Help for parents with teens – video series
Helping parents, ministry workers and others connect with the teen experience of depression and anxiety is the focus of a series of videos produced by Gospel, Society and Culture (GS&C) and Prebyterian Youth (PY).
It’s right that boys cry – a wise campaign that we should embrace
An average of nine deaths by suicide occur each day in Australia. Seven of these deaths will be male. AMY BUTLER applauds a new campaign that could help lower that number
Is Facebook harmful?
Social media promises so much. But, as it ‘matures’, doubts and questions arise. NICK RABE challenges Christians to reconsider whether we should participate on these platforms.
Video interview: New organisation focuses on relationships and building bridges into communities
A new organisation seeks to prioritise relationships – how best to ensure that children grow up in safe, stable and nurturing families; how to address the growing problem of loneliness; how to build caring, local communities where people look after one another; how to best look after the disadvantaged.
The suspicion of science
Suspicion of science has been growing since World War I showed us what its application, in the form of mechanised warfare, could do to the human body. Trust in science further plummeted after World War II because of the atom bomb. More recently, the fragmenting of society into tribes has led to selective appeals to evidence—amplified and...
Animal rights and wrongs – how then should we care for the beast?
PAUL BYUN wrestles with a big ethical question – his love and care for a new pet while at the same time eating a bacon and egg roll.
EUTHANASIA
The Euthanasia issue is coming to a head in the NSW Parliament. The Gospel Society and Culture committee has updated its resource paper and produced a new Short-Take to help you navigate the issue.
‘Dying with dignity’ reimagined: Reasons to reconsider voluntary assisted dying
‘Dying with dignity’ may sound noble, but we dignify patients best when we provide them with the most appropriate care, to make the most of their precious and fragile existence. *Benjamin Shuhyta writes
MODERN SLAVERY
Modern Slavery is a Gospel, Society and Culture resource paper that digs deep into a problem that impacts 40 million people worldwide and 15,000 in Australia. This is a comprehensive resource that will help all Christians to ‘see, think and act’.
Abortion back in focus
The US Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade and give responsibility to the States, has triggered a worldwide response. If you’re looking for a Christian perspective on abortion, this Gospel Society and Culture paper answers many questions.
Religious Discimination Bills – how to make submissions and complete a survey
Urgent call to action: The Federal Government’s religious discrimination bill has been referred to not one but TWO parliamentary inquires. Both are accepting submissions from the public. Here are some guidelines to help you prepare a submission.
COVID vaccines for children – Q&A to help parents
COVID-19 vaccinations for children can cause parents concerns. NALINI PATHER answers questions to help you navigate the issue.
Masks not required – but should I wear one anyway?
Masks are no longer required in most situations, including in church. But as the pandemic surges again the mask issue is worth revisiting. Benjamin Shuhyta* prepared this Q&A earlier in the pandemic to help you work through the issues, especially regarding attendance at church.
COVID update – 5 videos to help you navigate key issues
Here are 5 G,S&C-produced videos and documents from the 2021 COVID update seminar, covering Health, Govt Engagement and more
COVID Pandemic survey – Part 4 of a special G,S&C report – church strategies are helpful and still needed
Here’s the fourth, final report on the survey conducted last month on how our church communities are coping during this pandemic.
COVID pandemic survey – Part 3 of a special G,S&C report – Children
It’s no surprise that we are concerned about our children during COVID. In this the third report from our survey, we dig deeper about what you think..
COVID pandemic survey – Part 2 of a special G,S&C report – Mental resilience
There are many reasons to feel anxious during COVID. The G,S&C survey reveals which issues have caused you the most – and least – concern
Covid pandemic survey – Part 1 of a special G,S&C report
Three quarters of respondents to the G,S&C survey did not think COVID was having a negative effect on their personal Christian life. That was the good news …
COVID index to help you find G,S&C resources
The G,S&C has produced a significant body of work since the beginning of 2020 to help Christians navigate the pandemic. Use this index to find relevant blogs ranging from theology to health and pastoral concerns.
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A response to The Ezekiel Declaration
This statement is presented by the Gospel, Society and Culture Committee of the Presbyterian Church in Australia in NSW and the ACT. It is the view of the Committee, not an official position of the Church. Click here for a PDF version of this response. In the last week, ministers, elders and members of the PCNSW have signed the Ezekiel...
A time to discern what is beautiful
A quick end to Covid is wishful thinking. But pandemics can also be catalysts to rebuild societies in new and creative ways, writes NALINI PATHER*. With the increased uptake of vaccines, as well as discussions about the road out of lockdowns and even vaccine certificates and passports (a discussion of its own), we might begin to think that the...
A lockdown birthday party
What’s a birthday without a party? Ben Shuhyta* reflects and rejoices. I hoped I could avoid it, but this year, I’m spending my birthday in lockdown. For more than a year, we citizens of regional NSW have been going about our lives with less restrictions than our metro cousins. Last birthday, I met with friends for a barbecue. The year before,...
Who are you to judge?
Who is the final divine authority in today's fractured world? KAMAL WEERAKOON* has the answer - and it's not atheism! “Religion poisons everything and causes wars.” When I was in my 20s, my peers took that statement for granted. Everybody ‘knew’ that belief in the supernatural was infantile. Everybody ‘knew’ that science had disproved the...
Book Review: Western Fundamentalism
LEWIS JONES* finds that Gordon Menzies' book, Western Fundamentalism, takes us on a journey worth taking Menzies, G., 2020. Western Fundamentalism: Democracy, Sex and the Liberation of Mankind. Sydney: Gordon Menzies. Available at Reformers Bookshop and other outlets. During World War II, Prime Minister Robert Gordon Menzies gave weekly...