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18 July 2008

Hello to everyone,

No matter where you are you could not escape the news this week of the pope's presence in Sydney, Australia for Catholic "World Youth Day". There is no doubt that quite a few tens of thousands of overseas "youth" has descended on Sydney this week, many wearing the distinctive red (papal) clothing and paraphernalia. It does seem that thousands of Sydney drivers have done as asked and left their cars at home, or simply left, because driving around even the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney this week was almost surreal with a the lack of traffic. Quite pleasant really.

There also seemed to be attendant miracles on the heals of the pope's visit and WYD. It was reported that Sydney trains were running on time. Indeed shades of the 2000 Olympics were reported in the City where significant road closures allowed pedestrians to fill usually car clogged streets in what appears to be a an atmosphere of bonhomie and good will all round. I say appears because I resisted the temptation to join the throng so cannot report first hand.

On Thursday the pope participated in a "boatacade". That is, he got on very large cruise boat and motored up the Harbour looked upon by the adoring and curious masses from the shore. It was reported that when he disembarked at "Bangaroo" (the unfortunate name given the former container wharf area of north Darling Harbour earmarked for redevelopment) he was greeted like a rock star by the even more adoring throng of young Catholics. Today the big thing was the "stations of the cross" played out around the City's landmarks and watched by 500 million worldwide (it was claimed).

Tomorrow, the Sabbath, the Sydney Harbor Bridge will be closed to allow the "pilgrims" to walk across on their way to Randwick racecourse for a big sleep out Saturday night before the climactic mass led by the pope on Sunday. They hope to get 500,000 to the event. Whether they do or not it is likely to be reported they did. That's the nature of these things.

The pope’s visit has almost overshadowed all other news but not quite. The Rudd government this week announced the detail of it’s “carbon trading” scheme to address the unproven problem of human caused “climate change”. One interesting, and dishonest, point of the report containing the plan was it’s title which re badged the alleged problem as “carbon dioxide  pollution”.  Since carbon dioxide exists naturally and is essential for plant growth and known as  the “carbon cycle” we all learned about in high school science classes, it is a strange label. Stranger still was the announcement that petrol will be included in the carbon tax regime but that for every cent fuel rises the government will decrease the excise tax on fuel. That scheme will effectively negative the carbon tax on fuel and the intended effect to reduce fuel consumption through price. Where this will end though could be major damage to Australia’s dwindling industry.

The GTA program  last Sunday offered the booklet “Heaven on Earth?” and the GTA audio sermon “The Third Day in Heaven”. By week’s end we had 48 requests for program material  with 10 of those new contacts.

The program this Sunday looks at how the Sabbath was substituted with Sunday by a paganized Catholic Church and how most, if not all of the daughter churches of Rome today continue to profess Sunday as the Lord’s Day relying on nothing more than the authority of the Catholic Church and the pope in defiance of God’s Fourth Commandment. Given the presence of our esteemed visitor it seems a good topic to raise.

All the best for your Sabbath observance.

Murray Allatt
Sydney






























 

 

Sydney
Bulli
Gold Coast
Canberra
Raymond Terrace
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Contact minister, Murray Allatt at murrayallatt@icgchurches.org