In the silence of the election advertising blackout, consider these Christian voter resources

With the frenzy of electoral advertising having now entered the mandatory blackout (not before the airing of perhaps the longest single election ad of all time from Clive Palmer), Australian Christian Voter is happy to fill up all our free time by suggesting some useful resources in deciding your vote.

CPX offers oughts and ought nots

John Dickson, writing for the Centre for Public Christianity, declares himself a swinging voter and also a currently undecided one.

From this uncommitted position - with no desire to influence you to vote for a particular party or candidate (which is the same for this blog) - he provides three ways Christians ought not to vote and five ways they should.

It may not make a final decision any easier but at least you will feel you've tried if you follow John's suggestions. Visit his article: Mixing Religion and Politics.

Make it Count webcast

More than 350 churches in many parts of Australia and across most denominations signed in to Australian Christian Lobby's Make it Count 2013 Webcast which began with three minute per-recorded addresses from Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott.

Mr Rudd emphasised DisabilityCare, education, compassion for the poor. He acknowledged that some Christians may not agree with some of his political and personal decisions, but he said these had been prayerfully made in good conscience.

Mr Abbott covered a broader range of topics including families, carbon tax, refugees, charities law, gay marriage but began by honouring churches and Christians for the work they do in schools, hospitals and many other fields. He also honoured Mr Rudd for their shared-faith.

Panel members joining ACL's Lyle Shelton were Dr Megan Best, Keith Garner, John Anderson, Robert McClelland and Justine Toh. Watch below.


Make It Count 2013 Election Panel webcast from Australian Christian Lobby on Vimeo.

Three other guides

The Australian Christian Lobby canvassed political parties across 22 policy areas they believed are of importance to many Australian Christians. With a summary version and detailed option, this is probably the most comprehensive election guide you'll find - for the parties that responded. See it here.

The Bible Society of Australia has produced an electoral guide covering nine key areas and they include the Green which is a point of difference from the ACL guide. The material appears to be collation of policy material provided by parties on their website and other sources. See it here.

The Australian Christian Values Institute has produced an Australian Christian Values Checklist which allows voters to compare parties' across 21 targeted policy questions. See it here.

ABC PM asks 'how powerful is the Australian Christian Lobby?'

ACL's Jim Wallace and Lyle Shelton.
ABC PM segment transcript below.

With the issue of gay marriage brought front and centre through Kevin Rudd's 'coming out' of a change of mind, the Australian Christian Lobby has been called on to respond from a conservative Christian perspective.

This has led leading ABC Radio program to look into the group which has been a political strength especially since the Kevin 07 election where, Kevin Rudd again, harnessed elements of the Christian vote so effectively for Labor.

The key figure for the ACL over many years was former SAS commander Jim Wallace who until this month was Managing Director and has just moved to the position of Deputy Chairman. He has been replaced by former ACL Chief of Staff, Lyle Shelton.

The ACL has worked hard to interest Christians and churches in the political process, helping to run electorate meetings and hosting pre-election Make it Count events with the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition. Kevin Rudd appeared at one of these in Canberra in 2010 the night before he was ousted by Julia Gillard.

And now as the election meanders closer, with the issue of gay marriage again front and centre, the ACL is busy on this and many other important policy debates for the diverse Christian community.

Hear AM reporter Peter Lloyd's segment on the Australia Christian Lobby or read the transcript below. Visit the ACL website.

Transcript

DAVID MARK: The former prime minister, Kevin Rudd, has been receiving as many brick-bats as bouquets for coming out in support of same-sex marriage. Some of the most strident criticism of his move has come from a group called the Australian Christian Lobby. It warned Mr Rudd his change of view will cost him votes in what it calls the 'Christian constituency'. But does such a constituency exist? And what power does the Australian Christian Lobby really wield? Peter Lloyd has been investigating.

Debate it may not be, but event considers religion and politics

'Can we untangle religion and politics?' is the headline question at the Ideas at the House event - Church and State, Sydney Opera House, March 24.

The event is framed as 'AC Grayling discusses Church and State' in a 'fiery panel debate' but it's unclear if there are equal sides represented or perhaps it is an issue were there are no clear cut sides. The tone of the website publicity leans towards a negative view of church influence on state and politics and the make-up of the panel seems to settle the issue.

Anthony Grayling MA, DPhil (Oxon) FRSL, FRSA, an outstanding academic and writer, is currently Master of the New College of the Humanities, and a Supernumerary Fellow of St Anne's College, Oxford.

But in the context of this 'debate' his appointments to various humanist and secularist societies are of special note. As the headliner for this event, clearly an agenda is set.

The second panelist highlighted is Sean Faircloth, no less than Director of Strategy and Policy at the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science, US and the author of Attack of the Theocrats: How the Religious Right Harms Us All And What We Can Do About It.

The first Australian to appear is Father Frank Brennan, a Jesuit priest, an adjunct fellow in the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies at the ANU, professor of law in the Institute of Legal Studies at the Australian Catholic University, and professor of human rights and social justice at the University of Notre Dame Australia.

Father Brennan will represent a component of Christian or church views and is entirely capable of matching it with his fellow panelists.

The choice of the final panelist seems to leave Brennan alone at the event in at least putting forward some points supporting the role of church and religion in society.  Pru Goward is well known as an ABC broadcaster, former Executive Director of the Office of the Status of Women and current NSW Minister for Family and Community Services.

She is seen as more of a Conservative, but from a secular perspective, as far as we aware.

Not that we should assume that Christians all advocate for an entanglement of religion and politics or church and state, in an institutional sense. Most, hopefully, would want government to be fair and equitable for all, regardless of religion.

However they may consider the historic Judeo-Christian basis for our society and the unique place of Christian social justice deserve special recognition (or simply the recognition it deserves) and, to some extent, protection. And they may also consider that seeking to vote for candidates and parties that carry some alignment with their personal and deeply held values and views about life is not a sin.

To this end, perhaps if the organisers were interested in balance they may have appointed Goward a kind of moderator and added another eminent Christian thinker such as World Vision's Tim Costello, CPX's John Dickson or Dr Justine Toh, to name a few.

Church & State will be held at the Sydney Opera House, Sunday March 24 at 4pm with standard tickets starting at $35. More information here ACV.