THE GOSPEL SCRUM DOWN UNDER

The Gospel Scrum Down Under

A scrum is formed when members of opposing rugby teams, with heads down interlock arms into the circle of which the ball is dropped for them to try to back-heal to their own team to take possession. A top rugby-player lost his job for posting a message on social media that the Australian Rugby Union disagrees with. The message alleged that Jesus is the Saviour of all kinds of sinners (some of which were listed) and that Hell awaits the unrepentant. See 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.

The sacked rugby player then opened a Crowd-Fund type page so that anyone that wanted to could freely donate money toward the cause of religious freedom that was being attacked. However, the Crowd-Fund people decided also to attack the religious freedoms of the rugby player, and, by way of extension, the religious freedoms of all Australians. Thus the rugby player is ridiculed by Rugby Australia and Go Fund Me. Indeed, the issue has become one of the preservation of freedom of speech. Or, to phrase it another way, the whole thing has become an issue of Australians versus Political Correctness overkill!

The good news is that the news, talkback radio, pubs and clubs, water-fountain congregations and conversations, social media is abuzz with the Gospel! What Christian could ask for more?

Meanwhile, back the scrum. Which team is going to end up in possession of the ball? – The ball being the rule of law in the land. Christians with their free speech loving supporters? Or the other lot that wish to shut down every discussion and even every thought that opposes their political correctness religion?

I’m “barracking” for freedom of speech. And I can hear the multiplying cries of support coming from the bleachers, “Go the Freedom of Speechers!”

Some on the opposing team are not overly happy with the rugby player’s understanding of the Gospel and feel the need to try to correct him. That, and the fact that the rugby player’s past successes have boosted his financial situation substantially is also called into question. For, these object to his asking for the Crowd to help Fund his legal battle against unfair dismissal.

So, which team is going to get the first try of the game (with a possible successful conversion kick to follow)? The Freedom of Speechers or the Political Correctors?

Rules? Not Aussie Rules, because that’s a different game to rugby, but what does the Australian Constitution say? What does the Law of the Land say? Let us level the playing field as they say. Section 116:

The Commonwealth shall not make any law for establishing any religion, or for imposing any religious observance, or for prohibiting any free exercise of any religion, and no religious test shall be required as a qualification for any office or public trust under the Commonwealth.

Because it is Rugby Australia that has taken offence at the Gospel as privately published by one of its members (ie, the rugby player), then one can assume that the general principle of this statement applies also to the game of rugby in Australia, and indeed everywhere else in the Land Down Under, including ARU contracts, especially the bit about “prohibiting any free exercise of any religion”. Clearly, by prohibiting the free exercise of a rugby’s player’s religion the Australian Rugby Union is following some principle other than the Law of the Land. It has sacked him for lawfully exercising his religion, ie, his Christian religion. He merely posted his understanding of the Gospel on social media with a view to pointing fellow sinners to the Saviour of sinners, ie. Jesus Christ, who, as clearly taught in the Bible, saves sinners from going to Hell if they die unrepentant. What’s wrong with that?

Well, who would have thought? Surprise, surprise. Some people are offended by the Gospel! It says in the Bible, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18. Okay, some people find the message of the cross, ie, the Gospel offensive. What’s new? Well, here’s what’s new.

The Gospel is being proclaimed like never before in Australia! The whole nation is abuzz with the Gospel! It’s on the news, talkback radio, social media. It’s in the workplace, the cafés, restaurants and bars. It’s on the buses, boats, trains and planes! Some are saying, ‘How dare this rugby player claim that people are going to Hell unless they repent and trust in Jesus?” “How dare a rich rugby player ask people for money to help him defend his freedom to teach this?” And so they persecute and they ridicule the rugby player.

With all this turning the whole of Australia upside down (right side up?), hopefully the rugby player will not lose his freedom and end up in prison for the Gospel, as happened to the Apostle Paul who wrote, “It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice.” Philippians 1:15-18. Paul is the same man who wrote, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” 1 Timothy 1:15b.

Christians ought to be rejoicing at the moment. Christ is being preached in Australia! Yes, some mean it for good while others mean it for evil, supposing they can stir up trouble for the rugby player. But Christ is being preached! Rejoice!

That is the scrum Down Under. The Freedom of Speechers versus the Political Correctors. The Freedom of Speechers are winning the ball in the scrum…

But what is the Big Picture from above the stadium? How does the eye in the blimp see it?

The camera zooms in a mob of people trying to saw down the huge flagpole bearing the Australian National Flag. Like someone sawing the proverbial branch they are sitting on, so the mob is swinging sledgehammers at the pillars that support our nation. They are striking matches to burn our Constitution. Like the opposing side in the scrum, they are trampling the Son of God underfoot, the blood of the covenant, ie, the Gospel, and they are insulting the Spirit of grace (see eg, Hebrews 10:29).

But our God is gracious. On a personal and subjective level, how many of us, like Saul of Tarsus, kicked against the goads, the prodding of the Holy Spirit working with the Gospel? How many of us at first rejected the message of the cross? How many of us had a negative reaction to being called a sinner? But, like the Apostle Paul, with God’s patience we began to see ourselves as sinners, sinners in need of the Saviour of sinners, Jesus Christ. God granted us repentance and we believed in Christ to save us from Hell.

And then on a public and objective level, as Christians we began to see that not only does the Gospel set individuals free, but its influence sets whole communities free, even whole nations! “Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

Yes, “Go the Freedom of Speechers!” Don’t let the Political Correctors silence the Gospel, which is the Good News to all nations.   

On our Australian Constitution: “The Constitution follows very closely the lines laid down under the leadership of the ‘Father of the Federation’ Sir Henry Parkes in 1891. Sir Henry identified himself not only with his British roots but, far more importantly, also with Christianity — and indeed also with the Christian institutions which had rooted so deeply in Britain. According to the Sydney Morning Herald for 26th August 1885, Henry Parkes then declared: “As we are a British people — are pre-eminently a Christian people — as our laws, our whole system of jurisprudence, our Constitution…are based upon and interwoven with our Christian belief, and as we are immensely in the majority, we have a fair claim to be spoken of at all times with respect and deference.” – Dr Francis Nigel Lee, The Christian Foundations of Australia  http://www.dr-fnlee.org/the-christian-foundations-of-australia/

On our Australian Flag: “It needs to be remembered that the Australian flag unites the three Christian crosses of England, Ireland and Scotland in the Union Jack — the Christian crosses of St George, St Patrick and St Andrew — with the Southern Cross. Indeed, it is hard to imagine the flag of any country with a more graphic Christian significance. For on the one hand, in the top left corner, it depicts the early Christian history of the various parts of the British Isles — as the womb which shaped the later civilization of Australia. On the other hand, in the right side of the field, it depicts the astronomical constellation so characteristic of Australia herself — the Southern Cross. This, the Christian former Astronomer-Royal Sir William Herschel (the discoverer of the planet Uranus) once claimed, has the most blood-red star in the whole sky — precisely in the head of that cross. … On the wall of one of the rooms in the Tasmanian home of Rev. Dr. David Mitchell, hangs an important poem about our flag — taken from the Stockman's Hall of Fame. I myself have updated and simplified that poem. I myself would call it THE STARS AND CROSSES OF AUSTRALIA. Let me now read it to you:

“Our flag shows the stars which do sparkle at night, in our Southern Cross so true.

In its corner, are three Christian crosses — the red and the white upon blue. 

They’re for England and Ireland and Scotland, who sent to the ends of the earth 

the rogues and the schemers and doers and dreamers who gave our Australia her birth

Yet all who detest our three crosses, just don’t want to understand 

that they show us our law and our language, and faith in the God of our land. 

For people galore will still tell you, when Europe was plunged into night — 

those crosses right there in the corner, gave hope of more freedom and light. 

So they certainly mean no allegiance, to a bygone imperial scene. 

For our stars show us where we are going — and our crosses show where we have been.”

 … That flag flutters yet. Long may it wave, as a symbol of Australia's decalogical roots in God’s Common Law — and of peace through the blood of the cross of Christ! Colossians 1:20. – Dr Francis Nigel Lee, The Christian Foundations of Australia http://www.dr-fnlee.org/the-christian-foundations-of-australia/