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 …
Bethlehem’s Child is Lord and God
In William Shakespeare’s play, Twelfth Night, Malvolio says to Fabian, “Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” Jesus Christ, whose birth Christians celebrate on this day each year, was great in all three ways. King Herod referred to him as “the one who …
Father Chris Riley sells out
The founder of Youth Off the Streets, Father Chris Riley, has lent his support to a Clubs Australia advertising blitz targeting two million homes in NSW, as the gambling lobby intensifies its battle against the Gillard government’s proposed poker machine reforms. Father Riley, whose charity receives substantial donations from gambling venues, seems at the very …
ACL unrepresentative, say Victorians
In a direct attack on the Australian Christian Lobby, the Victorian Council of Churches this week expressed dismay at what it called “the one-sided portrayal of Christianity” in the Australian media. The Victorian Council of Churches described its role as “acknowledging a variety of emphases” and enabling “a safe environment to prayerfully discuss and discern …
Bill Crews supports pokies reform
The decision by Father Chris Riley to support Clubs Australia in its fight against the federal government’s poker machine reforms has prompted a strong response from the newly formed NSW Churches Gambling Taskforce. Rev Bill Crews, chair of the NSW Taskforce, said that counselling was an important part of helping people overcome addiction to poker …
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