what role does the church (if any) serve or hold, towards ensuring a more just and equalitarian society?

I do not believe that clergy of any persuasion have enough influence left to "fix" anything these days. Church membership is declining across the board as more educated people turn away from supersticion.

That doesn't stop them trying, as it shouldn't, but people will no longer tolerate clergymen trying to meddle in the process of Government. The recent outspoken criticism of Perth's Catholic Archbishop over his comments regarding the bill to allow stem cell research was a prime example of this.

While a great deal of what the church stands for is a good basis for life I do not want its influence to continue.
Fundamentalism is growing and it is a danger to man and our freedoms.
I often think how it seems any religion grows faster among the less educated and poor people.
A waste of time and effort but if we can take the power to influence our life's away from non existent Gods what a great world it would be.

Interesting to read these comments about 'Clergymen'.....

I specially note this one "but people will no longer tolerate clergymen trying to meddle in the process of Government."

Yep... this happened to the American Indians as shown 'here'

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2959.html

"In 1823 the Supreme Court handed down a decision which stated that Indians could occupy lands within the United States, but could not hold title to those lands. This was because their "right of occupancy" was subordinate to the United States' "right of discovery."

The Cherokee went to the Supreme Court again in 1831. This time they based their appeal on an 1830 Georgia law which prohibited whites from living on Indian territory after March 31, 1831, without a license from the state. The state legislature had written this law to justify removing white missionaries who were helping the Indians resist removal."

err...what were the 'missionaries' clergyment doing here ? Were they agents of 'white supremacism' ? or..defenders of the helpless?

I've been one of those 'missionaries' and came close to the edge at times, in seeking to defend the rights of indigenous people in Borneo, not from 'White' supremacists, but from "Muslim" ones.

Lets not throw all 'clergymen' out with the bathwater.... and realize also, that 'doing something' is not the sole realm of 'clergy'.. the bible teaches the priesthood of ALL believers, so..

1/ Lets get our own hearts right with God...
2/ Think about what we ourselves can do for the country.

If 9/11 was in any sense the judgement of God, it surely was NOT for what America is doing in Iraq, but more likely because of the foundation of betrayal, greed, lust for land, and outright genocide that undergirds the present prosperity.

"God....is NOT mocked.. whatsoever a man (or nation) sows.. that also shall he (it) reap"

Just because it does not happen 'immediately' ...does not mean it will not happen. There is a lesson in this for Australia too.

"If 9/11 was in any sense the judgement of God, it surely was NOT for what America is doing in Iraq, but more likely because of the foundation of betrayal, greed, lust for land, and outright genocide that undergirds the present prosperity."(Quote:BOAZ)

Well there you go! It might have been God wot dun it.

Strewth! He's got quite a temper, hasn't he?

AND as the Christian CEO, he's clearly capable of terrorism....

Thanks for that little gem.

I think we as a society do ourselves a dis-service by not recognising the power of "the church" in society.... and dismissing it as a refuge for the ignorant and superstitious

many enlightened academics, judges, doctors, teachers are religious... albeit of late the fundamentalist right is dominating the theology of the church and is speakin as though "it" was the only one voice of good christians (muslims or jews, etc)

we are seeing in oz an unprecedented attack on personal civil liberties on issues as glbt rights, abortion law and the traditional non-spending of public tax-payer dollars on church run schools and private hospitals

all because I think that the left of theology have been persuaded that the fight is not worth fighting.... to our regret the religious left have surrendered the ramparts of liberation theology and the working priesthood to the looney right who proffer instead theologies of instant prosperity, rapture and of being part of the elect

Consequently we are seeing the rise of mega churches such as hillsong and others who are consuming large amounts of people's hard earned cash for purposes unknown and under the current tax exemptions are making a killing for their CEO's.... and making mischief in the political world with their financial supporting of new political right parties such as "family first"!