News Archive July - August 2005

29 August 2005 - Salt Shakers Dinner
Salt Shakers first Dinner was held on Saturday 27 August in Box Hill. A great night was had by the 63 people who attended. The guest speaker was Senator Eric Abetz, Special Minister of State in the federal government.

Senator Eric Abetz challenged those present to take the Christian Gospel to the people and "remember the great injunction of Martin Luther that we must ‘pray as though it all depended on God, but act as though it all depends on you’. This acknowledges God's omnipotence and our individual responsibility."
He also called on church leaders to comment on the moral issues of the day, not just the 'politically correct' social issues. He urged Christians to be fully informed about the issues.

Rodney Croome, a Tasmanian homosexual activist, called for the Senator to be sacked for speaking to our dinner, so this generated publicity!

Click here for more information - extracts from Senator Abetz' speech, a media release and the media articles relating to the Dinner.

29 August 2005 - Dr Reina Michaelson, the OTO and VCAT
The next Directions hearing for this case is being held today. Please pray for her.

19 August 2005 - CTFM - Leave to Appeal granted
The Court of Appeal (part of the Supreme Court of Victoria) has granted leave to appeal against the decision and 'remedies' handed down by VCAT and Judge Higgins. Catch the Fire Ministries, Pastor Danny Nalliah and Pastor Daniel Scot have been allowed to appeal on all the submitted grounds including the conflict of the Act with the federal constitution regarding political and government speech, the definition of sections of the Act, issues relating to credibility, conclusions by VCAT relating to what the pastors said, the distinction between speaking about a religion and about a person and the meaning of ‘incite’.

It may take up to 12 months to hear the Appeal. The judge stayed the order requiring advertisements but not the injunction on speech and publications.
Click here for details - and a NEW four page article on the total case to this time.
Also a ONE page Summary article...

9 August 2005 - Catch the Fire Ministries -
VCAT imposes injunction on pastors
Judge Higgins has ordered that that an injunction be placed on Pastor Danny Nalliah and Pastor Daniel Scot to prohibit them from saying or doing anything that has the same or similar effect as the comments he found breached the Act and vilified Muslims. He has ordered that this apply in Victoria AND in every State and Territory of Australia.
Click here for details...

1 August 2005 - Religious vilification complaint against Alpha course dismissed
On 1 August, Justice Stuart Morris dismissed the complaint of religious vilification against Alpha courses, made by witch Robin Fletcher. The complaints were against the Salvation Army and CMC Australasia (the distributors of Alpha). A third complaint against Corrections Victoria still remains.

Click here for the website page at VCAT listing the decision.
It is also attached below.

Click here for the FULL 9-page decision.

A comment on the decision and an Overview of the decision was sent by email and is available on our website along with further information - click here.

29 July 2005: 'Charter of Rights' article
Bill Muehlenberg has written an excellent paper listing TEN REASONS why a Charter of Rights is not a good idea. I attach his article below.

You may make use of the article as you prepare a submission - but it important that your submission/letter is your ideas written in your own words.
Click here for more information.

25 July 2005: 'Charter of Rights' proposed for Victoria
Rob Hulls, Victoria's Attorney-General, has released a "Human Rights Community Discussion Paper" on his proposals for a Victorian Charter of Rights....

The Discussion Paper is on the Justice Department website...
Click here. Full details and links - the actual paper is at the bottom...

Click here for FULL details...

7 July 2005: Terrorist bombing in London
Today's outrageous attacks on innocent British citizens – who no doubt represent people from every country in the world - are without doubt attacks not just on the British, but on the whole Christian free world.
Our sympathy and prayers go out to all those who have been directly or indirectly affected by these attacks.
We stand united with them today to ensure that the perpetrators’ aims and objectives will never succeed.
Any group of people which does not soundly, loudly and unequivocally condemn such cowardice will be complicit with those who perpetrated these abominable acts.
There can be NO excuse for such acts, whether political or religious.
Recent pre-emptive raids by ASIO, in Melbourne and Sydney, have clearly been vindicated by the evidence, clearly demonstrated today in Britain, that terrorists are at work in every free and democratic nation with a desire to destabilise those democracies.
Click here for our media release.