Today the State of New York voted to legalise same sex marriage, and advocates of same sex marriage in Australia are calling on Prime Minister Gillard to follow suit. Here are six thoughts on marriage that I've posted to Twitter today: 1. Historically, the institution of marriage precedes both the state and the church, and both have …
Religious liberty in the Middle East
We've all seen the extraordinary events unfold in the Middle East and North Africa over the past few months - part political, part religious, partly attempts to force recalcitrant regimes to catch up with the rest of the world, and commit to responsible government, and take human rights a little more seriously. Now the Religious …
Population set to hit ten billion
The United Nations organisation has revised its population projection for the next century, suggesting that Earth's population may reach 10.1 billion people by the year 2100. While we in Australia debate the relative merits of "big Australia," or some smaller version, people elsewhere are seriously procreating. Africa's population, for example, is projected to more than …
Religious responses to climate change
Five years ago the Climate Institute released a landmark publication, Common Belief, in which Australia's faith communities shared their views on environmental responsibility and how these related to action on climate change. There were contributions from Anglican, Baha'i, Baptist, Buddhist, Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Hindu, Jewish, Lutheran, Muslim, Salvation Army, Sikh, Uniting Church, and other faith …
Climate change is real, we must act
In 2007, former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd famously described climate change as "the greatest moral challenge of our time." Last week, the federal government's Climate Commission released an important report titled, The Critical Decade: Key Messages. Supported by the best recent scientific research, the report claims that "the global climate is changing and humanity is …
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