Perspectives

To Critique, Inform, Challenge and Entertain

Category: RELIGION

AUSTRALIAN POLITICS / CURRENT ISSUES / OPINION / RELIGION

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Anglican/Christian Prayers in the Parliaments of an Increasingly Secular and Religiously Diverse Australia

Reading Time: 11 minutesParliamentary sittings begin with Anglican/Christian prayer in Australia, a racially and ethnically diverse nation with associated diversity of religion. In this context it would be inappropriate to continue this tradition.

CURRENT ISSUES / RELIGION

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Discrimination can be Appropriate

Reading Time: 4 minutesChoosing the best applicant for a leadership position calls for a selection committee to treat less favourably those candidates whose values, or the values of organisations with which they are associated, are incompatible with those of the employer. This is not workplace discrimination on the grounds of religious belief. The discrimination is a lawful discrimination against incompatible values directly related to the employment.

CURRENT ISSUES / LEGAL MATTERS / OPINION / RELIGION / US POLITICS

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Justice Amy Barrett’s Nomination, Judicial Independence and Religious Beliefs

Reading Time: 7 minutesWidespread criticism of President Trump nomination of Justice Amy Barrett. to fill a vacancy on the US Supreme Court raises many issues including the separation of church and state, the perception of judicial neutrality and the politicization of the US Supreme Court. Particularly concerning is Justice Barrett’s apparent willingness to permit the President to exploit her religious beliefs to further his agenda of reinterpreting the law.

Gulf News 1 March 2019

CURRENT ISSUES / LEGAL MATTERS / RELIGION

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If Pell Wins Special Leave to Appeal, The High Court Is Highly Unlikely to Rule on His Guilt.

Reading Time: 2 minutesIt is possible that the High Court will grant Pell special leave to appeal. Such an appeal would provide the Court with an opportunity to rule on the law relating to appeals of jury verdicts in trials such as Pell’s. But, Pell’s guilty verdict, I suggest, is most likely to stand.

CURRENT ISSUES / OPINION / RELIGION

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To Understand Folau, Understand Christian Beliefs

Reading Time: 5 minutesThe beliefs expressed by Folau are also held by a number of Australian Christian denominations. In particular, there is absolutely no doubt that some Christian beliefs may incite hatred and even violence. However, religious belief does not legally justify the breaking of the law. For that reason, an appreciation of what the expression or exercise of some Christian religious beliefs can entail is required in order to understand why the expression of some religious beliefs needs to be curtailed.

OPINION / RELIGION

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A Rational Debate of the Freedom of Religious Belief?

Reading Time: 4 minutesUnless we clarify and agree on what it is that we’re discussing, we run the risk of replicating populists’ irrational and dishonest discourse. This means, not allowing facts to stand in the way of your views, by pretending that they’re not there or creating your own alternative facts. You may also pretend that words don’t mean what they mean to most people but rather what you conveniently chose them to mean. Our debate needs to acknowledge and take into account the full context of exempting religions from compliance with a law that seeks to protect others from their harassment and discrimination.

RELIGION

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Greater Protection of Religion? Not If All Religions Are To Be Protected

Reading Time: 2 minutesOpposition to greater legal and constitutional protection of freedom of religion is in part led by leaders of Australia’s established religions. What has long concerned our major churches appears not be widely appreciated by the Australian public. To protect religion entails protecting all religions, including the nutters, haters and the offensive.