Sinister is the appropriate word for the activities of the Religious Right and the present Government of this country is being profoundly influenced by them. The disarming rhetoric of the Family First candidate in the last election proved to be hollow when it came to implementation of the stated policy of the party.
It is high time such religious organisations status as 'non-profit' was reviewed and their financial activities scrutinised by the Tax Department.
Thanks for a thought provoking article Alan. It should serve as a call to arms for all citizens who want secular government.
About time something positive is done to restore the current imbalance in society's worst enemy: secularism and pluralism.
By taking the truth (creation /ID) out of the curricula and replacing it with theories (evolution), education has betrayed several generations of Australians beyond repair.
Our children deserve to make educated choices instead of being spoon fed manufactured deficient alternatives.
I don't mind Darwinism be offered as a theory but it should have never been passed and accepted as a substitute to God's truth.
Family values and wholesome education are the staple diet of our society.
A casual approach to either can only lead to "casualty".
"And the Lord said unto Abram ... Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever" (Genesis 13:14-15).
"I will give to thee (Abraham) and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession" (Genesis 17:8).
"Unto thee (Isaac) and unto thy seed will I give all these countries" (Genesis 26:3).
"The land whereon thou (Jacob) liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed" (Genesis 28:13).
"By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise" (Hebrews 11:8).
I'm interested to know what proportion of the growing legion of evangelicals truly believe they are doing the right thing, and how many see it as a means of cancelling free thought and validating corruption.
The function of the "prosperity gospel" promoted by these organisations is to make moral bankruptcy seem like a Christian virtue, while poverty, oppression, and disadvantage are the individual's fault for not being holy enough.
A flock needs shepherds, not a consortium of abbattoir operators.
Quotes from a book written thousands of years ago (Genesis) with stories handed down from father to son and translated and rewritten DOES NOT constitute the truth.
Sure theories are just that, theories , just as ID is a theory.
Let our children read all they can, listen to all opinions and then , with a mind of their own, make their choice.
I do not need the government or any other group with Dogmantic opinions telling me what the truth is.
The truth is , I do not know who I am, where I am or what is coming.
I am here and it is now and I plan to enjoy the beauty and mystery all around. I do not want it explained to me.
I am sure you are stating your heartfelt beliefs. But what you are espousing is dangerous and has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands.
You state "About time something positive is done to restore the current imbalance in society's worst enemy: secularism and pluralism" I beg to differ, radical religion in all its forms is societies worst enemy.
When ANY group in our society feels morally superior and imposes its views on others we are in trouble.
Is it right to take land from one group to give to another? What compensation was paid?
ID and creation science are not science, as recently judged by US courts, they are religious dogma. Darwinism you state "should have never been passed and accepted as a substitute to God's truth" That is the problem with Darwin's theory, you can never really accept it as fact because to do so would cause a fundamental crisis in your belief system.
I am happy for you to have whatever views you wish, but please do not force psuedo-science on our kids.
To what extent are the Christian Right (CR) just a front for Right wing rhetoric or Christian beliefs - requires careful consideration and monitoring in itself.
(Lets not forget Jim & Tammy Faye Baker ) And many other evangelical shysters.
While we can take some comfort in the theoretical and constitutional separation of the state and church - the realities of the increase in the CR's influence paints another much more sinister picture.
The corporatisation of Christianity /religion is not that well entrenched in the Western thought but implicit to governance and politic philosophies in the East.
The reshaping of nation states by the Christian Right is already under way. But will it be compatible with democracies that uphold and protect religious pluralism? I don't know. But until we do know I think we should keep a very close eye on the CR's corporate and political movements. When a Church or Christian movement crosses the line of pure religiosity and enter into the realm of politics needs to be clearly understood. When is a Church merely a place of worship and when is it a political party?