How not to do it

From the ABC News website


PNG 'Repentance Day' a bolt from the blue
By PNG Correspondent Liam Fox
August 26, 2011 12:13:14

Photo: Pray for forgiveness: A church in Papua New Guinea

AAP: Ilya Gridneff, file photo

Many Papua New Guinea residents are scratching their heads today as they mark the country's newest public holiday - Repentance Day - just 11 days after it was first announced.

Ceremonies will be held across the largely Christian country so people can ask forgiveness for their sins.

But, like a religious vision, the announcement came out of the blue.

Less than two weeks ago a government press release declared August 26 to be the National Day of Repentance, to be marked with a public holiday.

The statement was two sentences long with no explanation of the purpose or significance of this new public holiday.

Pastor Jack Edward from the Shema Evangelism Ministry is the Repentance Day co-ordinator, and he says what used to be an annual, informal day of prayer is now a public holiday.

"Basically a time when we ask the people of our nation to come together and pray and ask the Lord to forgive us for the wrongs that are happening in our nation," he said.

"So everybody can find time to go to a church and pray, or if they [are not] able to, then stay back in their house and also pray for the country."

Mr Edward said then-acting prime minister Sam Abal responded to a request from a group of churches for the state-sanctioned day off.


Full Story:   http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-26/png-marks-repentance-day/2856522

"The greatest engine of tyranny..."

Submitted by Max

From The Canberra Times

Missed opportunity to debate school chaplain 'religious test'
By Anna Verney
15 Aug, 2011 04:00 AM
 
It was a busy time at the High Court of Australia last week. On Monday, the court extended an injunction staying the removal of asylum-seekers from Christmas Island to Malaysia under the ‘‘Australia-Malaysia Deal’’. In the course of a hearing accompanied by high drama, Justice Hayne chided the Commonwealth for the ‘‘unsatisfactory’’ and ‘‘half-baked fashion’’ with which it approached the proceedings, only filing its affidavit with the court an hour into the two-hour hearing. The same ill preparedness was not demonstrated by the Commonwealth in the hearing of Williams v the Commonwealth commencing the next day before the full bench of the court.

That case involves a legal challenge to the Commonwealth’s $222 million National School Chaplaincy Program, under which the government funds school chaplains to provide students of both private and government schools with pastoral care, counselling, ‘‘spiritual guidance’’ and oversight of their ‘‘spiritual wellbeing’’. The controversial program, criticised extensively in a recent Ombudsman’s report, is established by policy guidelines beset by what Justice Gummow termed acerbically on the first day of the hearing as ‘‘somewhat loose expressions which have never been subject to legislative scrutiny and any attempt at legislative precision’’ and ‘‘the sort of stuff [that] would never get through parliamentary counsel’’.

The arguments before the court this week were foremost concerned with the confines of the Commonwealth’s constitutional legislative power with respect to providing ‘‘benefits to students’’, and, secondly, limitations upon the executive’s power to spend appropriated monies without supporting legislation. Given their invested interest in containing the reach of the Commonwealth’s financial tentacles into their governmental purview, each state was represented at the bar table.


Full story:   http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/opinion/editorial/general/missed-opportunity-to-debate-school-chaplain-religious-test/2258330.aspx?storypage=0

High Court Challenge – The Hearing Begins

If you'd like to learn more about the recent proceedings of Ron Williams' High Court challenge, then pop over to Chrys Stevenson's blog for a wonderful report.

Census Time, and High Court fun

From The Age / National Times

Faith tested in the Commonwealth
 By Dick Gross
August 8, 2011

Opinion

This week the role of our beliefs or lack thereof takes centre stage nationally by way of the Census and the High Court.

CENSUS NIGHT

It was a census that led Jesus to be born in a stable and our own is upon us tomorrow. The Atheist Foundation of Australia has been working hard to make sure that we get good data on the number of believers and atheists.
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In one sense it is an impossible question to answer for many atheists hark back to some relic of their upbringing when we think about this question and so we might be half-pregnant atheists. What do you call yourself if you don't believe in God but observe some vestigial religious rites and really don't care either way? You could quite truthfully tick any box. Faith is not the open-and-shut question it once was. The Foundation is keen for those who are nominally religious but actually godless to mark ''No Religion'' at the bottom of question 19. It has been a clever campaign.

This is the first time I will be marking ''No Religion'' because in the past I ticked other and described myself as a ''Jewish atheist'' or ''secular Jew'' for that is what seemed to describe me best. I have been persuaded by the Foundation's campaign so I will be a ''No'' person. I will list my cultural background in the question before, question 18.

Putting aside these subtle questions of the nature of belief, the Foundation has been concerned to make sure that people at least do not play funny buggers. There was a stage where it was considered hilarious to insert something like ''Jedi Knight'' as your object of worship. I don't see the humour in that at all but maybe I am just a killjoy.

Full article:   http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/blogs/godless-gross/faith-tested-in-the-commonwealth-20110805-1iept.html

Things change, Mr Nile. Can you ?

Submitted by John

From The Brisbane Times

Ethics lesson two: tell the truth 
By Fred Nile 
August 5, 2011

Opinion

The Herald has given wide coverage to my perceived actions regarding the future of the so-called ''ethics course'' in NSW schools.

I have not sought to blackmail the NSW government. I simply reminded them: before they reject my Ethics Repeal Bill, they should remember they need our votes to pass their controversial industrial relations legislation. I never said I would vote against it, even though I have genuine concerns about its impact.

"My intention was to hold the Coalition to their

 original policy" ... Fred Nile. Photo: Jon Reid

  

In fact, during my appointment with Premier Barry O'Farrell on July 28, at his request, we never discussed the industrial legislation or my vote. We came to the conclusion that my bill could proceed through the Coalition's cabinet and party room for discussion.

My intention throughout the process was simply to hold the Coalition to their original policy, which opposed ethics classes. Unfortunately, before the election, the Premier wrongly believed the Greens would hold the balance of power in the upper house and told me privately that despite a desire to do so, he could not repeal the legislation and would maintain the status quo.

Our party thanks Almighty God and the NSW voters that we now hold the ''balance of prayer and responsibility'' and not the pagan Greens. So, given the outcome of the election, the Coalition can now implement their original policy and vote for my bill, which concludes the ethics course in December so that principals can arrange quality education opportunities for children withdrawn from scripture classes by their parents next year.

Full load of bollocks:   http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/politics/ethics-lesson-two-tell-the-truth-20110804-1iddo.html

Mr Nile is entitled to his own opinion, of course. Political representatives do not, however, have the right to enforce their preferred religious doctrines upon their constituents, or anyone else, for that matter. Going by the majority of the comments posted to this story, it thankfully seems that many people recognise and support that view.

You tell 'em, Charlie ! We're with you...

Submitted by Graham

From The Sydney Morning Herald

Keep your politics out of our classrooms, Mr Nile 
By Charlie Fine 
August 1, 2011

Opinion - An 11-year-old explains why he wants ethics classes to stay

Charlie Fine ... wants Fred Nile to reconsider. 

I was sitting in ethics class the other day and we were discussing children's rights. There were many scenarios such as "Should children be allowed to drive cars?" and "Should children be able to fight for their country?"

My friend Edwin was discussing if children should be allowed to vote. One of the potential problems that we discussed was whether parents might tell their children how to vote and not let them decide for themselves.

But then again if children could go to the polls then perhaps Fred Nile, the leader of the Christian Democratic Party in NSW, wouldn't have the power that he has today.

Mr Nile is attempting to abolish ethics classes in school, so that all schoolchildren learn what he believes in, which goes against the wishes of many Australian parents.

Before ethics classes I studied Buddhism, which I found very stimulating. And before that because there was no alternative to scripture, many of my friends (myself included) were forced to spend many hours watching Lilo & Stitch on an old TV they had dug out of the janitor's cupboard.

Full article:   http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/keep-your-politics-out-of-our-classrooms-mr-nile-20110801-1i77c.html

Telling it like it is

Submitted by Graham

From The Sydney Morning Herald

Ethics lesson 1: don't trade children's interests for Nile's obsession 
By Simon Longstaff 
August 2, 2011

Opinion

A third way ... an estimated 97,000 children don't have a meaninful option to

being "parked" while others attend scripture. Photo: Wolter Peeters

I know that politics is the ''art of the possible''. I know that its currency is compromise and deal-making. I know that those who exercise power are asked on occasions to violate their own consciences and get their hands dirty. I know all of this to be true.

Yet, still I believe that there are occasions when these basic truths of ''politics as usual'' should be set aside for a greater good. Such a time has come. To trade the interests of primary school children in a debate about industrial relations is utterly unseemly.

The Reverend Fred Nile opposes the provision of ethics classes as a meaningful option for children not attending classes in special religious education (scripture). He is virtually alone in his opposition.

 
Official public support for the ethics classes has come from the three major Christian denominations: Catholic, Anglican and Uniting. They join other faith groups in their support - Jewish, Islamic, Hindu and Buddhist - and a host of others. Then there are parents of all faiths and none, who in overwhelming numbers support the right of their children to have a meaningful option if their faith is not offered or if they do not believe their children should be exposed to religion in schools.

Full article:   http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/ethics-lesson-1-dont-trade-childrens-interests-for-niles-obsession-20110801-1i81v.html

What a mess !

Submitted by Graham

From The Sydney Morning Herald

Parents' group backs ethics classes
By Anna Patty
August 1, 2011 

Students attend an Ethics class at Hilltop Primary School in Merrylands ... the Federation

of P&C Associations is concerned the government may bow to political

pressure and remove the classes. Photo: Wolter Peeters

THE state's peak parents' organisation has urged the Premier, Barry O'Farrell, to support ethics classes after it was reported he had bowed to pressure from the Reverend Fred Nile to consider having them removed.

At its annual conference on Saturday, the Federation of P&C Associations voted on a resolution calling on Mr O'Farrell to stick to an election promise not to remove the classes. The former Labor government introduced the classes in February as an alternative to scripture.

An association spokesman, David Giblin, said parents thought Mr Nile's suggestion to remove the classes was ''unethical''. Mr Nile has threatened to use his party's upper house votes to defeat the government's public service wages legislation if it fails to ensure ethics classes are not held at the same time as scripture.
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A plan to start paying the P&C president a salary for the first time in the volunteer organisation's 82-year history was blocked at the weekend conference. Members voted to delay a decision on the motion as debate was taking up too much conference time.

Full Story:   http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/parents-group-backs-ethics-classes-20110731-1i6eu.html