T800. You nearly bordered on the arrogant! "Anti religous, anti christian go away". Oh! forgot "I also think those religous zealots should do likewise".

T800. You appear to have some delusion of grandeur, as regards message boards.

Lesson1: Message boards are for exchanging opinions on subject matters that are posted.

Lesson2: We may not agree, we may never agree, but we have the opportunity to read other peoples opinions. Some of us may learn from the postings, some may not. The importance is that we have communication.

T800. I am gay, so christianity is not big on my calendar.

Coach - you are an alarmist. I may be pissed at the moment but - the idea of Islamic infiltration is weird. And your reference to "love your homos and lesbians etc - really suggests that you are a christian of very selective compassion and understanding - Jesus would be some what embarrassed by followers like you. - Australaians dont need you

Dr. Johnson revisits the old situational versus identity politics discourse, an explanation of the break-up of the Left involving tensions between class obligation and introspectivity.
Once intellectuals, feminists, gays, environmentalists and workers found common cause against repressive and puritanical industrial capitalism, as typified through Don Dunstan's reforming of 'sixties Adelaide.
In (post) modern times, the material survival issues of previous generations have slipped into the past; out of sight, out of mind. "Middle class" issues involving individual expression and taste, once relegated to the "later" basket in the interests of obtaining government to enact socio-economic reform, emerged to be dealt with. Politicians like Howard then appealed to atavistic fear, ignorance and prejudice in a "politics of envy" involving "special interest groups". Johnson herself has written extensively on this.
Meanwhile, Western societies DO live off the sweat and misery of third world (and increasingly, local) proletariats. Large sections of the world STILL have a reform agenda rooted in material reality, so "rent" is overdue. Besides, "identity" social reforms themselves are in jeopardy through further Howardism, anyway.
One doubts Johnson thinks social democracy and the fight against pernicious globalisation should be abandoned, for the mere pecadilloes of comfortably-off middle class people, and poverty amelioration ought not to be inimicable to gay reform: the two are separate issues.
Yet, in a hypothetical situation where a choice needed to made, which would come first? Ironically, Howard played on fears arising concerning the above, cunningly switching traditional roles as to what "reforming" the "elites" meant, and blackened identity politics' reputation.
Johnson alludes to the old problem of Labor, against the above. That is, expediency against principles in a real world. Has adversity cured or worsened this?
Politicians react to the prejudices of the manipulated redneck masses and mortgage-belt. Can one set of legitimate reforms be sidelined for the obtaining of the rest? It's true certain issues, like refugees and gay rights, are loathed by masses of voters. If we remain silent now, can we be sure these things will be attended to later?
Besides, as West reminds us, it's all metanarratival, as to priorities, anyway.

funguy said:

"Politicians react to the prejudices of the manipulated redneck masses and mortgage-belt"

But in essense he said "Lets make life easier for homosexuals"... albeit he couched it in very academic sounding terminology.

I disagree funguy. I suggest that if people wish to persue an active lifestyle of deviate sexual orientation (note the key word 'active'), they can fit that into the law as it stands. People choosing Homosexual behavior should be helped, assisted ...not to be better homosexuals, but better citizens who are able to contain their sexual proclivities.

NO ONE PREACHES WITH MORE CHRISTIAN "MUSCLE" THAN A DEAD MAN........

"Christianity is exploding in China" (headline)
A news report today (SKY news) claimed there are now more Christians in China than members of the Communist Party.
They showed a pastor of a house church addressing a small cramped congregation in a slum.
They all know that the police could swoop any moment, arresting, beating, persecuting. So a man who will still preach in the light of this is truly dead.....to self. "If any man will follow me.... he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow" said Jesus.
"I am crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" said Paul

And now..in China. Having gone from the early days of our own mission 'China Inland Mission' where they slogged for decades, burying more of their own chidren than seeing converts, we are seeing that same glorious progression of the Gospel without sword.. without army, without bloodshed except of the believers themselves as Christ gloriously shows why the Roman Empire surcumbed to the unstoppable power of the holiness of the Gospel of Life.

The lesson in all this, regarding the topic, is that the most 'muscular' Chrisianity is that which honours Christ, proclaims the Gospel of grace, and sets the captive free.

Well, well, well…

w

There’s nothing pompous about me.
Nor did I make any controversial statements.

“I agree with you that this discussion has been straying, “

Good, then since that was my main point why not try to keep things on topic?

As for; ”First, you are repeating the commonly-held misconception that homosexuality is a choice. For a few it may be, but for the majority of homosexuals it most definitely is not.”

All actions are a choice w. I haven’t made any comment on the nature of homosexuality. If you want me to, start a topic. BTE there has never been a scientific study done that proves that homosexuality is genetic, that’s a fact and you hold the misconception..

BTW, personally sex and sexuality, is a topic I have rarely heard discussed in church.. I’ve never heard an individuals sexuality discussed in church at all..econd,

Kipp

“T800. You nearly bordered on the arrogant! "Anti religous, anti christian go away". Oh! forgot "I also think those religous zealots should do likewise".”

Would you have felt better if I’d have written it the other way around? No arrogance involved.

“T800. You appear to have some delusion of grandeur, as regards message boards.”

No delusions involved either.

“The importance is that we have communication.”

Yes and that we don’t have minority opinions hijack topics and run off on tangents getting further and further away from the topic.

“T800. I am gay, so christianity is not big on my calendar.”

I don’t care if you are gay or not, that’s your choice. Both are not mutually exclusive.

Meanwhile back on topic... the author gets this right.

"Kevin Rudd’s essay “Faith in Politics”, published in the October 2006 issue of The Monthly, is an important statement of his world view, no doubt intended to position himself as a future leader of the ALP."

Rudd is ambitious above all else.

There you go again Boaz, if Homosexuality is deviant how then is Christianity itself not deviance? To believe in magic idols like Jesus is a major deviation from reality.

There are more Christians in China than Europe and America and they are still a minority and the majority are Nestorists which as I understand it Protestants and Catholics exclusionism equate with heresy. The problem of Christianity in China is China’s problem, what concerns us is Australia where our way of life is under the twin attack of Christianity and Islam. We have been thrown to the lions of superstition and all Rudd is attempting to do is calm those lions.

Christians are a decreasing minority in Australia. Yet Christians pushing anti Australian values and their opposition to the Australian way of life and anti Australian culture have carried an unbalanced weight. Christians are vastly over represented in Government, the media, public opinion and in all sections of life where they seek to control others and destroy the Australian way of life.

John Howard is in no way a sign that Christianity is winning their war against Australians. Howard’s success has been completely reliant on buying votes; Howard’s primary focus has been to win elections. The Howard Government is unique in that it has not once delivered positive policy for the benefit of Australians. Howard’s voters are not thinkers; Howard persecutes objects of Christian hatred because it buys votes. He pandered to fringe lunatic business groups with his IR laws to buy party sponsorship. Lucky for the nation he did, otherwise voters would be as cheap next time as they were last time. Otherwise the Christian vote is leading us toward becoming another Iran.

Coach there is absolutely no difference between the values of Islam and Christianity, no difference between the politics of any church and the Taliban.

And Boaz, every dead person is an atheist as is every object in the universe. The belief in God is only is myth based; there is no God or Wizard or Oz to magically convert corpses in to eternally living zombies