Archive for category Faith

Separating fact from fiction

Most of those who invoke the doctrine of the “separation of church and state” in political discourse these days evidence little grasp of it’s actual meaning. It’s become a kind of popular Dawkinsian rallying cry for the “new” atheism. Peter Pelzer (Letters, 20/11) is but the latest of many, with his call for greater financial “separation”. The common idea seems to be that religious faith has no rightful place in public life or policy.

In fact the historic principle of church-state separation has little directly to do either with any person’s belief system or with the modern phenomenon of tax exemptions or deductibility. Rather, it’s about whether a particular religious institution is an organ of the state. Unlike Britain, Australia is not and has never been a country where the state is constitutionally enmeshed with any religious body, to the great relief of Christians and secularists alike.

The Australian taxation system makes special provision for religious bodies, not because of anything they believe, but in recognition of their contribution to the well-being of society generally and the marginalised in particular. The emphasis is on their non-profit charitable status. Anyone objecting to that might try envisioning a health or welfare system without them.


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To wit, to who?

I’m trying to decide whether to be more grateful to Greg Craven (Opinion, 4/11) for injecting some balancing wit into current public debate on the merits of theism, or to his respondents (Letters, 5/11) for demonstrating that we Christians are not the only folks who take ourselves too seriously at times. In this AD (After Dawkins) era, when it’s become standard literary fare to laugh off all religious believers as simpletons with “an imaginary friend”, it’s a little bemusing to have non-believers taking offence at the occasional bit of Aussie repartee coming the other way.

Time to lighten up, guys … or we might start praying for you.


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Choose your weapons

Apparently Rob Hulls stands guilty of protecting unenlightened disrespect, hatred and religious prejudice in this state. But then again, the undercurrents of this debate reflect a far-from-helpful use of language.

A discussion in which only the most negative, emotion-charged vocabulary is permitted has little chance of being conducted with reason or equanimity, and thus still less chance of an “enlightened” outcome. Our gracious legislators, it seems, are permitting religious organisations to continue to practice “discrimination”. So – it’s intrinsically bad but we’re letting you do it anyway?

One person’s “discrimination” is another’s common sense. Every day job candidates are screened according to their capacity to support the company’s values or mission. Someone with radically socialist views on wealth distribution is unlikely to be made Telstra CEO, should they apply. Would that be “discrimination” or just sensible? An outstanding cricket coach is unlikely to coach an AFL side. A radical pacifist would be passed over for military field command. No one cries “prejudice!”

Rethink the vocabulary, and an intelligent debate may be possible.


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God and the doctor

Well the next time God has a bad hair day, he can always go and flop on the couch in Dr Deveny’s (The Age, 2/9) consulting suite. And Galileo might well join him, so the good doctor can inform him that the God who granted him his intellect doesn’t exist anyway.


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None so intolerant

Peter Costello is right (Opinion, 29/7) – not a statement I’ve commonly made. “According to these (state government) lawyers, a religious conscience leads to prejudice.” This surely is the fundamental absurdity of the entire so-called “anti-discrimination” proposition currently levelled at the religious school sector. When in the history of this nation have Christian schools proven to be training grounds for young sociopaths? Where is the practical evidence that children educated at such schools turn into intolerant adults? With no evidence on offer, we face the real possibility of legislated social change on the basis of unsubstantiated theory. Did someone mention blind ideological prejudice?

More might be said. For instance, there’s the crafted use of charged language. What was once freedom of choice – a pillar of liberal democracy – is now cast as “discrimination” if exercised by the wrong crowd. If applicants for a position are screened according to their commitment to a company’s culture and values, that’s good management. If a religious body does the same, that’s prejudice.

The inanity might be highlighted by some parallel propositions:

  1. Let’s call it “discrimination” when a major political party declines to endorse a candidate of contrary political persuasion.
  2. Let’s call it “prejudice” when the ADF refuses to grant field command to a confessing pacifist.

None so intolerant as tolerance crusaders.


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Believers right and left

Given the currency in the Australian media of phrases like “the religious right” with reference to any public expressions of orthodox Christian morality, it’s little surprise that both the ABC and The Age (26/5) would list “religious groups” generally and the Australian Christian Lobby in particular, as natural sources of right-wing audience fodder for Q & A.

However the assumption is simplistic to say the least. No doubt the ranks of the ACL (formal members and the much wider support base) do comprise quite a few people with conservative political leanings. But the association is far from universal. Not least, our current (Labor) Prime Minister is clearly on the public record not only as a thinking, praying and practising Christian, but also as an admirer of self-professed “Christian socialist” and labour leader, Keir Hardie and of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor and participant in the German Resistance movement against Nazism. The ACL’s own webpage records a recent interview with Mr Rudd, highlighting his faith journey and spiritual practice.

Q & A’s audience may be less “balanced” than intended.


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Let’s just listen anyway

I’m poorly placed to debate John Searle (Opinion, 20/3) on the value of Archbishop Freier’s planned hospitality toward former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami. Searle is a far more engaged and informed observer of Middle-Eastern politics than I expect I will ever be. His concerns and those of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria deserve to be treated thoughtfully.
But there are occasions when a layman’s assessment might be constructive. Perhaps this is one instance? Searle is concerned that for a religious leader merely to meet Khatami would lend his cause an undeserved legitimacy. Perhaps he’s right; perhaps that is a risk. But then could it be that such a strategy – with its risks – is well worth testing, indeed long overdue? Other strategies aplenty have proven fruitless, despite innumerable attempts spanning decades if not centuries. Principled stands such as that advocated by the JCCV, by which community leaders have declined even to meet with others of doubtful repute, have with all respect delivered little of the peace we all desperately seek.
Perhaps it’s time to try respectful listening and open conversation, despite the doubts. It worked a treat for Jesus; it might just work for one of His servants.

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Another happy Christmas

So it’s Christmas as usual, then? Another orgy of excessive culinary indulgence? Another round of retail extravagance and seasonal checkout mayhem? Another box-load of trinkets we’ll all figure out what to do with eventually? Well by jingo, that’s a relief. For a moment there I thought we were going to be confined to exchanging the few gifts we actually need, having real conversations, and reflecting on matters of significance. It could have been like that kid whatisname born in a shed with a pile of manure, getting visited by smelly shepherds, and only getting a gold coin donation and a bottle of perfume. Geez, that was close! Thank God we’ve preserved the true meaning of Christmas.

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Surgeons and bishops

I’m not a Catholic, which it seems is a good thing in Victoria just now. A few weeks ago a front page Age headline grabbed our attention: “Archbishop’s abortion threat”. Now (The Age, 6/10) it’s the “Catholic lobby” who’ve “escalated the pressure on Victoria’s lawmakers” in “the latest attack” on the abortion bill. Well that certainly gets our attention, doesn’t it Nick Miller. Now with Spring Street’s proximity to St Pat’s, I reckon it’s time to bring the troops home.
Are Archbishop Hart and Catholic Health Australia emotionally blackmailing the women of Victoria? Or are they simply stating unambiguously the practical implications of their convictions, should the bill become law? It seems you can act on a secular ideology and be an enlightened humanitarian, or you can act on religious convictions and be a social terrorist.
Well now, here’s an enlightened liberal democratic legislative thought. If doctors with conscientious objections to abortion must make referrals to those of contrary persuasion, then let the reverse also apply. That would be truly liberal. Any takers? No? Didn’t think so.

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God bless secularism!

Oh the religious passion with which John L. Perkins of the Secular Society of Australia (Letters, 27/6) defends the cause of Australian secularism! “Secular values … remain the basis of a harmonious, non-sectarian society … and are based on the universal principles of compassion, honesty, freedom and justice. These values will never die but they must be defended.” Truth, justice and the secular way. God bless you, John!

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