Archive for February, 2012


Politicians and the uses of faith

Filed under: politics, politics and faith — 1 Comment
February 25, 2012

The Rev. Fred Nile is one of Australia's highest profile Christian leaders

Freedom of religion and the separation of church and state are two fundamental pillars of Australian culture and society.  But as soon as Mr Abbott, or Mr Rudd, or the Rev Fred Nile, make any link between politics and faith, angry mobs write venomous articles and letters to the editor, denouncing them.  And it only gets worse during elections.

On Tuesday, a coalition of religious organisations in the United States issued an interfaith statement of principles on religion in political campaigns that I think is worth considering.

It states that a candidate’s religious beliefs, or lack thereof, should never be used by voters, nor suggested by political candidates, as a test for public office or a summary of their qualifications; politicians should conduct their campaigns without appeals for support based on religion; and they should avoid deliberately encouraging division along religious lines.

A politician’s faith should definitely inform their thinking on policy, and the decisions they take, but it should not be used as a weapon to divide and conquer.

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 26 Feb 2012.

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Gillard moves on gambling reform

Filed under: gambling — Leave a comment
February 25, 2012

The big news on gambling reform in recent weeks has been the tearing up of the agreement between Prime Minister Julia Gillard and independent MP Andrew Wilkie to implement mandatory pre-commitment technology in all of Australia’s poker machines.

The bigger news, though not so widely reported, is that the Gillard Government has released its draft National Gambling Reform Bills, which it says will deliver long-lasting reforms including pre-commitment technology, dynamic warnings on poker machines, and a $250 daily ATM withdrawal limit in pokies venues.

For those of us committed to increasing consumer protection and helping potential problem gamblers before they get addicted, these are welcome moves.  It’s the first time the Commonwealth government has taken national action to help problem gamblers and their families.

Of course, it would be much better, and much easier, and much cheaper, to have a law that limits all pokies to $1 bets, which is the main objective of the NSW Churches Gambling Taskforce.

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 26 Feb 2012.

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NSW community programs suffer

Filed under: homosexuality, NSW politics, violence — Leave a comment
February 25, 2012

Ken Marslew (right). His son Michael (left) was 18 when he was killed in 1994. Photo: Steve Baccon

The Rev Fred Nile has revealed that, while the O’Farrell government is happy to keep throwing money at the Sydney Mardi Gras, it has slashed funding to important community programs that address real needs.

One example is the anti-violence organisation Enough is Enough, led by Ken Marslew whose 18-year-old son Michael was killed by an armed robber in 1995.  In the 17 years since his son’s death, Ken has worked tirelessly to address and mitigate social violence, bullying and other youth problems through greater understanding and education.

But now the state government has cut their funding by over $60,000.

Mr Marslew says he can’t understand why the government is happy to prop up the Sydney Mardi Gras while pulling funds from programs that would provide tangible benefits to everyone.  Many people find it offensive, and the government needs to take action to ensure that these valuable community groups are properly resourced.

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 26 Feb 2012.

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A perspective on political leadership

Filed under: politics and faith, prayer, virtue — Leave a comment
February 25, 2012

Back in 2009, when Kevin Rudd was Australia’s Prime Minister, my friend Matt Prater interviewed him about his Christian faith and the challenges facing Australia.

At the end of the interview, Matt asked Mr Rudd to share a favourite passage of Scripture, and Mr Rudd quoted the words of Jesus in the Gospel of John, chapter 15 and verse 5: “I am the Vine, you are the branches.”  This was Mr Rudd’s mother’s favourite verse, and it’s inscribed on her headstone.

“That verse works on multiple levels,” he said.  “It applies when you are running out of energy, enthusiasm, and ability to do anything in life or in politics – just pause and recognise that you are only a branch and that our Creator, God, is the vine.”

It’s my prayer that Kevin Rudd will find fresh strength in those words of Jesus in the days ahead, and that his rival, Julia Gillard, will come to understand the significance of a personal faith in God.

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 26 Feb 2012.

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The Achilles’ heel of atheism

Filed under: atheism, faith, theism — Leave a comment
February 25, 2012

Professor Richard Dawkins

The Reverend Dr Giles Fraser isn’t your most mainstream Anglican minister, especially since he resigned as canon of St Paul’s Cathedral to become a lead writer at The Guardian.  But in a BBC radio interview with atheist campaigner Richard Dawkins on Monday, Fraser capitalised on Dawkins’s arrogance and reduced him to incoherent spluttering.

They were debating figures produced by Professor Dawkins’s think tank which purport to show that people who think of themselves as Christian turn out to be overwhelmingly secular in their attitudes to certain social issues.

Dawkins claimed that “an astonishing number [of Christians] couldn’t identify the first book in the New Testament.”  So Fraser asked Dawkins to name the full title of Charles Darwin’s classic book On the Origin of Species.  He couldn’t, and his awkwardness was both hilarious and symbolic.

As Jewish journalist Stephen Pollard put it, “the arrogance and intolerance of the atheists, exemplified by Professor Dawkins, is their Achilles’ heel.”

And, for the record, the first book in the New Testament is the Gospel of Matthew.

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 19 Feb 2012.

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