29 July
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In Current Issues

All films change the facts. Cromwell (1970), Chariots of Fire (1981) and Ghandi (1982) all do this in various ways, some worse than others. The problem today is that there is such historical illiteracy that many people presumably think the film is the reality. King Arthur has more written about him than just about any ruler of Britain and yet we really know next to nothing about him, or even if he ever existed. The current film King Arthur (2004) is introduced by a note that recent archaeological research has shed light on Arthur’s true identity. That is at best misleading. The film in factRead More →

15 April
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In Current Issues

God created a good world free of moral evil but yet with dangers and the possibility things could go wrong, as the entry of sin shows. As God’s representatives and image-bearers in this world humans were to fill the earth and subdue it. Through our first parents’ disobedience humanity is estranged from God, and all kinds of misery follows, including death itself and the ultimate consequence of disobedience in eternal separation from God. Yet God remains good, and judgment is his strange work (Isaiah 28:21). The account of Noah’s Flood does not focus attention on those who perished, as our newspapers do when recording modernRead More →

15 April
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On
In Current Issues, History and Doctrine of Worship

Historically the Christian faith as understood by Presbyterians has experienced tension between the three aspects of correct doctrine, personal piety and social engagement. All these aspects are necessary to a well-rounded Christian faith. They were well represented in James Forbes (1813-51), the first Christian minister settled in that capacity in Melbourne. He served the Scots’ Church and then founded the Free Presbyterian body in 1846. On the one hand he held definitely to the Confession of Faith and thought deviation from strict adherence would come back to haunt the church, but he also maintained a personal devotion and piety that included special gatherings for prayerRead More →

27 January
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In Current Issues

EXTRACT FROM A STUDY PANEL REPORT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND, MAY 2012 The full report which also deals with Marriage & Divorce can be found on www.freechurch.org 3.1.1 “Same sex marriage” Sex researcher Dr Alfred C. Kinsey published research on the sexual behaviour of men and women in the 1940s and 1950s which claimed that 10% of males were more or less exclusively homosexual and around 5% of women. However, this has been extensively challenged in recent years. This is summarised by Peter Saunders and Rachael Pickering thus: “For decades, researchers adopted Kinsey’s reported figure of 10% for theRead More →

20 May
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In Current Issues

[Originally printed in The Presbyterian Banner, September 2007] Scientology has attracted some high profile names, and received attention in the press over recent months. It makes extraordinary claims for itself. We need to be aware of its beliefs. We’re grateful to Dr.Ward for providing this summary of its teachings. Scientology claims to be ‘the only religion that offers mankind a proven and practical path to freedom from the travails of the past and attainment of spiritual freedom beyond imagination. It is the only religion that offers personal immortality – now, in this lifetime. Because Scientology is the only religion that can answer such questions asRead More →

20 August
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In Current Issues

Rowland Ward writes on the Melbourne Religious Vilification case From The Presbyterian Banner [PCEA Magazine] Jan/Feb 2005 pp. 5-8.   Background On March 9, 2002 at Full Gospel Assembly in Surrey Hills, Victoria, Catch the Fire Ministries Inc. [CTFM] ran a public seminar entitled Insight into Islam with Assemblies of God pastor Daniel Scot of Queensland as speaker. Between 200-250 people were present, including at various times during the day and unknown to the organizers, three recent Islamic converts from the Australian community. The topics addressed by Pastor Scot were: 10:00am to 12:00 noon: What is Jihad, and the affect on the future of Australia?Read More →

11 August
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In Current Issues

A is for Anzac Some jottings on commemmorating 25th April 1915From The Presbyterian Banner, June 2002Rowland S. Ward   Note: For overseas readers it should be explained that ANZAC stands for Australian & New Zealand Army Corps, and Anzac Day commemmorates the costly landing at Gallipoli which represents Australia’s coming of age and developing national consciousness.   Many are commenting on the increasing numbers attending Anzac Day services despite the dwindling number of ex-servicemen. I confess to rarely attending an Anzac Day service myself, although my father was an original Anzac landing at Gallipoli with the Adelaide Rifles on 25th April, 1915, a few weeksRead More →

11 August
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In Current Issues

Destroying both in the Taliban’s Afghanistan From The Presbyterian Banner, April 2001 Rowland S. Ward   An article prompted by the outcry over the destruction of ancient Buddha statues by the Taliban. It is very easy to forget that last century the conditions for women were often extremely difficult in Western countries. Women had only limited rights to property and to inherit. In New York and many other parts of the United States a century ago a mother had no right to her children borne in marriage. They were in effect the property of the father who could dispose of minor children even against hisRead More →

31 July
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In Book Reviews, Current Issues

Review: Fractured Families:  The story of a Melbourne Church Cult by Morag Zwartz $19.95  ISBN 09587955 1 7 Distributed by Openbook Publishers, Adelaide   From The Presbyterian Banner,  March 2005 Rowland S. Ward Back in June 1991 I reviewed David Millikan’s book Imperfect Company, which primarily referred to the perfectionist cult founded about 1940 by Lindsay Grant in Sydney. The current work by Morag Zwartz, a competent writer, gives attention to the somewhat similar group associated with Lindsay’s older brother, Ronald, who was based in the large Camberwell Presbyterian Church in Melbourne and who died in 1996. Eighteen years ago I obliquely referred to themRead More →

24 April
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In Current Issues

Twin Towers & Terrible Tuesday Editorial by Dr Rowland S. Ward in The Presbyterian Banner, September 2001 Over 4000 years ago the people in Lower Mesopotamia resolved, like Enoch earlier, to build a city to consolidate their influence and control over the population. This city would have its own monumental ziggaraut or temple tower which will reach high into the sky. The motive of the builders is pride and defiance of God. The tower will be a giant advertisement for the human ego. As the Bible records it, the story of the tower explains the nature of the civilisation that built it. Their desire isRead More →