Of course it has to be 'Father Frank Brennan' who is a party to so much questionable material about "human rights" that he fits right in with the watermelons.

Unforunately he is unable to recognize a communist atheist as being rather antithetical to his own presumed position.

But then again.. perhaps 'father' Frank is on the dangerous side of John 3.16 ?

Bob Brown wants 'global government'..not governance..but governMENT.
We don't need to think too far to know what 'kind' of goverment 'that' would be now do we?

Eclipse Now

You raise some very valid points. There is a heavenly kingdom and an earthly kingdom The Lord's prayer includes let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

I agree that the Government is not there to impose Christian values however it is also not their to impose secular values or lack of. I personally see little point to people living in sin and committing adultery praying the Lord's prayer. Unfortunately the Government does impose values whether you or I like it.

I also agree with the view that people outside the church can do what they like. They are unable to live up to biblical standards while blinded by the 'god of this age.' There is no doubt however that the more biblical based our laws the more blessed we are as a nation. Secularism has led to teenage pregnancy, suicide, abortion, perversion, corruption at a far higher rate than when people acknowledged God. Christians as citizens of this nation have as much right to promote and vote for godliness as secularist have to promote and vote for ungodliness.

By the way the fact that you deny the Genesis account in favour of the evolution fantasy will enviable cause you to doubt many other parts of Scripture.

The reality is that the Greens in my opinion will cause far more harm for future generations with their permissive and often perverted policies than other parties . You obviously disagree which is your democratic right.

“There is no doubt however that the more biblical based our laws the more blessed we are as a nation”

Er - no. You’ve obviously been reading OT promises that pertained to Israel into the deal this side of the cross. You need to get serious about your Biblical Theology, the unfolding plan of God as revealed in the bible. Try Gospel and Kingdom, the Goldsworthy Trilogy.

http://www.amazon.com/Goldsworthy-Trilogy-Gospel-Kingdom-Revelation/dp/1842270362

It is one of the Top 5 Theology books of all time, and is pretty much ‘standard reading’ for most older teenagers and young adults in our church. It is foundational.

Basically, God’s 3 promises to Abraham of having God’s land, being God’s people, living God’s way with His blessing were all delivered for Israel: but ultimately point to and are *truly* fulfilled in Jesus. Now, just as God promised Abraham, ALL nations are blessed by Jesus saving work. There should be no such thing as a “Christian nation” in our thinking. All are one in Christ.

I’m not being pedantic: this is an extremely important doctrine! I wish George Bush had not seen himself in a ‘crusade’ on behalf of his ‘Christian nation’. The concept of 'nations' are largely irrelevant to God now that Jesus lived as ‘the perfect Israel’ and we are all one in Christ.

You seem to fear the Greens forming GOVERNMENT. But they’ll be lucky to form the balance of power. This means they won’t be able to just foist any of their ‘bad’ policies onto Christians, because neither of the main parties want to be seen as banning scripture teaching in schools, and neither support gay marriage. (As if banning Gay marriage somehow makes Oxford Street any less what it is? I don’t really care! That’s up to them!)

But if the Greens are a part of the *Senate conversation*, they can help make Australia far more compassionate about refugees and global warming.

In these very pragmatic issues they are far more compassionate.

The Greens are about forcing their fake moral virtuousness on others. They do not want freedom of choice, they want control of society's belief systems. They are essentially amoral hiding behind fake virtuousness. Pell's 'sugar coating'.

The numbers of people sucked in by their fake 'compassion' is amazing.

The Greens have no tolerance or compassion for views other than their own.

They voted down Labor's Carbon Trading scheme because it didn't suit them. So now we have no scheme at all.

Giving them power in the Senate is truly a frightening proposition.

I was ready to be annoyed by this article, expecting another prediction about how the "Christian vote" would be cast. But Fr. Brennan surprised me, and I'm glad. That someone from a strict and (usually) conservative order like the Society of Jesus could dare to suggest people think for themselves is pleasing. The reality is that there are thinking, reasoning, rational Christians (even Catholics!) out there, just as there are irrational and hysterical ones. And, at the end of the day, we can all decide how to cast our vote and we can all go to bed at night comfortable that we have done the right thing, however we choose to vote. That's the beauty of free will and free thought.

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My dear compatriots,

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Please allow me to suggest that the day we feel sufficiently mature to accede to full emancipation from the British Empire by shedding our current constitutional monarchy and making Australia a republic, we shall be able to freely elect a president to govern us.

I feel sure you would find that preferable to the present arrangement whereby some political party decides who should govern the country, without consulting any of us.

It would also have the advantage of offering us the possibility of establishing Australia constitutionally as a truly secular State.

It is unfortunate that this does not appear to be on the agendas of those offering their services at the upcoming federal elections.

No doubt, they consider we have not yet attained the degree of maturity necessary for such an important leap into political maturuty and I am sure you share my gratitutde for their benevolent protection in this regard.

In the meantime, we should continue to consider ourselves quite privileged at having the British Crown as our constitutional Head and State religious leader.

I imagine that most of you, my dear compatriots, find that, indeed, quite reassuring.

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