They said the Titanic couldn’t be raised; it appears as though the same is true of SBS’s attacks on a group of Churches.

Looking toward the Central Coast from Melbourne!

This afternoon (July 6) SBS published a revised article by Robert Burton-Bradley, concerning alleged “homophobic” Churches in the Central Coast of NSW.  The original article was removed from the SBS website. Two newspapers used the story to write their own pieces, one whom later apologised to FIEC.

One needs to acknowledge that the new version of the article is an improvement on the original, however there remain enormous problems.

First, there remains the issue of selective quotations. Half a story is not a full story; it is a false story.  Why hasn’t Burton-Bradley included in his article all the bits in these sermons that speak of love and grace? Why has he neglected the trajectory of these sermons which point to good news of Jesus Christ?

Second, contrary to implications in the article, these Churches are not teaching the death penalty for gays and lesbians. That the Bible speaks of the death penalty is a literary fact, and it would be quite strange for anyone to suggest otherwise. But were these preachers arguing for reinstating the death penalty upon homosexuals? The answer is no. In fact, are they not following the direction determined by the Scriptures, whereby the Old Testament finds its fulfilment in the person and work of Jesus Christ?

If the churches were preaching hate then we would all have reason to be concerned, but this is simply untrue.

Third, according to the article, both the NSW Department of Education and the Schools have explored the complaint made by Darrin Morgan, and the outcome is that the churches were given a green light to continue renting their facilities on weekends.

Given this is the case, readers are still left wondering, where is the story here?

I don’t know what relationship Darrin Morgan has with the schools, if any at all. The story is sounding increasingly like a local atheist has an axe to grind with Churches, and he’s gone fishing and enticed a journalist to join him, and they’ve come back claiming to have caught a snapper…except there ain’t no snapper to be found.

Finally, who is the Human Rights Advocacy Australia (the organisation quoted repeatedly by  Burton-Bradley)? The name sounds impressive, but I can’t find a website for them, only a small Facebook group and a couple of comments from ‘spokesman’, Darrin Morgan. If anyone can point me to some helpful information, thanks.

My  response to the original SBS story can be read here