May 9, 2013 Steps to Life Newsletter

Racial Vilification, Hate Speech, Discrimination, Same Sex Marriage, Etc

The concepts of racial vilification, hate speech, discrimination, same sex marriage and the like, are concepts coming to the fore in the later part of the last and the first part of this century. They are concepts gaining currency in western democracies which have had an origin of Christian culture.

Racial vilification and discrimination are terms used in the legislation of governments, like we have in Australia, referring to the public act of encouraging or inciting others to hate or treat people differently because of their racial origins, skin colour, cultural and religious practices and beliefs, and sexual behaviors. Christians who believe they have a God given duty to share the gospel, Christian moral standards and the warnings of the end time prophecies of the Bible, are challenged by the intent of such laws which define the ground rules for passing comment on the beliefs and practices of people who live according to different sets of beliefs and cultural norms. Christians hold that the only valid rules for faith and life are Bible based. Culture may result in a different form of expression of Christian values, but the core Christian values and standards are consistent.

Expressing the Christian position can not be done without a challenge to non Christian positions, in many instances. This may be interpreted as inciting others to treat people differently, or at least putting down the person holding the non Christian position.

Also, embedded in the culture and law of our western democracies is the implicit and explicit belief in the right to free expression through practice of belief and speech. This right is not reciprocated in countries, cultures and religions which don't hold a belief in democracy and which have not developed in a Christian context. The concept of free speech has been enshrined in the belief systems of the western democracies to the point where the citizens have been prepared to put their lives on the line in war to protect it. Which means that in doing so, they have said I may be totally opposed to what you are saying but I am prepared to risk my life so that we both have the right to practice and say what we believe and why.

The concept of the right to think and speak and worship freely arose out of the state church and monarchy oppression of the Dark Ages across Europe. The Reformation came about as thousands of ordinary people and nobility risked and gave their lives for the right to publish, distribute, read and teach the Bible. It bought about a renaissance in all areas of learning. It led to education for the common people.

It was the basis for much of the early white settlement to the continent of North America. The Constitution of the USA, now being eroded by terrorism threats and social malaise, was designed to be a bastion of the right to speak, believe and worship freely - Christian and non Christian. It endeavoured to separate the functions of church and state to protect free speech, and free religious practice. Australia, as it emerged from being a collection of colonies into a Commonwealth of States and then a nation, developed a constitution designed also to protect the right of free belief, speech and worship.

Immigration policies promoting multiculturalism - the notion of national population melting pots - are promoted on the assumption that a country is enriched by the diversity of culture and religion bought about by multicultural immigration. The melding of cultures and religions is never a frictionless process and always brings about a change in cultural and religious norms. Where there is social, cultural and religious friction social heat is always generated. In democracies like Australia, the cultural or religious group with the largest number of votes will ultimately, step by step, change the laws to reflect their values. This too has implications for Christians living in countries where law reflects Christian values. One day this will change when the demography changes.

Terrorist activity, and the belief that worse is yet to come, is having the effect of generating fear, mistrust, often violent reactions, prompting governments around the world to legislated protective laws and withdrawing the protection for some individual rights, in the pursuit of terrorism and national security. Suspects are incarcerated on suspicion, not on evidence. A contradiction to the principle that one is innocent until proved to be guilty beyond any treasonable doubt.

Suspected terrorists are tortured in sophisticated ways to gain confessions that may be factious just so the interrogation can be avoided. They are detained on and off shore without trial. They are hounded until they sometimes suicide. The news is full of it and largely we allow it to happen because we believe the end justifies the means and it keeps us and our loved ones safe.

Governments grapple to find a fair solution to the waves of refugees who are desperate for a better life. Terrorists may use these waves of forced population movement as a means of gaining entry to relatively peaceful countries where they can cause havoc in an attempt to further their agendas. So, genuine refugees who have no life in their country of origin are relegated to refugee camps and detention centres where they became disheartened and desperate taking extreme action to try and better their plight, as they await screening.

What is a Christian view of all of this? Major implications for Bible believing Christians are that we should treat others as we would want to be treated ourselves - regardless of how different in belief they are to us. All people, not just Christians, are equal before God. Jesus died to save all people from all races from all stations of life, from both genders. All transgressions of the law of God are sin and all sin can be overcome in the strength of Jesus. (Is there any sin that is too hard for Jesus to save us from?). We are obliged by our Christian commission to uphold and inform others of the Bible standards of moral behaviour which includes a prohibition on adultery and fornication/homosexuality - so called same sex marriage - and to rationally justify our position from a Biblical world view.

While condemning sin Jesus always loved the person committing it. He never shrank from telling it like it was. He often did this with tears of kindness and sorrow in his voice. There should be no hatred or discrimination in the way we present Bible standards and even warnings. But Christians are challenged not to resile from accepting their responsibility of defining what is right or wrong. Jesus talked about his followers being the salt of the earth. If the salt loses its flavour it is useless.

Disciple Luke recorded Jesus' prediction of men's hearts failing them for fear (Luke 21:26) as one of a constellation of events that were to happen in the world as it grinds to an end. Particularly, the Apostle Paul spoke strongly to the early Christian churches about the sins of sexual immorality by Bible definition. He also talked about gaining the victory over these sins and was happy to be able to say of some members of the early church - such were some of you. (1Cor 6:11).

Great news is that in the very next sentence Luke recorded Jesus as telling his followers that as the events Jesus was talking about took place, his followers should interpret them as an indication that Jesus was about to return with a solution to the chaos that would be happening. It's time to recognise the world is not going to continue as it is now. It's in an unsolvable mess in so many ways from a human perspective. No person, ideology or government has a solution. But God has a better plan and the Bible reveals it. We should get ready for it and hold up the standard for others to see as well. Are we ready for the Second Coming and the New Earth?

Project Evangelism 2014: Christian Berdahl and Family

Steps to Life is pleased to announce that plans are underway to bring Christian and his family - that's wife Coby and two sons Tyler and Micah - back to Australia next year to run a series of programs in some of our capital cities - designed specifically to engage the broader community. Christian and Coby have started preparing the content he will be using. It will be very 21st century oriented and touch on topics families in the Australian community are seriously impacted by. It will be an exciting and rewarding time. We will let you know more about the project as times and venues are locked in and the logistics of running community programs are put in place.

Would you like to partner with us and the Berdahl family in our venture? We have established a fund to enable you to contribute specifically to the costs of running the evangelistic project. The costs will be considerable and will include the flight tickets for the Berdahl family, their transport and accommodation while in Australia, hire of suitable venues, and advertising.

Based on our experience with running Mark Woodman's Crusade in Australia in 2009 and allowing for cost rises, the entire project is likely to cost around $60,000. If you benefited from Christian's Vital Connection seminar recently held and his Distraction Dilemma DVD set this is a chance for you to help pass on that blessing through a series of public meetings which will be widely advertised in the broader community on a 21st century theme that is challenging the community right now. All donations will be acknowledged and donations to the value of $100 or more will receive a complimentary copy of Christian's life story - How God Changed Me - recently filmed by STL in Melbourne

Christian Berdahl's A Vital Connection is proving to be a Vital Connection for Many

We advertised A Vital Connection using the words A Unique Seminar on Victorious Christian Living. By the response of the large numbers attending and reports still coming back to STL Christian's message has strongly impacted all who heard it. If you are willing to share what it has done for you send us an email or give us a call. Your feedback would be helpful to us and we will share it with Christian as an encouragement to him and his family. Let us know if you have taken up the 90 day Challenge of media abstinence and how you are going, shared the DVDs, renewed you daily devotional life, changed your listening and viewing patterns and so on.

July Seminar Series - Pastor Rick and Rosalie Howard.

Pastor Rick Howard is our next seminar speaker. He is author of The Omega Rebellion which was released in 2010 and quickly had to go to a reprinting given the demand. He is awaiting the release of his second book which extends the theme of The Omega Rebellion. The book tells his story of growing up, involvement with drugs, New Age prayer practices, Hinduism, Silva Mind Control, spirit mediums, ou of body experience and the parallels he sees with these things and the practice of spiritual formation in its many guises and forms. He identifies how spiritual formation is being woven into the fabric of Christian churches of all denominations and the implications of this for those who become involved. He has many pertinent observations and identifications he will make for us over the course of the weekend seminars he conducts.

More details about venues and dates will be released in the next few weeks.

Christian greetings and kind regards from Cherryl and all of the STL team

Brian Way/ Programs Coordinator