility.

Considerations concerning Carbon Tax

To carbon tax or not to carbon tax, that is the question. Anyone tuning into parliament time this week would have heard all sorts of views on the issue. And all sorts of accusations being hurled across the floor. In any case, it looks like climate change is happening and we should do something about it. Is carbon tax the way to go? Well, a climatologist and/or economist may be more qualified than a theologian to decide if this is the right way to go but the Bible has a few things to say on the subject.

Firstly, God did command us to look after the world (Genesis 1:28, 2:15). Have we done a good enough job to be able to look at future generations in the eye and say, “We did our best.”? Is there anything we can do to reduce our carbon footprint? Could we turn the air conditioning down? Walk/cycle instead of drive? Buying local instead of imports? We’re not saying here that we should all forsake the luxuries of the modern world and live as hermits, but that we be mindful of what resources we could be squandering. For those who want to know more, the Rule of St Benedict (which has been around for about 1500 years) has some interesting things to say about frugality (and other things too).

Secondly, will the carbon tax push the poor further into the margins of society? Will this mean mum and dad will have to take up more jobs to pay off that mortgage resulting in kids effectively being raised by the values of the idiot box? Or no heating in winter because of the electricity bill (how positively Dickensian!)? Now we are not saying here that we shouldn’t be paying more to protect the environment, in fact we should all do what we can. But it should not be at the cost of the poor. As Christians, we should do our best to protect the planet, but it is just as important (if not more) to consider the needs of the widows, orphans, and the marginalized among us (Deuteronomy 24:17, Jeremiah 7:5-7, James 1:27).

Prerequisites for democracy

A wave of reform seems to be sweeping through the Middle East right now. From Tunisia and Libya in North Africa to Yemen and Bahrain in the Arabian Peninsular, citizens are agitating for change. What is interesting is that while in principle, democracy is seen as a good thing by most Western countries, it could very well be that the next elected leader will be a dictator who will overstay his or her welcome again.

For years, the West has attempted to preach the good news of democracy to developing countries by aid, education, diplomacy and/or coercion by force or guile. During the golden age of communism (if there was such a thing), it was common knowledge that capitalist nations waged a war by proxy against the communist bloc by pumping in arms and military training (and vice versa) to various strategic countries (usually where there was oil or other valuable resources) in an attempt to promote their particular political outlook.

What is apparent though is that at least two conditions need to be met before democracy can really take off. Firstly, the majority of the population must truly believe that all people are equal. Democracy cannot work when there is a belief that those of one particular race or religion are superior to those who are not. In many countries, particular sections of society which may be seen as second class citizens because of their sex, race or religion. Unless we are all convinced that all people are truly equal, with equal rights and equal opportunities, democracy cannot work. Secondly, democracy cannot work unless the nation has a strong ethical backbone. It’s sometimes funny (in a sad way) when we read of leaders bribing community leaders (or voters even) to support their leadership despite their total lack of ability or principles.

What many democracy promoters seem to fail to recognise is that most countries where democracy has mostly succeeded are countries which have a strong Christian tradition. This could be because the Bible affirms the equality of all people and the importance of absolutes in ethics (eg. Proverbs 16:19).

Why we do what we do

Values come into play far more often than we think. Take for example the emotional debates concerning the Christmas Island funerals this week. Comments on news websites covering the event were all across the board. A summary of the opinions at these sites (eg. http://www.news.com.au/national/row-over-asylum-seeker-funeral-costs/comments-e6frfkvr-1226006254033) generally include the following: The government was right in organising the burials. The government was wrong for creating an atmosphere which encouraged people smuggling. The government was wrong to organise the funerals in Sydney. The government was right to continue processing and accepting claims. The government was wrong to pay for the flights from Christmas Island. The government was right to pay for the flights from Christmas Island. And so on. While we will not go into who is right and who is wrong here (or why even), it is interesting to guess what value systems undergird each statement.

Another interesting topic is the pokies betting limits. From the government’s perspective, setting caps on the amount of money wagered will assist those with gambling problems. The Australian Hotels Association on the other hand, claims that the exercise would cost $4 billion and would lead to jobs losses. Others would say that Australia isn’t a nanny state and each person should be allowed to do whatever they want with their lives. And therein lies the challenge of an ethically laissez-faire society. When all values become equal, the borders of what is right and wrong start getting blurred and wobbly.

Thankfully as Christians, we have the Holy Bible to help guide us through some of these tough issues. Some of them will take more time to work through than others but this is why God wants us to read His Word and meditate on it daily. As we saturate ourselves with the scriptures and pray for guidance, we will learn to discern God’s will in most situations. The psalmist writes, ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path’ (Psalm 119:105 KJV). Each day will have new challenges, but having a good grip on the scriptures will help us choose the right road to follow.

Keeping the Big Picture perspective

Barry O’Farrell must be feeling quite chuffed. A recent poll points to an overwhelming Coalition victory in the next NSW state election with even bookmakers suggesting that the Coalition have odds of almost five to one. Even Bob Hawke has conceded that Labor will not do well come March, admitting that, “Basically what our job is is to make sure that we hold, win as many seats as we possibly can.” (http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/05/3130903.htm?section=justin).

Now, we don’t want to take that statement out of context. Mr Hawke was talking about the coming elections and the best long-term strategy for the party. We are also aware that many politicians work hard to serve the people, and we should do our best to support them. Nevertheless, that statement seemed to encapsulate a popular sentiment among many voters these days. In the last federal election, many polls seemed to indicate that the public had lost faith in the major political parties because they had lost the big picture and were more interested in winning positions than serving the people. And sometimes churches can forget the big picture too.

Luke 15 starts with all manner of socially unacceptable folk surrounding and listening to Jesus. Some religious leaders notice this and start making snide remarks about the company He keeps. Jesus then goes on to tell them three parables: the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin and the Prodigal Son. While the religious leaders were so focused on keeping the different rules and regulations which they thought was important, they had forgotten the big picture: God loves all people, and strangely enough (as the first two parables indicate), He seems to care especially for those who are furthest away from Him.

As churchgoers, we too can sometimes forget God’s heart for the lost. The Gospels tell us of a God with a passionate desire for all people to find peace, hope and joy through a relationship with Himself. That is why Jesus came. As God’s chosen people, let us be aware of why we are here. Firstly, to walk humbly before God, but secondly, to be messengers of His scandalous grace to all humanity.

The athlete who misbehaved

There are athletes who misbehave and athletes who misbehave. Anyone browsing through the sports pages of any national paper in the last few weeks would have read of the following alleged indiscretions among certain athletes: brawling, drug abuse, drunkenness and of course the girl-with-the-nude-photos affair. Such drama on and off the field these days!

Those who stayed at home at night on Australia Day last week might have caught ‘Salute’ a doco-movie which tells the remarkable story of another athlete who misbehaved in the 1968 Mexico Olympics. Despite winning a silver medal in the 200 metres event at 20.06 seconds (which still stands as the national record), Peter Norman was never allowed to run for his country again and wasn’t even invited to participate in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. The misbehaviour which warranted such harsh consequences? Standing in solidarity with black athletes protesting racism. If you’re ever passing through Newtown, you might still be able to see a mural of this remarkable event titled ‘Three Proud People’.

Early on in the film, it is revealed that Peter Norman had a background in the Salvation Army. His grandparents were officers and his parents were involved with the weekly church meetings. The sprinter himself was strongly influenced by the Salvos and was later famous for running with tracksuits emblazoned with ‘God is Love’ and ‘Jesus Saves’. While being interviewed Peter explained how the Christian values from his Salvos background influenced him to take the controversial stand with Tommy Smith and John Carlos on the podium.

While there are many who believe that sports should not be mixed with politics, let us be reminded that our faith should be expressed in every area of our lives. Our thoughts, words and actions should all glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Despite being an athlete, Peter could still make the statement because of his Christian values and convictions. He would pay a heavy price and never run competitively again but shortly after his death, USA Track and Field took the unprecedented step of declaring October 9 (the date of his death) Peter Norman day in memory of his courageous stand for equality.

Not entirely irrational faith

According to some, the 12^th of December next year is when it’s all going to end. And no, it’s not some wacky Christian cult that’s making the prediction this time. The honour for this one goes to the Mayans who really won’t be able to defend themselves if it doesn’t really work out, since they all died out oh about 1100 years ago (http://www.smh.com.au/world/apocalypse-sooner-or-later-20110121-19zyn.html). Time to dig that nuclear-winter proof bunker maybe?

It really is quite fascinating to hear why people believe or have faith in something. Some people believe that science and human genius will one day cure all ills (yet to be proved). Some believe that aliens will one day bring salvation to all humanity (Area 51- look it up). Some believe there are many gods (most Eastern countries). Some believe there is no God (most Western countries). But why do they believe that?

As Christians, we should always be ready to give a reasonable answer to why we believe that God is real, or that it is possible to be in a relationship with Him (1 Peter 3:15). Firstly, we believe that is what the Bible teaches. But can we trust the Bible? It was written so long ago. But so are most historical records. And the vast majority of scholars (Christian or secular) of ancient history would regard the Gospels as a collection of reliable historical documents. We can believe that Jesus was a real person with as much certainty as believing in the existence of Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Attila the Hun or Confucius. Secondly, if the historical record of Jesus is reliable, then we are faced with His outrageous statements and the fact that many people saw Him alive again after He was crucified. Thirdly, we also have the testimony of millions of people around the world who claim to have a relationship with Him.

Is it possible to have absolute, conclusive, scientific and lab-tested proof of God’s existence? Not yet. But if we were honest, we don’t ask for that sort of proof all the time. If we did, we’d never fly, drive or even get out of bed.