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Human Centipede crushed

Filed under: censorship, film, morality, violence — Leave a comment
December 2, 2011

In a win for decency and sanity, the federal Classification Review Board has unanimously decided to classify the “torture porn” film The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) as Refused Classification, meaning the film cannot be sold, hired or advertised in Australia.

Earlier this year, the board gave the film an R18+ classification, despite the fact that it was banned by the British Board of Film Classification, which said it “poses a real risk that harm is likely to be caused to potential viewers.”

The British board went on: “There is little attempt to portray any of the victims in the film as anything other than objects to be brutalised, degraded and mutilated for the amusement and arousal of the central character, as well as for the pleasure of the audience.”

Why anyone would watch such a film is beyond me, but as they say, there’s no accounting for taste.  All I can say is, God help those who download this film from the internet.

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 4 December 2011.

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Strong support for marriage petition

Filed under: marriage, politics, same-sex marriage — Leave a comment
December 2, 2011

Even I was astonished to hear that, in just six weeks, the Australian Marriage Forum petition, urging the Labor Party to keep its election promise not to introduce same sex marriage, has attracted more than 100,000 signatures.

The marriage petition, organised by the Australian Christian Lobby and the Australian Family Association, gives a sense of the strength of feeling in the community about the importance of retaining the current definition of marriage.

Australian Workers Union national secretary Paul Howes said on Wednesday “There is no consensus in the community on this issue.” 

Well, I think he’s wrong – there’s a large groundswell of ordinary Australians out there who feel strongly about this, and don’t want politicians and activists fiddling with our most basic social institutions.

It’s time we all put this peripheral issue behind us, and got on with the serious business of debating and tackling the issues that really matter in this great country of ours – like jobs, productivity, asylum and gambling reform.

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 4 December 2011.

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The pressures teens face

Filed under: social change, teens — 1 Comment
December 2, 2011

As the father of a teenager, I was very interested in the findings of a new survey published this week, which highlight the intensifying pressures teenagers face, and who’s there to help when things go wrong.

Mission Australia’s 10th National Survey of Young Australians asked 46,000 young people to rank 15 issues according to which most concerned them.  The top three results were school or study problems, coping with stress, and dealing with body image issues.

When they need help, or want to discuss their problems, parents are the first port of call for most young people, but one in five 11 to 24-year-olds say they have no one to turn to.

And what did young people say they valued most about life in 2011?  The top two items were family relationships and friendships, followed by school or study satisfaction.  And there was a large rise in the proportion of young people valuing getting a job.

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 4 December 2011.

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Marriage serves the common good

Filed under: common good, marriage, same-sex marriage — Leave a comment
December 2, 2011

With the Queensland Parliament passing its same-sex civil unions bill on Wednesday, and the ALP national conference making its decision on same sex marriage this weekend, it’s worth stepping back and considering just what’s at stake in terms of Christian opposition to proposed changes to marriage laws.

No religious tradition can claim ownership of the institution of marriage. It’s neither Christian nor pagan.  What we have in Australian federal law today is a definition of marriage that accurately represents the foundational beliefs and values inherent in the biblical teaching on Christian marriage, as well as thousands of years of cultural wisdom from a wide range of communities.

Marriage thus defined serves the common good, and provides a proper foundation for security and stability in national social and economic life.  This is why an overwhelming majority of churches supports the current definition of marriage in Australian law, and opposes the reform proposed by The Australian Greens. 

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 4 December 2011.

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Will the PM keep her word?

Filed under: gambling — Leave a comment
November 25, 2011

The Hon Peter Slipper slips into the Speaker's chair in the House of Representatives, Canberra, on November 24.

The surprise move this week by the Gillard Government to replace Labor’s Harry Jenkins with the Liberals’ Peter Slipper as Speaker of the House of Representatives has led to speculation that the deal struck between independent MP Andrew Wilkie and Prime Minister Julia Gillard to introduce mandatory pre-commitment technology for poker machines is off.

But that’s not necessarily the case.  The Rev Tim Costello, chair of the Australian Churches Gambling Taskforce, said he had no doubt the Government would continue its gambling reforms.

“With stronger numbers in the House, contentious legislation like the Government’s proposed poker machine reforms stand a better chance of getting up,” he said.

Australians spend $12 billion a year on poker machines, and 40 per cent of clubs revenue comes from people addicted to poker machines.  This is an ethically indefensible business model and would not be tolerated in any other industry.  Let’s hope the Prime Minister keeps her word and remains committed to poker machine reform.

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 27 November 2011.

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