> Date: Tue, 25 Mar 08 07:11:55 +1000
> Subject: hillsong.com Website Inquiry
>
> Name: Hans Stephens

Email: stephens
  Message: Dear Pastor Houston,
I read yours and other  church leaders Easter message in the Sunday Telegraph and in the article there is talk of the  “ultimate triumph of good over evil” and “to build communities that are hope-filled and life giving”

 All I see is a gradual but hastening decline of the moral fabric of our society, road rage, buses and cars being stoned, people assaulted, stabbed, killed (another stabbing reported in the Telegraph this morning) and  the crimes committed becoming more callous and horrific.

There are now cooking shows allowed on TV with language that a few years ago would cost the station it's license.

 Language aside, the verbal abuse in the show would be against all
 employer/staff relation regulations and this is entertainment?
Radio advertisements during the day asking,  “Men do you want  longer lasting sex?” >

Mothers or grandparents picking up children from school have to fend off the youngsters questions about “Premature ejaculation” or why men need to “Last longer in the bedroom”

 Where are the good people standing up and saying  that this is not good enough?
 Imagine if the Minister of Communications received 20,000 emails from concerned citizens asking that there should be a revision of regulations.
 Unless people complain nothing will happen.
 I emailed all our Federal ministers (both sides of the house)  to state my concerns about the men's sex radio ads, and had replies which varied from
”It's not the ministers portfolio” to no reply at all, and  to this email  which explains why I complained directly to our elected leaders.
 ..........................................
 Hello Hans
 I understand the various advertising techniques by this company have previously been through the official complaints processes and survived.
With the recent change of Minister it might be opportune for us to write and suggest a revision of the advertising standard that applies to this type of product.
 Thanks for bringing this example to our attention - do you happen to know what radio station it was on?

 Julie
______________________________________________________

 That reply came the day after I sent my first email, so it proves that minister's staff can get information quickly if they want to.

 Where does Hillsong  stand, on matters like this, is there some sort of outrage about what is accepted today, as in the case of swearing, it is now regarded as “Common usage” and Police can be sworn at with no redress.?

Maybe an announcement from the platform asking how your fellow Christians feel about the matters I've raised, and giving the email address of the communication minister if they have a concern about what they, and their children have to put up with now.

 It will only get worse
The Minister for broadband, communication and the digital economy can be reached on

 senator.conroy@aph.gov.au
 
Thank you for your time.

 Yours Faithfully
 Hans Stephens

This reply came back over one month later

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Maree Chapman" <maree.chapman@hillsong.com>
> To: <stephens
> Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 3:03 PM
> Subject: RE: hillsong.com Website Inquiry
>
>> Dear Hans,
>>
>> Thanks so much for your recent email to Ps Brian.

 Sadly we do live in an increasingly secular world and as Christians we should always endeavor to be Christ's example in speech and deed.
>> We really appreciate you taking the time to write to us.
>>
>> Warm regards,
>>
>> Maree Chapman
>> Hillsong Church

A very warm friendly type of reply but not one that helps get rubbish advertising off the air during the day.

Don’t the young children in their congregation listen to the radio, or to blot out reality is it recommended that they only listen to Christian CDs bought from Hillsong’s music library?

A little bit disappointed I sent this email back.

Original Message -----

From: "stephens

To: "Maree Chapman" <maree.chapman@hillsong.com>

Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 4:45 PM

Subject: Re: hillsong.com Website Enquiry

Ø      Dear Ms Chapman,
> By your reply am I to understand that because we live "in an increasingly
> secular world ", that the leadership of Hillsong doesn't have an opinion on
> the suitability for children during the day, of advertising such as the ones
> I wrote about in the email?
> If church leadership throw their hands in the air and just accept the
> lowering of moral standards, heaven help us.
> A newspaper columnist Sandra Lee wrote about the moral decline in society, in the Sunday Telegraph 
 > (April 6)  and finished her article with:
> Personally I think Dante was on the money when he said "The hottest place
> in hell is reserved for those, who in times of great moral crises, maintain
> their neutrality"
>
> Yours faithfully
> Hans Stephens