Mr Sellick,

Throughout your article you referred to "the Church" but I didn't see where you defined what "the Church" was?

Do you refer to the Roman Catholic Church, Orthodox Church, Protestant Churches, Westboro Baptist Church, Pentecostal Churches, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc?

I'd like clarification on the authority to which you refer as "the Church".

To my mind 'the Church" is any organisation, whether established along franchise lines or not, promoting spiritual beliefs with a financial return being expected and realised.

A place in heaven for a fee...with money back guarantee

sign up folks and reserve your place.......we have it on good authority that your pets are also eligible to join you....for just a fraction more.

Ask yourself, then act accordingly: "How likely it is that reading the bible would help and inspire me to become Christ-like?"

- or any other book for that matter.

You can find gems in the bible, but much of it is contaminated by politics. Which would draw your attention? Which would you pick up? Look into your heart, then decide.

"I have a friend who teaches Grade 1 religious instruction in a Qld state school."

Well that is very scary! What the hell is going on in Qld whereby religion is permitted to be taught in a state funded school? I am glad I live in WA.

As for those good Christians, well like all sky pilot believers they should be permitted to read the bible and any other fictional book they can find. Me I like to read facts, makes life so much more enjoyable.

Geoff

I'm on Diver Dan's side here - Peter Sellick do you really believe this prose?

"How else could so many American Christians vote for Trump, the epitome of narcissistic individualism." People voted for Trump in rejection of eight years of bad government, not in their interests, under Obama and faced with more of the same, or worse, under Clinton. Nothing to do with religion.