David f., Banjo Paterson,

Thought you might like this article (which I've posted on OLO previously) by the late Joe Bageant, an author and journalist whose origins derive from the US southeast and whose insightful commentary on cultural ignorance (or dumbing down) was one from the coal face, so to speak.

http://www.joebageant.com/joe/2010/12/america-y-ur-peeps-b-so-dum.html

David F,
You are totally wrong about Australia's Hillsong church being funded by American fundamentalists. That's simply not true.

Hillsong church is part of the Australian Assemblies of God fellowship of churches which was formalised nationally sometime before WWII and has its spiritual roots and heritage in various Pentecostal movements in Australia going back into the previous century.

Hillsong does make money from sales from production of its high quality gospel music, which is recognised the world over. So I suppose that sells in the US as well, but I couldn't give you a break down according to the 'red' or 'blue' states. For this, Hillsong should be congratulated for bringing in export dollars to Australia. They're probably also doing their part for the NSW tourist industry with the many international visitors who come to their regular conferences.

But overall we can say that Hillsong, like any other of the established churches in Australia, receives not one cent from American funding. That you could be so off track on this casts much doubt on the rest of the US cultural information you were espousing in that post. 

Although you are free to back up your comments with some actual evidence if you choose.

I can back you up on that Dan D de Merengue.

>>David F, You are totally wrong about Australia's Hillsong church being funded by American fundamentalists. That's simply not true.<<

The Australian operation of Hillsong is fully funded from its local activities and tithes. In fact, it "exports" dollars by way of its various overseas programs, many of which address the problems of the disadvantaged in poor countries.

Credit where credit is due.

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Dear Dan, if I may,

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Thank you for your concern. I shall keep an eye open and, as and when the opportunity arises, measure the exactitude of david f's social map against real life events as they occur.

I must confess that I am not used to such fond attention. I never knew my father. When I was a young boy I tried to convince myself that god was my father but was eventually forced to admit that I did not know him either. I never saw either of them in my life.

It was only much later that I finally realized that neither of them ever actually existed.

I owe my existence to an act of procreation accomplished by my mother and her then beloved male partner and husband who was my genitor but never my father. In fact I always thought he was dead and only learned he was alive on the announcement of his death.

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Dear Poirot,

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Many thanks for that link to the web site of the late Joe Bageant. He is a bit long-winded and certainly uses some colourful language. However, as with david f's social map, it opens my mind to many aspects of the social geography of the US which I totally ignored.

It seems, however, that Joe's description of "half of heartland America" is less clearly defined on what may be termed a social map as depicted by david f's vivid description. The two, nevertheless, correlate to a certain degree.

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I have read that the founders of Hillsong received advice and support from their US connections. I assumed that they also received funding but may be wrong in that assumption. However, they are part of the revolt against reason that dominates much of the US scene.

"People in Glass Houses" by Tanya Levin, a former member, tells about the church and its intolerance towards questioning and dissent.