Politicians, particularly conservative politicians, are constantly talking up the need for more police and more prison places, and generally being tougher on crime. They are being dishonest and they know it. These campaigns are based on cultivating fear, and have nothing to do with the real situation. The Hon. Christine Wheeler QC is a former [...]
Archive for the ‘Politics’ Category
22 Oct
Christian power: an oxymoron?
Yesterday the residents’ association of our village held elections. There was quite a tussle over the position of Chairman of the Social Committee, with arguments about the Constitution and fights about procedure. The sub-text was reasonably easy to discern: two strong people clashing and both leading with their shadows! This made me reflect on the [...]
11 Oct
Spitting at capitalists
Calls to destroy capitalism and boycott Facebook and Google resonate well with Franciscans. They are a way of dealing with our anger at the greed of corporations and the selling of our personal lives to advertisers. My Facebook wall is filled with slogans against this consumerist plague. But slogans are not an effective way to [...]
17 Jun
Special privileges for churches in Australia?
The Busselton-Dunsborough Times has published my letter in response to my neighbour John Moor’s letter last Friday (which I have attached below). Here is my letter as published: John Moor (Letters June 10) laments the fact that churches are exempt from some rates and taxes. These exemptions date from a time when the churches provided [...]
1 Jul
Loss of Integrity
PSALM 12 PARAPHRASE Help, Lord, there is nobody left with integrity. Loyal and consistent people have vanished from Australia. Everyone tells lies to their neighbours. Their flattery is patently insincere. All they want is to get ahead for themselves. If only the Lord would stop the lies and flattery, and turn the spin into honest [...]
27 Mar
Hope in Obama
Fellow Franciscan Tertiary Susan Valdes-Dapena in New York has posted my prayer in her prayers for the first 100 days (of Obama’s presidency). The prayers on the blog inspire.
