OPINION Ross Clifford
I personally have come to the conclusion that the Tasmanian proposed Act is a no vote. The one amendment that would reverse that is the removal of all religious/spiritual practices and the Act purely referring to medical/secular cases and legislation. The reasons are as follows.
• Soul competency is a significant religious freedom. There is no mediator between a human and God, and certainly not the State. Baptist/Free Church/Evangelicals have fought for this principle since the Reformation. The prayers or comfort we are speaking about with regard to suppression, transformation and/or celibacy are Biblically based and the State has no right to intrude.
• If an amendment is passed that exempts adult consenting participants in prayer and the like, in my mind that simply moves the debate to another level. A court or commissioner could be placed in the situation of assessing what is consenting. I was preaching at a church on Sunday where there was a classical pastoral prayer around we are sinners, seeking repentance and then readings from scripture as to what our sins may be. If someone then sought prayer and the AI model prayer [see below] was done, the question could be raised if this was in an environment that means consensual. No doubt there are more telling examples.
• There are other criminal and civil remedies that can be sought if there is clear abuse and harm.
• People have the freedom to either request a prayer or leave during a prayer.
• With respect to prayers for deliverance, any proposed amendments to the Act do not cover same. There are pastors and congregations within Evangelical circles, and non-evangelical circles, where a very balanced prayer ministry may lead to deliverance. This is being pursued with a number of mainstream denominational pastors who have shared that at times in a prayer environment a deliverance situation may arise, even if rarely, and one has no control over what “demon or entity” appears and is to be rebuked. These pastors and their ministries are not in any way extreme or abnormal. An upheld complaint or prosecution could lead to criminal conviction.
• The fact that there appear to be no complaints/prosecutions to date under other State legislation does not mean that there are not cases being considered. Also, from experience, complaints often occur 2-3 years after a person has been involved in the alleged offence. You don’t go into a prayer and then immediately report it unless you are seeking to target someone. Having said that, I agree with other denominational leaders that groups like Equality Australia will be actively engaged.
• I appreciate that there are issues in the Bill of great concern relating to children, parents and statute of limitations. Whilst appreciative of all the efforts to seek to make this Bill more palatable, I personally believe it is such bad law it cannot be redeemed.
• There have been members of parliament who have clearly stated that their preference on such legislation is a simple support for a no vote rather than being caught up with a majority of unwinnable amendments.
• To the objection that a no vote would leave pastors/churches/denominations in a perilous situation, the answer in part is that we can assist with pro bono advice, and the passing of the legislation with some amendments is still not a position that brings confidence. In fact, there are reports now of churches in other states that publicly indicate what prayers and practices they cannot be involved in.
On a personal note, my ministry, whether it be as the Parliamentarian for Baptist World Alliance, actively involved in major political parties, and being a voice/advisor for independent political parties, I have been involved in amendments to legislation. It is widely accepted that there are a number of steps to be considered when evaluating a piece of legislation and amendments.
- Does the Government or the mover of this Bill have a mandate for this legislation? If no, and there are Christian ethical issues involved, then the best course is to publicly state this needs an electoral mandate.
- If the bill has a mandate and it is possible to amend for the common good, then amendments are proactively sought.
- If the bill has a mandate but is still strongly anti-Gospel/religious freedom, then a no vote is appropriate, and efforts are made to bring the Bill back into public debate. The same-sex marriage plebiscite and the legislation that followed drew a lot of Christian response. However, the Bill never sought to restrict our belief and practice, nor require us to conduct certain marriages. The freedom of individual conscience and that of the church was still maintained even though many Christians were concerned about the common good. In this legislation, our freedoms are not maintained, and in fact abused.
(By the way, the evidence shows that if there was a plebiscite on restrictions of prayer, etc., the overwhelming public vote would be don’t go there.)
Rev Dr Ross Clifford AM
A model prayer
Here’s the model prayer that Ross mentioned:
Intercession for Repentance and Spiritual Support
“Heavenly Father, we come before You today acknowledging Your sovereignty and Your design for human life, relationship, and holiness. We thank You for the gift of grace and the promise of transformation that You offer to everyone who comes to You.
Lord, we lift up [Name] to You today. We thank You for their heart, for their love for You, and for their desire to walk in obedience to Your Word. We recognise and honour their step of repentance, turning away from past patterns and desires to seek Your will above all else.
We ask that You give [Name] the strength, perseverance, and peace to walk this path of faithful discipleship. Where they experience internal conflict or desires that conflict with Your holiness, we pray for the grace of self-control, spiritual steadfastness, and the power to suppress whatever does not honour You. We ask that You conform their desires, their heart, and their mind more closely to the image of Christ every day.
Protect [Name] from external pressures, and provide them with a supportive faith community that stands by them in their chosen conviction to live according to Your truth.
Strengthen their resolve to honour You in body, mind, and spirit.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Image: Hobart and Mount Wellington / Kunanyi. Image Credit: Gary Houston, Wikimedia