Trying to read trends in the ongoing battle between secularists and the churches is virtually impossible.

While the Rudd Government this week committed itself to the traditional Christian definition of marriage, in Victoria things look very bleak for the maintenance of religious freedom.

Mr Rudd and marriage

I have been somewhat surprised that federal Labor in power has continued to uphold the traditional view of marriage, as was confirmed earlier this week at the Labor Party conference.

The cynics thought Rudd’s promises to church leaders in 2007 may have all been an election ruse to mimic John Howard.

But if the analysis of mainstream commentators such as the Herald’s Phillip Coorey think Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s personal views mean there will be no change under the current Labor regime.

This is what the Australian Christian Lobby said in response:

ACL welcomes Rudd Government recommitment to marriage
The Australian Christian Lobby has welcomed the Rudd Government’s re-commitment to marriage between a man and a woman and its rejection of schemes which allow its significance to be undermined through civil unions.
“I welcome the Rudd Government's re-statement today of its opposition to Civil Unions," ACL Managing Director Jim Wallace said.
Attorney General Robert McLelland told the ALP's National Conference in Sydney today that reforms last year removing practical discrimination against same-sex couples were done so with the support of faith-based communities "based on those reforms not undermining the institution of marriage".
Mr Wallace said it was pleasing to see that the platform rejected any changes which broke faith with Labor’s “commitment to maintaining the definition of marriage as currently set out in the Marriage Act”.
The Marriage Act defines marriage as the union between a man and a woman voluntarily entered into for life.

Presbyterians to defy proposed laws in Victoria

In my view, the marriage debate is not the really big challenge.

Elsewhere the very existence of complex Christian organisations [including media outlets like this site] is under genuine threat.

In Victoria, David Palmer, Christian ethics expert and regular poster on this website, has hit the headlines saying the the Presbyterian Church will defy the law if Parliament removes religious exemptions to the Equal Opportunity Act.

Significantly his comments were reinforced by the Anglican Archbishop, Philip Freier, and a Roman Catholic bishop, as well as Muslim leaders.

In other words there is a genuine battle is looming down in ‘Mexico’ between church and state.

This is how Barney Zwartz from The Age reported the matter:

The Reverend David Palmer, head of the church's ethics committee, warned a parliamentary inquiry into the exemptions that changes would create significant conflict between church and state. ''The committee should not interpret this as a threat "” it is simply an honest warning of what will come to pass, and it reflects the depth of Christian feeling on these issues.''

Mr Palmer said the church would use all means at its disposal to challenge changes, including the courts and civil disobedience. Outside the hearing, he said: ''We will not be employing people whose publicly expressed beliefs and lifestyle amounts to a rejection of Christian teachings and practice.

''Our emphasis is, of course, opposition to any changes by legal means, but in the end we will stand on our conscience.''

Mr Palmer told the committee there was no need for the changes. ''It is about an intolerant secular agenda to erode Christian belief and practice by reducing the protections that the law gives religious freedom,'' he said.

How worried should Christians around Australia be at these recent developments in Melbourne?