Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's address to Christians at the Make it Count 2013 Election Panel webcast from Australian Christian Lobby on Vimeo.
Now I don't mind if he changes his view on same-sex marriage. For me same-sex marriage is not a deal breaker, however what is a deal breaker is what happened when I saw Kevin for the second time last night. On ABC's Q&A I watched this interaction between Kevin and a local Pastor...
And here in lies my issue. In the first video he said this...
"Many in the Christian churches may be disappointed with some of the decisions I have taken as prime minister or as a person, I have also undertaken those decisions in good and prayerful conscience, even though people in equal prayerful conscience may disagree with some of those conclusions."
That's all I'm really looking for in a politician. Someone who can form views, advocate for them and respectfully disagree yet understand the other persons view.
But then when I got home, I witnessed one of the most cruel and patronising moments on TV that I've seen. Kevin Rudd unleashed an unfair, and wrong attack on this Pastor. In fact he sounded more like a member of the gay lobby than a politician who had formed a view. As he points out on Q&A in the video above, the New Testament has an ethic of showing love. What Kevin Rudd forgot was that he has to do that with people he disagrees with, even on matters that he disagrees with people on strongly.
So What's clear is Kevin doesn't respect people, let alone love those, who've come to different prayerful decisions based on conscience. And that is no quality I want in any member of parliament let alone the Prime Minister. So I'm sorry Kevin, even though I own a Kevin 07 t-shirt, and was once a member of the ALP, you lost my vote last night.
As an aside my current sitting local member, Andrew Wilkie was present last night and I wish he'd given Kevin Rudd some lessons. Wilkie is also in favour of same-sex marriage, but unlike Rudd, he actually does respect people who think differently to him and was able to put forward a balanced position that respects those who hold to the traditional view of marriage given he agrees with same-sex marriage.
Kevin Rudd makes pertinent points to the pastor, and I note you didn't attempt to argue against Rudd's argument
ReplyDeleteIf by pertinent points you mean, taking scripture out of context and liberalizing it yes...
DeleteI think this article is more addressing the issue of how Kevin treats people who disagree with him and his general hypocrisy rather than discussing and addressing his actual arguments.
As well as the link in my comment below, this article also responds well to Kevin Rudds claims last night: http://st-eutychus.com/2013/how-krudds-selfie-centred-flip-flopping-alienates-right-left-and-centre-and-shows-he-doesnt-get-the-gospel/
DeleteHey Jade. I don't think the points are that pertinent really. Your right that I didn't attempt to deal with Rudd's argument as that is a whole different blog post. However this article gives a pretty good summary of my position as to why Rudd was not only impolite but also wrong: http://matthiasmedia.com/briefing/2013/09/pm-verbals-the-bible/
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ReplyDelete"Kevin Rudd unleashed an unfair, and wrong attack on this Pastor."
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the LBGT community (Especially those who don't believe in the Christian god) think that the Pastor is being very fair by forcing his beliefs on what is right and wrong on them for a situation that would benefit them greatly and cost him virtually nothing...
I take it, that the Government forces its view of right and wrong on citizens all the time whether they like it or not. For example, some people think its right to avoid paying tax, some people don't. The government decides that it is wrong and so forces its view (albeit for good reasons) onto those people who wish to avoid paying tax. The Pastor is not forcing his views on anyone, he's advocating that the government have a certain law. It's the parliament that makes the law and forces others to accept.
DeleteAlso, why isn't your critique valid the other way round. Aren't the LBGT community 'forcing' their view that marriage is about love not gender onto the Pastor?
This article is BS. I am proud he didn't fence sit on this issue like so many would. It is a disgrace that the law discriminates against gltb peoples. And it is not hypocrisy if he openly changed his opinion/stance on the issue. Although I think Rudd was polite but firm with his rebuttal, anyone with the pastors viewpoints should be treated like a racist... and I do believe in a matter of decades history will look upon them as such.
ReplyDeleteChristians have been trying to 'inflict' their moral viewpoint on society since it's humble beginnings. There is no need to tip-toe around these people anymore.
And the result of Christians 'inflicting' their moral viewpoint on society has been? As I see it the free, fair, liberal democratic society that respects women and children and looks out for the poor and needy... Not so bad.
DeleteI find it hard to interpret Rudd as polite, but that's probably all about your position on the issue prior to his delivery of the rebuke.
I also take issue with anyone who equates same-sex marriage with racism or the black civil rights movement. No one is saying that same-sex people are less than human. No one is saying they shouldn't have equal legal rights when it comes to taxation etc. What we're saying is marriage is an institution, which the state has borrowed from the church, and it's an institution that is larger than the two individuals who enter into a marriage covenant. It's a covenant about commitment and child raising.
My own personal view is that the marriage act should be amended to be called the civil union act. I'm happy for my marriage to become a civil union at law and for that to be the same at law as a same-sex person.
Carl Trueman is right in saying that in the future 'maintaining biblical sexual ethics will be the equivalent in our culture of being a white supremacist.'
ReplyDeleteA scary thought!
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