Letters to the Editor - March 2006

Webmaster | 28 February 2006

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quick mail

SC should print more modest photos
I would like to comment on the picture on the front cover of the February 2006 edition of Southern Cross. I was disappointed to see women dressed immodestly, one showing cleavage and the other two showing midriffs (and all three of them wearing skin tight tops). Also on the back cover there was a woman showing much cleavage.
In future could we please only have pictures of women dressed modestly. This is important because men are visually stimulated, and I would hate to think that men who are trying to keep their minds pure could not even read a Christian publication.
Bronwyn Simmons
Email address supplied

Could you be the next iron chef?
I love those TV Shows that turn cooking into a blood sport. Iron Chef on SBS is a modern classic. Now, I’m wondering if this could be the basis for a bit of pre-evangelistic hi-jinks in our church’s new café on Norton St. With the Norton St Festival coming up (Apr 2) I would love to hear from any foodie (or lovers of coffee, wine or beer) who may want to try some creative approaches to evangelism. With 130,000 people walking past there must be some possibilities. Call me on 9569 2646.
The Rev Tim Foster
Leichhardt, NSW

Don’t believe all you readMichael Rees-Evans’ letter (SC, Dec) recommends the “Answers in Genesis” (AIG) organisation “for those seeking answers to questions that are consistent with both the Bible and modern science”.
AIG’s answers are based on its individualistic interpretations of “both the Bible and modern science”. Those interpretations are unacceptable to leading evangelical Christians who are experts in those fields of knowledge. The flood of errors of fact, selective quotations, and special pleading on the AIG website makes the task of responding in detail to their claims a practical impossibility, but a list of some of the people and organisations who are persona non grata to AIG indicates how far AIG is removed from mainstream evangelical Christianity.
Harry Bullock
St Ives, NSW

Better marriages or just more guilt?

Do Christians need more guilt to deal with? We are told ‘Christians have better love lives’ (SC, Feb), more intimacy and less conflict in their marriage relationships. These sort of statements contribute to many Christian couples feeling unable to mention the difficulties they may be experiencing in their relationship to others. Yes, Christians do have God’s Spirit to help them, but this does not immunise us from the problems that all humans face, especially in our most intimate relationships.

Christian people would be better helped by a survey of the difficult issues that they face in their marriages and how these can be addressed. We need to be realistic in this area, and encourage those who feel they might not be able to live up to the Christian ‘standard’.
Tracy Gibson
Newtown, NSW

Your article last month on marriage was interesting. It was a shame that the careful use of statistics shown in that article did not extend to the headline. The statements ‘Why Christians have better marriages’ and ‘Why do Christians have better love lives?’ may (or may not) be good journalistic style, but they were not the conclusions of the article. More to the point they are not true. Not all Christians have better marriages or love lives – which is what these statements imply.

The problem is that they can make a Christian who is divorced or separated or who is in an abusive relationship feel that they are excluded. It can make it hard for them to keep coming to church and hard to be honest with any Christian about the problems they face. Having been divorced I know how this type of statement can make you feel that you are a contradiction in terms; that a divorced Christian is the relational equivalent of a square circle. Yes, being a Christian should make a difference in your relationships, particularly your marriage. But there are no guarantees.
Amanda Ballantyne
Newtown, NSW

I greatly appreciated ‘Kim’s Story’ in the February edition. As someone who has gone through the nightmare of divorce, I can readily relate to her story of broken relationships. In the past, this subject has been almost taboo for Christians. I’m encouraged that our churches are now trying to be more effective in this difficult area; there are many opportunities for the gospel.
Craig Schwarze
Annandale, NSW

I’ve just been reading Kim’s story, and have been really encouraged by it. Thanks for creating such a great resource for Christians.
Samantha Brazel
McMahons Point, NSW

Who will care for the sick if chaplains go?

It has been reported by Anglican Media that our Diocese will be reducing the number of paid chaplains in our hospitals, instead of increasing the number to meet a growing need. I cannot understand how a rich diocese cannot find money for what should be a high priority – ministry to the sick in body and mind, and to the elderly and dying, and whenever possible, the staff and family members who care for them.

Surely Jesus, the one in whom we believe God is most truly revealed as the living Word of God says that we are judged on how we treat the sick and imprisoned, the thirsty, the hungry, and the stranger (Matthew 25:45). That is, we “serve Christ in love” by serving the least of his brothers and sisters. The same Jesus says that we “inherit eternal life” and truly “live” (St Luke 10.24,28) simply by caring for God and for our neighbour (as even a Samaritan could).
The Rev John Bunyan
Campbelltown, NSW

Sunday shopping makes us just like the rest

Joanna Cuthbertson (SC, Nov) puts her finger on an important issue that should be a matter of serious concern to us: “how many of us Christians call into the shops...on a Sunday...or stop by a cafe for lunch or go to the movies?” In what we do on Sundays a great many Christians are indistinguishable from everyone else. But in the light of the Scriptures we should have a very different attitude to Sunday. We must recognise that Sunday is not the Sabbath (that was Saturday), and whereas the Sabbath is a commemoration of creation, Sunday - the Lord’s Day – is a weekly celebration of the day of Christ’s resurrection.

But the basic principle of the “one-day-in-seven for God” is still valid in the NT era: to be received as God’s gracious gift. Jesus shows that the Sabbath gives way before works of mercy and necessities and emergencies. But shopping, eating out, and going to a movie, do not fall into these categories: we have six days to work and do all such things (which require others to work).

Joanna says: “Are we willing to take a stand and stop going to those places on a Sunday?” Spot on! We ought to stop treating all days alike, and demonstrate, rather, that being a Christian makes a difference to how we regard Sunday. What a blessing the Lord’s Day is meant to be to us: we must not let it be lost to us by indifference and neglect.
Ward Powers
Petersham, NSW

Do justice to healing ministries

I am sure John Dickson’s book A Spectator’s Guide to Jesus is a solid account of the healing miracles of Jesus that are recorded in the Bible. However, there is more that needs to be said. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. What does this mean, really?

Some parts of the church today are ‘going for it’, and seeing wonderful miracles of healing on a reliable basis, and this must be great comfort (at the very least!) to believers everywhere. Dr Roger Sapp, a regular visitor to Sydney, has a school of healing called All Nations Ministries in Texas, Bill Johnson’s Bethel Church is known as a ‘cancer free zone’ in Redding California and Randy Clark’s Global Awakening ministry records many healing testimonies from their missions, to name but three.

Dr Dickson, I invite you to investigate the many healing ministries of today because to do justice to the topic, ‘Jesus the Healer’ you would have to add chapters on his current works. For myself, it is a great relief that Jesus is alive and well and open for business today. I would be most disturbed if he were not.
May I refer you to the websites http://www.ibethel.org , http://www.allnationsmin.org and http://www.globalawakening.com .
Peter Chapman
Longueville, NSW

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