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The Forum > Article Comments > Why the Australian Sex Party gets religion wrong > Comments

Why the Australian Sex Party gets religion wrong : Comments

By Mike Bird, published 6/9/2013

It strikes me as a little strange that out of all the problems besetting our country the Australian Sex Party has focused its political campaigning on the threat purportedly posed by some invisible gaggle of cashed-up bishops.

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"schools do not have to choose a Christian chaplain. A local committee decides what religious affiliation they want for their school chaplain and they then approach the appropriate representative body to recruit one. Schools can choose a Christian, Muslim, or even secular chaplain if they so wish. Critics of the school chaplaincy program have consistently misunderstood the process behind the appointment of chaplains."

'their school chaplain' - yes, schools get to choose one. Despite the diversity of beliefs in most schools.

Many suburban public schools in Australia's capital cities probably have students from belief-backgrounds along the lines of the 2011 census:

* 61% Christian [~25% (of total) Catholic; ~ 17% Anglican; Uniting 5%; etc]
* 22% No Religion
* ~9% not-stated (probably mostly no-relgion, too)
* ~7% Buddhism, Muslim, Hindu, or Jewish, etc

Religious Affiliation here - http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/2071.0main+features902012-2013

Critics of the school chaplaincy program understand the appointment of chaplains much better than you give them credit for.
It comes down to argumentum ad numerum.
Posted by McReal, Friday, 6 September 2013 9:25:57 AM
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and yet all secular chaplains have offer to kids on big questions is that we come from slime, are not moral creatures and will be eaten by grubs after we die. What an idiotic world view and yet in order to appease their seared consciences they adopt such rubbish usually with a master degree.
Posted by runner, Friday, 6 September 2013 9:40:40 AM
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In this day and age runner, with all our technology and knowledge it is you godbotherers and your belief in your magical sky fairy that is idiotic.
To actually believe that there is some superman in the sky who can do magical tricks and heal the sick etc has got to be the most ridiculous delusion and not even worthy of children. Even kids know the difference between make believe and real life.
Do you believe in batman too? How about scooby and shaggy?
Thats about the level of intelligence you fools show.
Posted by mikk, Friday, 6 September 2013 10:53:55 AM
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How convenient.

"So trying to divide their work into the charitable and the religious is impossible as the two are inextricably linked in the faith-communities themselves."

Not impossible at all. Merely inexpedient.

Surely the only difficulty would be the tenacity required to combat the efforts of the organizations concerned to muddy the waters. Any accountant worth his or her salt would quickly get to the nub of the issue, which is not the separation of "the charitable and the religious", of course, but of the charitable and the commercial.

And I did have a little chuckle over the idea that the churches are poor...

"First, the operating assumption of the ASP is that churches are literally stashed with cash and there is some kind of gold mine here waiting to be excavated and put into the public purse."

Yeah, right, Mr Bird.

"Father Hodgens said the Domus Australia guest house in Rome - a beautifully refurbished old religious house with 33 rooms for paying visitors, a richly restored grand chapel and organ and a 150-seat auditorium opened by Pope Benedict XVI last month - cost between $30 million and $85 million, according to different estimates."

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/pell-under-attack-from-within-over-bishops-grand-house-in-rome-20111130-1o76m.html
Posted by Pericles, Friday, 6 September 2013 11:02:38 AM
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Jesus said that we should render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s. Churches should pay taxes, the same as any other organisation. Church-owned businesses should pay business taxes. Church charities should get the same tax exemption as any other charity. There should be no difference.

As to separation of church and state, I’m all for it, but that does not mean that people in public office are not entitled to be religious, or to allow religious convictions to shape their views on moral and policy questions.
Posted by Rhian, Friday, 6 September 2013 3:18:17 PM
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As a first step, let the church-based agencies be required to provide financial reports, but Tony wants to abolish what little monitoring there is.
Posted by Asclepius, Friday, 6 September 2013 3:48:12 PM
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