Last week, there was an interesting ABC Online article called “I Won’t Play the Religion Card”. In the article, Gillard shared that she is an atheist and that she won’t be pressured into pretending that she is a person of faith for political benefit.
I find it so interesting, but not surprising, that she has to make a statement like that. There is this often talked about perception in Australian politics that it is advantageous to be affiliated with some kind of branch of the Christian faith, even when Australians are less and less affiliating themselves personally with it. Kevin Rudd knew it and was was more than happy to have a weekly press conference out in front of the local church he attended (with the church shown prominently in the background). And John Howard new it too and closely linked a number of his policy decisions and directions with his Methodist roots.
(Another article from the previous week worth looking at is one from the Courier Mail, entitled, "Julia Gillard Offers Rule Without Religion")... The theme of religion and politics in Australia is always bubbling along just below the surface, regardless of who is in charge. I wrote in an earlier post that I thought it would be interesting with Rudd and Abbott going head-to-head at the next election, but what will it mean now?
It certainly won't be last time we hear of this, in fact, what I think will happen, is that something that has been puttering along in the background of Australian politics is going to come more to the forefront. Australian Christian lobby and interest groups are going to have to re-adjust to new religious/political landscape after 14 or 15 years with a religious person in charge of the country.I'm guessing that Julia Gillard won't have the same connection and empathy with certain religious agendas and religious groups might find themselves looking for new ways to get the government's ear...
'Twil be very interesting... Watch this space - I'll try to keep up...
Shalom...
Steve
I really have to aplaud Julia Gillard for her honesty, she is very brave to admit that she is an atheist and at the potential expense of her career as prime minister she has been truthful. I have heard and even seen plenty of propaganda floating around about Tony Abbot in particular that he is a Christian, the craziest thing about this is that he is on the totalitarianist side of the political scale, and Julia Gillard is more on the communistic side of the scale, two oppisites, what does each party stand for and what are there policies ? well the liberal parties funding predominantly comes from white collar business men (and women - to be politicaly correct) who seem to benifit from the privitisation of the countries assets because they can afford private medical and schooling for their children. The ethos of the labor party is more concerned with the blue collar people in our society as they are the founding fathers of the labour party. The blue collar people in our society are generally unable to afford private medical and schooling. I am reminded of the levitical laws about helping the people in need and the story of Ruth, it was customary for the farmers to leave a percentage of weat for the poor people when they were gleaning in the fields. The idea of the Liberal party is tat they would not really do anything to help society and that all things should be privatised - public transport, housing, hospitals, tellecommunications etc now this may benifit alot of people and it may help to get the country out of dept but how does this help the people on the outskirts of society ? with the privitisation of assets things tend to get more expensive and less affordable for the less fortunate and the last thing that Australia needs is a medical system like America. I often wonder weather Tony Abott or any poitician is really a Christian or weather they think that it is in their best interest to claim to be a Christian in an attempt to get the Christian votes as a lerge percentage of Australians claim to be Christians. how do we know if somebody is a Christian ? Jesus said in Mathew 7:13 -
ReplyDeleteBeware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. I clearly recal when Tony Abbot was questioned about the homelesness in Australia his out of context quote from the Bible was " the poor you will always have with you" that was his apparent Christian justification for the lack of funding that he will invest in homelesness in Australia. When i heard him say this i was outraged and reminded of the story of the good Samaritan, the religious leader walked past the man in need, the levite walked past the man in need but the person who was a social outcast in that society being a Samaritan helped the man in need, the question is who is the person that should have helped ? Do you know what our profession in Christ is worth ? Satan acknowledges Jesus as Lord, these are Jesus'word Mathew 7:22 "Many will say to me Lord, Lord and what is Jesus response ? depart from me you who practice lawlessnes. In this instance the man who is claiming Jesus to be Lord is emphaticaly saying Jesus is Lord but does not uphold the law. what is the law concerning the way that we treat one another - Jesus said Love one another Is Julia Gillard the Samaritan and Tony Abbot the levite who walked past the man in need ? Julia Gillard even though she said that she is an atheist has pledged to put more funding towards chaplaincy, she has recognised that Chaplaincy is an important role in our society. One's proffession in Christ is not anough to gain my vote Jesus said you will know them by their fruit and that is not to say that Julia Gillard is bearing fruit it's just that i dont see any good fruit that Tony Abbot is bearing he can say Lord Lord it does not mean that he is a Christian.
I like the point about the story of Ruth, it was law for the Israelites to leave i think it was 10% of the grain in the field for the people in need sort of a tax in old testament days. Love your neighbour. Tony Abbot may be able to afford private schooling and private medical treatment because the very taxes that we pay enable him to do so but what about your average joe ? i know plenty of parents who struggle to pay their school fees and buy uniforms for their children every year.
ReplyDeleteWhile voting yesterday an LCC member was very vocal about his political bias while working on a fundraising stall for Chaplaincy. I was appalled.
ReplyDeleteI only hope that the people passing through did'nt take notice.
We are suposed to be non-denominational and apolitical.
This was embarrassing.