I really don't know why you single out "Christianity" in this post: the values and opinions that you express are surely those of any decent person and not within the remit of any particular sect or religion.

Why all the special pleading for Christians to have something to care about?

Where have they been while the environment they supposedly care about has gone troppo? If Christianity was so great, there wouldn't be any asylum seekers!

"made in the image of God" - yeah, 'right'.

Dear Severin,

I am taken aback that you wrote: "Because, Christians are just people and have the entire range of flaws and ethics as any one else."

That reminds me of the saying: The rain does not fall on the just and unjust alike because the unjust have stolen the just's umbrellas.

Great word, umbrella, means little shadow in Italian.

The article implies that Christians somehow are more virtuous or caring than other people. In that Christians are like other religious groups. "We are better than those who sunscribe to a different mumbojumbo." It is a triumph of faith over evidence.

david f, Thursday, 12 August 2010 11:21:40 AM

Severin wrote

""This idea of a "christian vote" is as nebulous as a "female" vote or a "capitalist" vote or "socialist" vote.

"There are as many points of view as there are people. Nor do Christians hold the monopoly on compassion, caring, wisdom, charity or any other of the more desirable virtues.

"Because, Christians are just people and have the entire range of flaws and ethics as any one else.

Get over yourselves.""

I thought those sequential sentneces implied Severin thought 'we are all equal and no-one is more equal'

Why not ask why people who like brussel sprouts aren't given something of substance to care about this election. The lack of real choice is not only a Christian dilemma and to suggest that only Christians are seeking substance is not only wrong but evidence of a narrow world view.

Human beings are a diverse bunch, religion being just one aspect of this great diversity.

A religious person may find no difficulty in voting for an atheist if that atheist shares their vision and principles. Atheists have been voting for religious leaders for some time.

I have faith that most Christians, like the rest of us, will not vote for people like who are incompetent and lacking in principles or who are blatantly prejudiced or discriminatory just because they are religious or claim to represent family values while ignoring other sorts of families that don't fit with their world view.

We need to give Christians and those of other faiths some credit.

Pelican wrote: "I have faith that most Christians, like the rest of us, will not vote for people like who are incompetent and lacking in principles or who are blatantly prejudiced or discriminatory just because they are religious or claim to represent family values while ignoring other sorts of families that don't fit with their world view."

We must vote for people who are incompetent because election campaigns generally succeed in covering up the incompetence of the candidates. We only find out about their incompetence after they get elected and fail in covering it up