This made me spit my coffee
"She is no-one's puppet.
....sides uncompromisingly with the poor"

I can't believe someone would write something so flat-out wrong.
Too bad Kineally's faith didn't stop her from being a complete slimy crook who uses her power to personally intervene to help a rich private developer who got CAUGHT OUT for presenting false information about their development plans in their building application to streamline their project against the wishes of the locals who wanted the land to be used for the public!
That rubs me as the exact opposite of what you described.
Strike one.

Also, Frank Brennan's personal 'conscience' still falls short of abortion and euthanasia rights, and as such shows a clear example of where their religious conscience COULD impede society were they in a position to decide for us.
Strike two.

Anyway, I know the point is to support what appear to be moderate catholics in their work, but please, when you pick someone (let alone TWO people) to use as examples, make sure that they're not a scoundrel and a fundamentalist- as opposed to two people who merely rate as not-as-bad-as-a-neocon?
Strike three.

Ho Hum

'But then again Runner everything described in this reference was done by self-righteous true believers - just like you. All justified in the name of god and jesus, and the bringing of the "truth" and "jesus" to the heathen savages.'

If you are not justified in the name of Jesus then you are not justified. This is hardly self righteousness Ho Hum. Just think for a change.

Runner <"If you are not justified in the name of Jesus then you are not justified."
Only true in your mind Runner, and in the minds of like-minded Christians.
I am sure Allah, Mohammed or Buddha could be used in that sentence and mean just the same to people of those faiths.

I am with King Hazza on the subject of Kristina Keneally. I find her a little vacuous in many ways- standing behind the Prime Minister at news conferences, nodding maniacally!

She brings far too much of her 'faith' to the political table, and I find that annoying and old-fashioned in our increasingly secular society.
Politics and religion are not meant to be closely allied.

If you are not justified in the name of Allah, then you are not justified. This is righteousness, runner.

It is always interesting to hear the wide range of views regarding politicians. I actually like Kristina Kenneally and found her to be genuine from just one speech; at the time Kristina made the speech congratulating Jessica Watson after her around the world solo sailing voyage.

Kristina was literally and verbally standing apart from the former Prime Minister and spoke genuinely, intelligently and articulately, not once mentioning religion or christianity.

The issues both Kristina and Sandra raised at the time were highly intelligent along with genuine heartfelt emotion expressed, unlike some other speeches made afterwards by some other people.

I had no idea of Kristina's religious background until this thread appeared.

Kristina...hey, she's nobody's guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrl.