Micah Challenge Australia Blog

 

The Micah Challenge blog is a space for discussion and debate about the issues of global poverty, faith, advocacy and justice and the Millennium Development Goals. This blog aims to provoke thought and challenge you to learn more about the issues discussed. We welcome your comments.

Micah Challenge is a global campaign of Christians speaking out against poverty and injustice. Click here to visit the Micah Challenge website.

  • Drinking bottled water is not a sin, right?

    Posted by Elissa

    7 June, 2011

    This morning, I turned on the tap and cleaned my teeth. So what, right? Even here in Australia, the land of droughts and flooding rains, where we know better than most how important water really is, we still take it for granted that when we turn on the tap, clean and drinkable water will pour out. Now, I know that's not the case for people in many parts of the world. There are more than one billion people on Planet Earth who do not have clean and drinkable water on call in their kitchens and bathrooms like I do. But just like I never really think about the water I clean my teeth with every day, I don't really think about the water situation that a great chunk of the world population deals with every day. Am I alone? I don't think so. Is it ok? That is quite another question. Take a swig of this What really got me thinking about it was an interview I heard on my local radio station a couple of months ago with the Go Tap movement. "Seriously?" I thought. But then some of the stats caught my attention. • Each year, Australians spend more than half a billion… read more

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  • Christians and climate change - What would MLK do?

    Posted by Jarrod

    2 June, 2011

    The legacy of Martin Luther King Jr and the reality of climate change are both victims of western culture's remarkable capacity to accommodate and neutralise that which is most critical of it. Early in the civil rights movement, Bayard Rustin said to King, "I have a feeling that the Lord had laid his hand upon you. And that is a dangerous, dangerous thing." Similarly, the FBI once described Martin King as the "most dangerous man in America" - and yet, when we hear about this man, we are often presented with a figure that seems more like a cheerleader for the status quo rather than a prophetic challenge to it. Somehow, it seems we have made this dangerous figure very safe. For instance, in a speech at the Pentagon commemorating King's legacy, the Defense Department's general counsel Jeh C. Johnson remarked, "I believe that if Dr King were alive today, he would recognize that we live in a complicated world, and that our nation's military should not and cannot lay down its arms and leave the American people vulnerable to terrorist attack." But to claim that Dr… read more

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  • Achieving MDG7 saves lives!

    Posted by Tabitha

    30 May, 2011

    We live in a country where we take it for granted that we have clean drinking water in our taps, toilets that work and food on our tables - life's most simple necessities, right? But for people in poor countries, who rely heavily on their local environment and ecosystems, environmental instability means access to these basic needs is not guaranteed. This Sunday is 'World Environment Day' - a good chance to reflect on Millennium Development Goal 7, which seeks to ensure environmental sustainability for the world's poor, and aims to assist the poor to cope with environmental degradation and a changing climate. MDG7 also includes targets to help improve water and sanitation in poor communities. Here at Micah Challenge, we believe that EVERY PERSON should be able to enjoy God's provision through creation. The reality of our 'global village' is that we really do 'Share the Earth' with our brothers and sisters around the world. The decisions we Aussies make about how we use the earth can have a positive or negative impact on the world's poorest people. For me… read more

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  • Praise for 'Theology of Climate Change' paper

    Posted by Tabitha

    7 April, 2011

    I came across the following article praising our 'Theology of Climate Change' paper on the Christian Today website. I was encouraged to see that the effort of our Theological Working Group has been met with appreciation. Great timing with the launch of our 'Share the Earth' MDG7 campaign too... Christians and Climate Change The issue of Climate Change continues to heat up in Australian politics with the Federal Government taking a major hit in the polls for its controversial carbon tax, while the Opposition continues in its refusal to accept the science of climate change. While this may leave you unsure of who to believe and scratching your head to work out why it has become such a political hot potato, it is vital Christians look to the Bible for an appropriate response. In 2009, The Australian Christian aid campaign, Micah Challenge released a statement called a "Theological Response to Climate Change". This paper is as relevant today as it was when it was first released and is a must read for any Christian wanting to form a biblical response to the issue.… read more

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