Hear, hear, Lindsay. It is disingenuous, at the least, to suggest that church leaders are necessarily 'amateur commentators on all manner of secular issues on which they inevitably lack expertise'. In fact church leaders, since they have people-to people contact with Christian leaders and churches overseas, often appear to have considerably greater knowledge of matters 'on the ground' in say- a recent example - the Solomon Islands. And the sensible members of DFAT and the military listen to voices from the churches, academia, the NGOs - at least sometimes. I know, I've been in on some of the update seminars etc at which church and NGO voices speak, and have been heard.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Lindsay Brash" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, August 29, 2003 10:33 AM Subject: Re: our walking anti-globalisation website > G'day All, > > Pass the bucket!! I suppose Downer would like it if the only people > commenting on political issues were the right wing think tanks who give him > his instructions. > > The point is, he sees "foreign policy" where the churches can see people > suffering. There is no doubt in my mind that Christians must continue to > decry all human suffering, and if that is an inconvenience for politicians, > then so be it. > > In fact, perhaps Downer's criticism is a sign that the churches are having > an effect. > > Kind regards, > Lindsay Brash. > > > At 10:21 AM 29/08/03 +1000, Stephen Webb wrote: > >from today's editorial in the oz: > ><http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,7094017%255E 7583,00.html>http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,7 094017%255E7583,00.html > > > >Religious pulpit is no political bull-pit > > > >ALEXANDER Downer has issued a long-overdue jeremiad against church leaders > >who seek headlines by spouting forth on political issues about which they > >have no expertise. Predictably, some church leaders have accused the > >Foreign Minister of trying to silence them. He was doing no such thing. Mr > >Downer criticised church leaders who prefer the political limelight to > >their pastoral duties, and find it by grandstanding "on issues where the > >mind of the church itself is unresolved or not yet engaged". His gripe is > >not with church people who address the great issues of our time, but with > >those who indulge in partisan politicking, and apply to that activity a > >sense of moral certainty that simply does not translate from the spiritual > >plane. > > > >During the debate over the military campaign to topple Saddam Hussein, > >some Christian church leaders seemed more certain about the infamy of the > >campaign than they are about the resurrection. The Anglican Primate of > >Australia, Peter Carnley, who has declared "you can't be a conservative > >and a genuine Christian", could find nothing worse to say about Hussein > >than that he is "morally suspect". Mr Downer expressed his amazement at Dr > >Carnley's claim after the Bali bombing that Australians were targeted > >because of the Howard Government's preparedness to take action against > >Iraq. Dr Carnley's remarks were not only inflammatory it has since become > >obvious they were also dead wrong. > > > >Mr Downer said he found remarks by the outgoing president of the Uniting > >Church, James Haire, on the "political depravity" shown by both major > >parties over the Tampa boatpeople, "profoundly personally offensive as > >well as foolish". Professor Haire, who has a capacity to sound like a > >walking anti-globalisation website, was concluding his tenure as he began > >it: in his inaugural address in 2000, he referred to capitalism as "an > >evil empire". All that Mr Downer asks of religious leaders is that they > >"forgo the opportunity to be amateur commentators on all manner of secular > >issues on which they inevitably lack expertise, and instead find the spark > >of inspiration to give our lives greater moral and spiritual meaning". > > > >Amen. > >The cartoon is > >good but: > ><http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/cartoon/>http://www.theaustralian.new s.com.au/cartoon/ > > > >(our elenie should get it framed and hung over her desk) > > > > > > > >-- > > > > > >Stephen Webb > >Media Officer > >Communications Unit > >NSW Synod, Uniting Church in Australia > >Box A2178, Sydney South, NSW 1235, Australia > >email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Phone: +61 2 82674308; Fax: 92674716; Web: nsw.uca.org.au/cu/ & > >insights.uca.org.au/ > >------------------ > >The Communications Unit publishes the monthly magazine Insights, > >conducts public relations for the NSW Synod of the Uniting Church, and > >provides a variety of communications services. These include writing, > >editing, web consultation and development, desktop publishing and > >graphic design, public relations and advertising. > >For a consultation or free estimate on your project call the > >Communications Unit at (02) 8267 4307. > > > ------------------------------------------------------ > - You are subscribed to the mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] > - To unsubscribe, email [EMAIL PROTECTED] and put in the message body 'unsubscribe insights-l' (ell, not one (1)) > See: http://nsw.uca.org.au/lists.htm > ------------------------------------------------------ > ------------------------------------------------------ - You are subscribed to the mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To unsubscribe, email [EMAIL PROTECTED] and put in the message body 'unsubscribe insights-l' (ell, not one (1)) See: http://nsw.uca.org.au/lists.htm ------------------------------------------------------
