In the irreverent Monty Python film: the Life of Brian, the crowd is listening to Jesus speaking, but because of the hubbub mishear what he says. Instead of “blessed are the peace makers“ they hear “blessed are the cheese makers“. The crowd wonders what this means; the phrase is symbolic says one, “it involves all in manufacturing.” (more…)
George Browning
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Zionist violence against Palestinians is the antithesis of Judaism
The wish by Israeli leaders for Palestinians to be eliminated from their ancient homelands is the very antithesis of Isaiah’s original Zionist vision.
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Ethiopian Civil War and its manufactured humanitarian crisis
The brutal internal conflict between Ethiopian national forces under the leadership of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has inflicted untold suffering on millions of innocent people. (more…)
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Australia re-joins majority international position on the status of Jerusalem
In reversing the recognition of West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital the Albanese government has re-joined the majority international position which insists the status of Jerusalem can only be resolved in a final peace agreement between the two parties. (more…)
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Anointed not appointed: reign not rule
It is somewhat disappointing that in the wall-to-wall coverage of the death of Queen Elizabeth ll, there has been so little analysis of her faith which became the cornerstone for qualities that have been universally admired. (more…)
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The Anglican breakaway ‘cult’ – a swan that quacks like a duck must be a duck
In contemporary English, a cult is generally understood to mean a group committed to a particular or singular personality, ideology, or goal; one that distinguishes them from mainstream practice or belief. (more…)
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Relentless violence against Palestinians in Gaza..
Forty-three Palestinians, including children, were killed in the Gaza Strip last weekend. If the situation was reversed and forty-three Israelis killed by rocket fire from Gaza, there would be far greater outrage. (more…)
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A national well-being budget
Every functioning household knows the importance of budgeting. No more so than when hopes, expectations and demands exceed resources available. What is possible at one moment may not be possible at another. A priority at one moment will change in different circumstances. A good budget is one that reflects the values of the household and contributes to its wellbeing. A good budget always has a long view in mind. A nation is a large-scale household. Without values that are well articulated and substantially owned, governmental policy becomes stuck on means – money, rather than the value-based aspirations wealth should resource. (more…)
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Bring Home the Suffering Australian Children and their Mothers in Syrian Camps
The Albanese government has had bequeathed to it several unresolved human rights scandals which together have severely shrunk the moral character of Australia and Australians. Notable among them has been the plight of Australian overseas citizens who have fallen from grace. (more…)
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The UN Human Rights report on Israel and Australia’s welcome statement
The UN special Human Rights investigation into Palestine/Israel which found Israel to be primarily responsible for ongoing unrest and violence received a strong rebuke from the US, which in turn sought support from its allies to sign its statement. Australia declined to do so, issuing its own statement. (more…)
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Anglicans divided over same sex marriage
Since the Reformation we have been used to disunity in the Church being demonstrated through denominational loyalty around historical theological dispute and response. This is no longer the primary case. In the Church, as in politics, the deepening rift is between those who, for the sake of simplicity, insist truth is conveyed through fixed dogmatic assertion, usually on social issues, “conservatives”, and those who believe truth is encountered at the crossroads of faith and life, or to put it more piously, at the point where heaven and earth meet. The latter are commonly called “progressives¨ which, like woke, has become a weaponised term seldom owned by those to whom it is ascribed. (Neither adjective is absolute, relationships are invariably more complex). Both progressive and conservative leanings are present in every denomination. Christians often find more in common across denominational lines with those who share their views, conservative or progressive, than they do within their own denominational membership. (more…)
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Christians and the Federal Election
Christianity and Christians cannot be neutral or disconnected from politics. Christianity is an incarnate faith. While it rightly gives central place to personal piety, Christianity is, at its roots, a way of life deeply immersed in the world for its justice, renewal and transformation. It is so because God, who took human likeness in Jesus, is prejudiced toward harmony and justice and therefore is on the side of the poor and needy, the downtrodden and voiceless. The divine agenda is nothing less than the transformation of human society into one where the first will be last and the last will be first. Christians pray: thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. (more…)
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Easter: A new thing
Before Pilate he was asked “what is truth”? All humanity must face the same question, but most of us are too afraid, or too self-absorbed. (more…)
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Apartheid state: the judgment of the world is turning against Israel
Amnesty International has accused Israel of apartheid, and the Jewish state’s actions against the Palestinians are attracting increasing criticism. (more…)
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Artists stand up for human rights: boycott of Sydney Festival was the only option
Performers are right to protest when their performance is compromised through association, in this case by a government that has initiated apartheid.
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Vale Desmond Tutu: a teacher of the powerful and voice of the downtrodden
The South African archbishop and activist, who has died at 90, treated both pauper and sovereign with equal dignity and honour.
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Finding meaning in Christmas for all Australians
The overriding emotion of Christmas should be awe and wonder — it’s a time to reflect and put life into perspective.
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The Israeli lobby and the disturbing SBS board appointment
The Morrison government ignored the mandated independent appointment process to choose its own candidate who brings an aggressive pro-Israel agenda. (more…)
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The Queen nails it at Glasgow, Scott Morrison does not
Scott Morrison could learn from the Queen’s speech at COP26 in Glasgow. This is the speech he should have given.
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Israel labels Palestinian civil society groups terrorists.
Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz last week signed an order declaring six civil society groups in the West Bank as terrorist organisations. (more…)
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The Nationals and their dangerous search for relevance
Every deputy covets their moment in the sun. This can usually be arranged without harm. In the case of Barnaby Joyce little appears to come without harm. (more…)
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With a five per cent vote the Nationals are holding us to ransom on climate change
What is the meaning of Australian democracy when a minor party, populated by extreme right-wing ideologists, can decide Australia’s position on arguably the most important policy issue of our time — climate change?
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Rights, law breakers, Scott Morrison, Sky News and the Covid lockdown
George Christensen and Craig Kelly, amongst others, have been spruiking false information about the pandemic, about vaccinations and about the lockdown, giving comfort to those who have proved more than a little capacity for anarchic behaviour. Given these exponents of controversy in service of self-promotion sit on government benches, one might have expected censure from the Prime Minister. There has been none. (more…)
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Israel, Apartheid, and why Albo is seriously wrong and seriously right
The zoom conducted by Mr Albanese, the leader of the Federal Opposition, with the Executive Council of Australian Jewry has received wide publicity and greatly angered the Palestinian diaspora in Australia. This is sad and ironic, given Mr Albanese has a long history of supporting Palestinian rights and helped found the federal parliamentary friends of Palestine. (more…)
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A response to the Prime Minister’s speech to the Australian Christians Conference
Dear Scott,
You have got yourself into a bit of strife from commentators who have found your speech at the Australian Christian Churches Conference to breach the convention of separation between Church and State; also, for your assertion that the devil is using the social media platform for evil. I, on the other hand, found much in your talk with which I could agree, my problem is that I see no evidence that what you said is taken at all seriously in your life as Prime Minister. (more…) -
Politics should be about transformational leadership
Our Prime Minister has shown he is incapable of anything other than transactional leadership.
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Seditious assault on Congress. Why is Christianity so grafted to corrupt politics?
The link between the Christian right and Trump has nothing to do with Christian discipleship. Trump provides the evangelical right with the closest thing they have found to a theocratic state and in return Trump gets a strong voting bloc. (more…)
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Prime Minister: Saying you no longer intend to cheat on climate change does not merit applause
The Prime Minister has brushed off his failure to gain a speaking role at the Glasgow global warming summit as inconsequential. But the reality is that the Prime Minister and his government continue to fail us.
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George Browning. Is the Anglican Church about to split?
‘The Conversation’ recently published an article co-authored by Dorothy Ann Lee and Muriel Porter under the heading “Is the Anglican Church about to split? It is facing the gravest threat to its unity in more than 200 years”. (more…)
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A Warrior Culture
The Prime Minister warned us that we would be in for some shocking reading as the report into Australian war crimes in Afghanistan was released. That there were 39 alleged murders, and 19 Australian soldiers involved, is indeed shocking. (more…)