The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
The Forum - On Line Opinion's article discussion area



Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Main Articles General

Sign In      Register

The Forum > Article Comments > Christians flex their political muscle > Comments

Christians flex their political muscle : Comments

By Rod Benson, published 24/3/2011

NSW Christians are flexing their muscles, but is it all posing or will it lift mountains?

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. All
"As for me, I share the view of Christian apologist Norman Geisler who once said he would rather vote for an outright pagan with the right policies than a born-again Christian with the wrong policies."

The fact that you even feel it necessary to say this indicates a minor disconnect with reality. Who in their right minds could possibly think otherwise?
Posted by Jon J, Thursday, 24 March 2011 6:22:09 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
It’s telling how when Christians voice their views it’s an issue. Whereas, when Muslims opposed to women’s rights raise issues they still belong to “a religion of peace.”

Of course, when it comes to religious fundamentalist views, the Greens are the most extreme, by any measure. They’re tree worshippers. They have a long history of false prophecies.
Posted by BPT, Thursday, 24 March 2011 8:38:33 AM
Find out more about this user Visit this user's webpage Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Maybe it's just me, but I find this speaks volumes for the condition of our political processes:

"This is also the first true Twitter election for NSW. Both party leaders have long been active on Twitter, and social media can no longer be dismissed by party machines and politicians. Social media (such as Facebook and Twitter) offer an unprecedented opportunity for direct connection with voters. It’s about cultivating a genuine relationship, appearing responsive, presenting oneself as an ordinary person."

Try as I might, I cannot see anyone cultivating a genuine relationship with me through "social media".

Getting a message across in 140-character bursts would be good discipline, I accept. But it is far more likely to have the effect of reducing the intellectual content of the policies to 140 characters as well.

As for the idea that I should "befriend" a politician through Facebook, I reject it totally. The nature of the medium - especially given that it will be managed by political minders, rather than the actual person - also lends itself to convey material at the lowest level of banality. The concept that it might somehow be more "real" is utterly laughable.

Sorry, that was a bit off-topic.

But the reality of "the Christian vote" boils down to nothing more than identifying the faction or factions that you as a politician most need to please. Given that, as the author tells us "many other Christian voices, as well as the voices of people and groups of other faiths, speaking into the public space of Australian politics and public policy", you are left with the standard approach of pandering to the largest groupings, while offending as few as you can get away with.

With so many different religious views out there, there is no other way to approach it. And if it turns out that the Christians, in whatever combination their numbers and proclivities are sliced and diced, hold a majority view, well, that's democracy.

As indeed it would be for Muslims, Mormons, Scientologists and Hindus.
Posted by Pericles, Thursday, 24 March 2011 9:35:04 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
The Green dogma has all the hallmarks of false religion.THey worship mother earth and hate Father God. The Greens use 'selected'pseudo science as their epistles. They support a big tax on electricity, water, gas, petrol knowing that it will not change consumption or alter temperature. Many of them are very indulgent but will get their tax back from the Government they are in bed with. The Greens hate any form of authority but still want to impose their godless values on society by force if necessary. Killing the unborn so they can continue having sex with whoever and whenever is a vital part of their doctrine.How anyone could claim Greens are not religous with their hopelessly flawed evolutionary faith defies logic. This whole global warming hoax is a result of accepting men in coats making up lies and justifying it by 'settled science'. Unfortunatley this Green religion has brainwashed many young voters who need to grow up and face truth. Religion is dangerous and the Greens top the bill.
Posted by runner, Thursday, 24 March 2011 10:32:39 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
“The Green dogma has all the hallmarks of false religion.” I agree with you "runner" and your point that they “worship mother earth and hate Father God” is also well documented.

Their worship of Mother Earth along with green praise songs, anti-meat eating rituals, so-called carbon credits to offset “carbon sins” and so on, borders on the bizarre. I see plenty of projection among the inner-city elites. They’re forcing their green religions onto us too.

Therefore, it makes sense to beat up on Christians and distract the public from their green zealotry.
Posted by BPT, Thursday, 24 March 2011 11:14:10 AM
Find out more about this user Visit this user's webpage Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
"NSW Christians are flexing their muscles, but is it all posing or will it lift mountains?"

I hope above anything else that it IS just posing.
The last thing this state needs is a bunch of angry, superstitious authoritarian types that feel the greatest threat to humanity is people being legally allowed to NOT be forced to obey their teachings.

Sadly, despite the considerably low number of people that even bother practicing Christianity in this country these days (check church attendance statistics and see for yourself), the fundamentalist Christian minority lobby seems to be the leading culprit as to why basic freedoms like euthanasia, Gay Marriage and as far as Conroy goes, Freedom of Information, seem so far out of reach.
Posted by King Hazza, Thursday, 24 March 2011 2:12:48 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
This is the most depressing piece I've read in a long time.

God spare me from religios - especially in politics.
Posted by stevenlmeyer, Thursday, 24 March 2011 2:21:23 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
As soon as the above article mentioned Warwick Marsh it lost me. Marsh is Australias No1. pariah. Christians and non christians find him full of hate toward gays. His so called research is a load of insane tripe.

You lost me.
Posted by Barry Gibson, Thursday, 24 March 2011 5:12:27 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
"Religion is dangerous and the Greens top the bill".

Runner, I have to agree with you that religion is dangerous, but I can't agree that Greens top the bill. I would put the righteous unbelievers in anything scientific at the top of the list. Surely, the enormous loss of life in Japan gives the lie to the idea that God is loving, just and merciful, and in fact really calls into question, the existence of God, at least in the way that you do.

David
Posted by VK3AUU, Thursday, 24 March 2011 7:09:53 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Runner,
Did your comment this morning upload correctly? The last sentence read, "Religion is dangerous and the Greens top the bill."
Was this correct?
Posted by WmTrevor, Thursday, 24 March 2011 8:31:43 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
BPT and Runner surely you two do not wearing Brown Shirts, unless you two are into that sort of thing !!
Posted by Kipp, Thursday, 24 March 2011 9:28:07 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
BPT and Runner surely you two do not wear Brown Shirts, unless you two are into that sort of thing !!
Posted by Kipp, Thursday, 24 March 2011 9:29:18 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
VK3AUU

'Surely, the enormous loss of life in Japan gives the lie to the idea that God is loving, just and merciful, and in fact really calls into question, the existence of God, at least in the way that you do.

Well actually the fact that you, me and thousands of others are eating , breathing and living demonstrates how much mercy and grace God actually has.

btw the number of unborn that the ungodly kill every year in this nation fr outweighs the Japanese tragedy.
Posted by runner, Friday, 25 March 2011 10:50:17 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Runner,
as with VK3AUU I also strongly agree with you that religion is dangerous.

Though there are religions, I could argue, more dangerous than the greens, my problem is that judging the most dangerous religion requires moral relativism.

A second reservation is: the greens make no claim of being a religion (that I've found) and all the green supporters I've met thought they were acting politically.

So I'm confused about the validity of religious belief when its adherents are ignorant.
Posted by WmTrevor, Friday, 25 March 2011 1:56:40 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
WmTrevor
'So I'm confused about the validity of religious belief when its adherents are ignorant.

clearly those of Green faith have a set of beliefs (based on pseudo science) that they adhere to. From the absurd claim of a big bang to the man made warming fantasy it is all based on dogma with no scientific (as science demands) basis. In other words the dogma and philosophy of the Greens is based on false assumption and is faith based. At least Christians are honest enough to declare that their beliefs are faith based unlike the godless secularist whose beliefs are even more faith based.
Posted by runner, Friday, 25 March 2011 4:29:04 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
" the number of unborn that the ungodly kill every year in this nation fr outweighs the Japanese tragedy."

@ runner, Friday, 25 Mar, 10:50:17am

With 300,000 births per year, and about 40% of conceptions 'spontaneously' miscarrying ('spontaneously' aborting) - many so early they do not increase the menstrual cycle - that is about 120,000 'spontaneous' abortions that die due to God's design: i.e. more than killed by the "ungodly".
Posted by McReal, Friday, 25 March 2011 7:28:30 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Runner,

"Moses" ordered the killing of civilian children and the taking of young virgins by soliers for their own purposes, against the custom of the time.

If this is true (please, tell me your "bible" lies on this point) then your single greatest prophet is abhorrent as is his religion.

I believe that biblical literalism is no basis for deciding anything, beyond the unfitness of the literal believer to be an adult in our society.

"greens" however believe that polluting the world you believe "god" made is bad. But you believe such pollution is good.

I used to live with pigs of humans who never cleaned after themselves, your views remind me of them.

Religious pigs, why tolerate them any more?

Rusty
Posted by Rusty Catheter, Friday, 25 March 2011 10:34:29 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Runner, appreciated your response, thank you.
It never occurred to me to think as you do… to regard as a religion a group in society which is dogmatic, even when its adherents don't believe themselves to be religious. My presupposition has always been that an inherent characteristic of a religion is that its followers believe it to be one.

My concern is that labelling any dogma, doctrine or 'set of rules' followed by people as a religion permits, for example, putting Scouting in the same category as the religion which you hold as true. Somehow this seems to me to diminish the idea of what religion is in our society and risks losing religions their privileged status.

The article and comments show how impossible it is to even hope for political consensus or religious agreement even in a country as benign as Australia.

Maybe the best we can do is peacefully agree to disagree with others who we know are wrong, even though they don't.

In my opinion, all people in society need to constantly work hard at trying to make life better for everybody - or that society risks implosion or abandonment.

To repeat, I strongly agree with the point you made about religion but still question the example. You have not convinced me but I will think more on this.
Posted by WmTrevor, Saturday, 26 March 2011 5:39:23 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
It's fascinating to see how the hatred of "greens" has steadily increased over the years.

Ever since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the proponents of free-market cowboy capitalism have deliberately nominated environmentalists as "the new enemy" and anybody who seeks to regulate or legislate against big corporations must therefore be evil.

It's no surprise they many corporations quietly fund groups like Greenpeace and send them out to chase whales in the southern oceans while they continue to poison rivers and clear rainforests elsewhere.

Any protesting international green groups seen around Japan's reactors (or anybody elses) at the moment?

Oh and Runner, the word "abortion" does not appear in the Bible. Your personal campaign is no different from green zealots trying to do the right thing but at least they don't rely on iron-age dogma as an excuse and they try at least to act on the best interests of the many, not just the one.
Posted by wobbles, Monday, 28 March 2011 1:20:39 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. All

About Us :: Search :: Discuss :: Feedback :: Legals :: Privacy