The first tranche of hearings of the Antisemitism Royal Commission did not hear enough from those Jewish Australians who oppose Israel’s actions in the Occupied Territories. (more…)
Category: Religion
-
Catholic Australia in the time of Pope Leo
The Trump–Leo standoff could happen in Australia, though both political and clerical leaders here are much more cautious about church–state relations. (more…)
-
The grandeur of humanity: Pope Leo on AI
Pope Leo’s first encyclical offers a vision in which human dignity and relationships guide technological development rather than people becoming slaves to technology. (more…)
-
The facts about the suburb of Lakemba
Pauline Hanson is wrong. Lakemba’s residents are welcoming, hard working and kind. (more…)
-
Don’t forget the plight of Palestinian Christians
The brutal beating of a French Catholic nun in Jerusalem has caused revulsion. It should also remind us of the marginalisation of Christians in the Palestinian homeland. (more…)
-
The destruction of cultural heritage breaches human rights
Destroying places of worship and culture is not just a heritage matter. It interrupts ways of mourning, worshipping and sustaining traditions, especially for women. (more…)
-
Deep fakes, doctrine and dunces hats: can the Pope school all of us on AI?
In his new encyclical on AI, Magnificat Humanitas, Pope Leo seeks to lead a global conversation on the need to ensure that human dignity guides us in this brave new world. (more…)
-
War destroys more than lives – it destroys cultural worlds
War, displacement and colonisation do not only destroy lives and communities, but also the cultural worlds, histories and shared meanings that give people a sense of continuity and belonging.
-
Trump raises voice – Vatican lowers heat
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s Rome visit exposes the contrast between White House fury and papal diplomacy. (more…)
-
Is AI the new God?
Paul Ham’s book, The Soul, A History of the Human Mind, is a stimulating challenge to our human ingenuity, which we must value in the face of soulless artificial intelligence systems and their narcissistic champions. (more…)
-
Resisting Trump’s extreme religiosity
Trump’s extreme Christian nationalism poses a dual threat. By dragging the US and the West further toward the ideological right, he is both fuelling civilisational tensions and deepening fractures within the Christian faith. Christians should join Islamic and Confucian proponents of the ‘middle pathway’ to resist such extreme religiosity. (more…)
-
A just war: Pope Leo and President Trump
Pope Leo XIV has spoken on several occasions about the urgent need to seek peace and not war. President Trump and other American politicians have essentially told him to mind his own business and to stick to issues of religious teaching and belief. But Pope Leo is sticking to his essential business of providing ethical and moral leadership. (more…)
-
What do we anti-Zionist Jews talk about when we talk about Zionism?
Non-Zionist Jews lament the conflation of all Jewish life with a creed of bigotry, insularity and belligerence. They must call out Israel’s crimes against humanity and call for the dissolution of the Zionist state. Otherwise, antisemitic voices will continue to equate Judaism with Zionism. (more…)
-
Virtue, not values, defines who we are
In debates over repatriation, protest and politics, the real test is not what we say we value, but the virtues we are willing to uphold as a society.
-
The Trump–pope clash echoes a centuries-old struggle
Conflicts between political leaders and religious authority have shaped Western history for centuries – and continue to define debates over power and legitimacy today. (more…)
-
Albanese and Anwar align behind Pope’s call for peace
Australia and Malaysia have signalled support for a diplomatic path through escalating global tensions, backing Pope Leo’s call for peace and restraint.
(more…) -
Trump has turned the pope into an adversary – and exposed himself
By targeting Pope Leo XIV, Donald Trump has exposed the limits of political power when confronted with a moral authority it cannot silence or absorb. (more…)
-
Trump deletes image of himself as Jesus-like saviour after backlash
Donald Trump is facing criticism from church leaders, conservatives and political figures after posting an AI-generated image of himself as a Jesus-like figure and attacking Pope Leo XIV.
(more…) -
Pope Leo reframes the moral language of war
Leo may help break a trend that has dominated American Catholicism – less religion as national glue, more faith as a critique of power. (more…)
-
Pentagon threatened Pope after he condemned Trump’s military attacks
Reports that US officials warned the Vatican to align with Washington highlight growing tensions between military power and moral authority as the Pope continues to speak out against war.
(more…) -
Identity, influence and division – Australia’s Jewish community in a time of tension
Amid rising tensions and a national inquiry into antisemitism, understanding the complexity of Australia’s Jewish community is essential to any serious conversation about social cohesion. (more…)
-
Pope 1, Trump 0 – Message from the Editor
You think things can’t get any worse and then they do! (more…)
-
Pope trumps Hegseth and his doomed crusade
Clashes between church leaders and Trump highlight tensions over religion, power and the justification of war. (more…)
-
Living with hope in a time of evil and uncertainty
In a time marked by conflict and uncertainty, the call is not to eliminate evil but to respond with sincerity, truth and hope – beginning with ourselves, writes Frank Brennan.
-
Easter’s message in a time of war
As global conflicts intensify, Easter offers a counterpoint – a call to reject violence and embrace light, mercy and transformation. (more…)
-
What Good Friday and the Book of Job reveal about a world in crisis
Modern society assumes suffering can be solved through policy, technology and progress. But this belief leaves us unprepared for the reality that tragedy is an enduring part of human life. (more…)
-
Catholics lag behind as the first woman appointed to lead the Anglican church
The installation of a female Archbishop of Canterbury highlights the Catholic Church’s continued hesitation on women’s leadership and the need to listen more closely to women’s voices.
(more…) -
Hegseth rebuked for bloodthirsty prayer asking God to bless Iran War
Trump’s Secretary of Defence invoking divine violence against Iran has intensified concerns about the fusion of religion, politics and war in US leadership.
(more…) -
Free speech and antisemitism: drawing the line
In this extract from his submission to the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion Gareth Evans argues that it is crucial that protest language claimed to be inherently antisemitic be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, taking into account context and intent. (more…)
-
From hubris to holy war – the dangerous logic behind the Iran conflict
The language and beliefs driving the US–Israel war on Iran point to escalation, not restraint – with global consequences. (more…)