Biblical Literacy in Australian Schools

Biblical Literacy in Australian Schools

For those of you reading this on Steve’s Facebook Page, this was written by his blogging partner Scott.

http://www.quadrant.org.au/blogs/qed/2010/01/abbott-and-the-bible

The link to this article was emailed to me by an extreme right-wing Christian group whose perspectives I largely disagree with but I read for two reasons: simple curiosity about different worldviews (sometimes challenging my own worldview) and also to remain aware of some of the cultural currents that exist in the society I inhabit.

I disagree both with Terpstra’s dualistic politics and poor journalism (i.e. self-righteous subjectivity). But he is very insightful to point out one of the fundamental values of biblical literacy even in our increasingly atheistic society – that of history. The study of our own history – the history of humanity as a whole, of cultures, and of individual families – is the study of our own identity – of why our predecessors thought, felt and acted as they did, and indeed why we ourselves think, feel, and act as we do. The fact that Christianity and the Bible have featured so centrally in the history of western culture is central to our understanding of ourselves – even our understanding of our atheism, as atheism in our culture has only grown in reaction against our Christian heritage. I personally am not religiously or politically threatened by the growth of atheism in Australian society. What troubles me is the loss of culture and identity, which is occurring strikingly fast as our collective memory shortens; a product, I believe, of the increasing homogenisation of our society around dogmatic ideals of consumerism and constant economic growth.

I agree with Abbot, Terpstra, and many others who believe that biblical literacy should be taught in Australian Schools. This is not indoctrination (though I’m aware it will regrettably be taught as such in many schools), though neither does it need to be a cynical foil of our enlightened scientific reason (as it will also regrettably be taught as such in many schools, along with many other current elements of historical study). The bible is our history and our identity. Its pages reveal the thoughts and motivations behind much of the social and political architecture of western society, built over many centuries of changing society, politics, war, art, economics and technology. To disregard this; to even detest this, is the most despicable and destructive form of arrogant ignorance. We are not called to love our history. Nor are we called to perpetuate it. But if we hope to be generative, dynamic human beings we sure as hell better know and understand it.

Labels: Culture, Education

  Posted by Scott @ 6:14 PM   0 comments

::Politics & Humanity - Australia's Refugee/Asylum Seeker Debate Got this email from the inimitable Ross Farley (who I work with at Tear Australia). He does what I do in that he takes two bits of information that you may not normally put together, and then he puts them together with dramatic/sarcastic/deadpan yet so painfully obvious kind of way that it makes us squirm at our own stupidity and inhumanity. Thanks Ross!

*****************************************************

Hi,
There is lots of public discussion about asylum seekers so I thought I would get up to date on the current statistics. Then I thought I may as well pass on this information. So here is what I discovered.

_1. Refugees_

* There are currently about 10.5 million refugees in the world.

* The UNHCR has a resettlement program that finds new countries for
refugees. Various countries allocate the number of refugees they
are willing to take every year. (Australia has recently increased
its allocation to 13,500 places.) Unfortunately the total number
of places made available to the UNHCR for refugee resettlement is
only 76,740 per year.

* Many argue that all refugees should apply to the UNHCR and wait
for processing. It is a matter of simple arithmatic that they
would have to wait an average of 136 years to be resettled. (10.5
million refugees divided by 76,740 places) That is a very long
queue. (That figure of 136 years also assumes that there are no
more wars or natural disasters in the next 136 years to add to the
refugee numbers.)

* If the 100 wealthiest countries took an extra, one-off intake of
about 105,000 refugees each, then the argument that refugees
should wait their turn could begin to have some validity. After
that every wealthy country would also need to dramatically
increase the number of refugees they were willing to accept.

_Visa overstayers_

* Visa overstayers are illegal immigrants who came to Australia on
tourist visas and do not leave.
* The countries of origon with largest numbers of these illegal
immigrants are UK and USA.
* In 2007-2008, the number of visa overstayers was 48,500 compared
to 25 boat people arrivals. They outnumbered boat people by 1,904
to 1.
* Of the last 12 years, 2000-2001 had the most boat people arrivals.
That same year Australia had 60,000 visa overstayers. They
outnumbered boat people 14 to 1.
* Consider the differences. Asylum seekers usually enter Australia
openly and hand themselves over to the authorities and ask for
asylum. Visa overstayers pretend to come for a holiday when the
intend to stay. Refugees are also fleeing danger. What is so
dangerous in the UK and USA?
* Why is there such a public outcry about refugees but not about
visa overstayers?

I hope this is helpful and maybe I have saved you some research time.

Thanks,
Ross

_Sources
_www.immi.gov.au
www.unhcr.org
www.refugeecouncil.org.au

Labels: Asylum Seekers, Culture, Discipleship, Faith, Humour, Refugees, Resources, Tear, Theology

  Posted by Stephen @ 4:53 PM   0 comments

::Observations-Gen Xodus - Gen X Has Left the Building... II I recall a class given by my Theology Professor, John Capper (even after I graduate, I call him my professor, I guess he still is in many ways). He described the difference between the philosophical frameworks in Europe (where he studied for a few years) and Australia. It was fascinating to watch my fellow students as he described the philosophical driving force behind their world view, namely "Pragmatism".

The last two Australian Federal elections were fought on the grounds of, and well within the sphere of Pragmatism. "We'll give you cheaper mortgage repayments and slash taxes!" And which Australian can possibly forget being reduced from an individual person to "an economy" for the duration of both elections?

I recall sitting with Lindsay Tanner, federal member for Melbourne while he was still in opposition. We were discussing Australia's aid budget as part of the Voices for Justice Conference. I remember being quietly inspired as Lindsay talked about his colleagues on both sides of the house of representatives, saying that even though challenging Australian citizens to be generous and to share our national wealth with poorer nations was definitely *not* a vote winner, sometimes you just had to show leadership and do what was right. "Who knows? the conversation went on, you just don't know what consequences moral imagination and leadership might be responsible for in the long term? He went on to say, however, that this kind of work was difficult, whilst Australia's political landscape was one defined by Pragmatism.

Australia's world view is largely Pragmatism. "How will this action/activity benefit me/us?" Or may I use the crude term which I am constantly challenged with in Secondary and Tertiary schools and colleges... "Is this going to be on the exam sir?"

What is the consequence? What is the result? In a poor philosophical environment like Australia's, Pragmatism is further reduced to the notion "What's in this for me?"

The world view of Boomers and consequently Gen Y is largely that of Pragmatism. It is the philosophical framework that under girds the dominant world view.

The philosophical framework of Gen X was largely Existentialism, a philosophical framework that begins with the human condition. It was not about outcomes. It was about the living, feeling, acting human totality.

Whereas Boomers/Gen Y seem focused on the who, what, where, when and how of existence, Gen X'ers seemed to penetrate such conversations asking the vexing question "why"? Not in a pragmatic sense, rather in a deeper search for truth. Both as it pertained to the individual and to the greater whole which, as a given, was considered to be entirely inter related.

For all sorts of reasons, Gen X'ers were shown the door, and/or left the building. I fear that what also left the room were the kinds of conversations that could profoundly shape and influence the church in ways that are currently lacking.

I wonder to what degree an idealistic and altruistic voice is missing? I wonder what the church could be if it were to seek to reconcile with this missing generation. I wonder how we are the poorer for it?

(I need to make the obvious point that I am speaking in broad general terms, and am making assumptions about individuals and groups,knowing full well that there are exceptions all over the place. Please keep this in mind before you comment!)

Labels: Church, Culture, Gen X, Gen Y, Missiology, Mission, Philosophy

  Posted by Stephen @ 9:23 AM   5 comments

::Rants-Global Financial Crisis? Been thinking allot about the GFC (Global Financial Crisis) or the US term, GFM (Global Financial Meltdown). I have been thinking about it because since I returned from Bangladesh in January, I have found myself thinking about the many people who I met in that country who's lives are affected far more dramatically, than people here in Australia.

It is a difficult conversation, because you can easily find yourself comparing misery with misery. That is not my intention. Having been made redundant three times in my life means I am aquainted with the pain that financial uncertainty brings. However, in each situation, we were ok. We have an incredible series of safety nets to fall back on in times of financial distress in a place like Australia.

Not so in Bangladesh. The nation is very poor, and so many individuals I met face pretty bleak futures, because of the GFC.

However, the thing I found most difficult to cope with is the term we give the phenomenon. Global: Well, that's a no brainer. Financial: it effects all kinds of financial systems, or the various parts of the one global financial system. Crisis: hmmmm, this is where it gets interesting.

In the early 2000's, George Bush had his administration use the term "Climate Change" as oppossed to the aforementioned "Global Warming". The term "Global Warming" alarmed people, as it probably should! So the administration, in a master stroke of spin, had the crisis "rebranded". Enter: Climate Change. Sounds more like a holiday than a crisis requiring attention.

The same treatment has been given to the GFC. To call it something benign like the Global Financial Crisis takes attention away from two very important issues. The first is that it is not a crisis in the sense that this thing appeared from out of nowhere like some random act of nature. Due to the incredibly unregulated financial markets in the US, financial institutions were able to act in an incredibly cavalier fashion, essentially lying to existing regulation authorities (including the international markets) in order to appear more profitable than they actually were.

In short:

• Banks lent incredibly irresponsibly to people whom the banks knew were not in a position to pay back such house mortgages.
• The bank leaders and managers did so in order to sell more banking products.
• The reason they needed to sell products, was in order to make greater profits.
• The driving force is the greed of the few.

Bank leaders and managers lying in order to satiate greed. So it grieves me no end, to call something that has to do with the powerful few abusing their position for the sake of their own personal greed, something benign like the Global Financial Crisis. Why don't we call it what it is? Global Abuse of Power? Global Corruption Crisis? Financial Institutional Greed Crisis?

The second issue that went through to the keeper is the one of international trade. For decades, the World Bank/International Monetary Fund has been telling the governments of developing countries that if they want loans and investment, then they cannot prop up failing businesses. If a business or corporation fails in their country, they just need to let the market do it's work, which effectivley means, indigenous corporations fail and international (read corporations from places like the USA, UK, Australia and the like) move in and take up the market share.

Failing businesses and corporations in developing nations means incredible pain for workers in parts of the world that do not have the kinds of safety nets that places like the USA, the UK and Australia do.

So, the "GFC" hits, US car manufacturing companies begin to fall over and what happens, they go to their government and ask to be bailed out with tax payer funds. The American senate responds with packages.

So the USA effectivley declares to the world that there are two sets of rules, one for developing nations (who have no negotiating power and have to accept the raw deal given them) and one for developing nations (who have the power to do whatever they want).

The net result of all of the above, is that the communities and the individuals who are most vulnerable, are those in developing countries, and specifically, those from poor communities.

I have been struggling, particularly during this time of Lent, to know how I as an individual follower of Jesus, can somehow respond to this incredibly overwhelming set of unjust systems that wreak havoc on poor communities. As I have contemplated a response, one thought was to share it with others. And so I have.

Grace.

Labels: Culture, Discipleship, Faith, Justice, Theology, Trade

  Posted by Stephen @ 9:46 PM   0 comments

::Rants-In Frogs we Trust I was listening to the Australian senate last night as I drove home from an evening appointment and hear Kerry Rea, federal member for the seat of Bonner in Queensland talking about Red Frogs Crew with great respect and admiration in her adjournment speech.

Labels: Culture, Missiology, Red Frogs

  Posted by Stephen @ 3:43 PM   0 comments

::Rants-Bunjilaka Spent this morning with my class at Bunjilaka at the Melbourne Museum. I teach a class on spiritual formation and I thought it would be pretty important to help the students come to terms with Australia's recent history and treatment of the indigenous peoples, and consequently, what this means for us as followers of the Prince of Peace and Reconcilliation, Jesus.

Labels: Culture, Discipleship, Indigenous Australians, Personal

  Posted by Stephen @ 1:25 PM   0 comments

::Rants-Observation I tend to get quite passionate about a few things. My kids for one. My relationship with Lisa. I take it very seriously, especially now that 13 marriages of people close to me have come to an end over the last 10 years. My work with Tear and Tabor are also things I take seriously, and of course my football (go Victory!).

I have had criticism in the past, about being over the top, emotional, too "full on" and the like. It bugs me. Our culture is one where you are not allowed to take anything seriously. If you get passionate about something, you are immediately categorised as an extremist of some description.

However, there are some things that you are allowed to be passionate about, and it is cool to do so. The issue is to know what it is socially acceptable to be "passionate" about, and to make sure you don't take it too far.

So the other day, I am making my way through the new temple of "i" (Westfield Doncaster) and see the consequences of their new marketing campaign. This and other images with the slogan "A fashion for passion" appear all over the place.


My brain locked up as I transcended each subsequent level of irony.

1. You are allowed to be passionate about fashion.
2. You can be passionate about something that is superficial, fickle and fleeting.
3. Your passion is indicated by the amount of money you spend on fashion.
4. And most importantly, DON'T LOOK LIKE YOU ARE PASSIONATE. Let the clothes speak for you. As a matter of fact, don't give any indication of emotion at all, otherwise you blow your carefully constructed cool passion.

On a serious note, I felt sadness. It is essentially anxiety, not passion. In the great consumer competition, where people vie to create the best identities, expend emotional energy to belong and achieve the elusive happiness the Shopping Centre promises. People are manipulated into thinking the feelings they have are actually passion, as opposed to the very necessary anxiety that is evoked in order to stampede the cattle towards the purchase.

But not a passion for the inanimate. Idolatry makes us less human, as we value inanimate objects over living things. True workship is to value the animate over the inanimate. In this kind of radical worship, passion is necessary. It awakenes us from the dull lifelessless that is a life that revolves around "me". True worship will bring us to life. In order to become more human, and more alive, passion is necessary.

Labels: Consumerism, Culture, Discipleship, Economics, Gen Y, Missiology

  Posted by Stephen @ 12:56 PM   3 comments

::Notes from Baptist Union SA Myspace Camp For those of you who were gunning for the notes from the Baptist Union South Australia Easter Camp, here they are! Enjoy!

(Note: You have to click on the white box above to advance the presentation one page at a time.)

Labels: Adelaide, Culture, Gen Y, South Australia, Tear

  Posted by Stephen @ 8:50 AM   3 comments

::Theology-Christians Wrong about Heaven... Always witty N.T. Wright gives an insightful interview on Time magazine's web site. Thanks to Tim for the spot.

Labels: Church, Culture, Theology

  Posted by Stephen @ 12:44 PM   0 comments

::Theology-Some kind of conclusion... Rowan Lewis, the Coordinator of Year in the Son (which is one of the teaching gigs I have), is always encouraging me not just to challenge students with the state of the world, but to also give them a vision of what could be. He loves my work, but is a great foil for my mind and heart, as he challenges me to inspire people with a vision of an alternative.

A few months ago, I posted my version of the Sheep and the Goats that I used in this particular class. It was my attempt at engaging Gen Y with the call to radical discipleship. After some careful thought, I rewrote the second half for the class in response to Rowan's encouragements. This is the first time I have presented it in a public forum. I would appreciate your thoughts.

Jesus turned to the ones on his left and he will say:
"Depart from me you who are accursed. For I was hungry, but you didn't give me anything to eat. So we grew our own food, but we had to sell it into the international trading system, using the money to pay off our debts to your country. We had little left to eat.

"For I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink. So we found a water table and drilled a well. But Coca Cola Amatil came to our city and outbid us for access to our own water. They use it to make your Coca Cola. They outbid us with the profits they made from selling you their product.

"I was imprisoned in my own country, so I fled in desperation with nothing except the money that I was able to get in exchange for everything I ever owned. I managed to get to your country, even though the people smugglers told me I was going to England! When I got to your country, you put me into another prison. But you call yours a detention centre?

"I was naked, and you did not clothe me. So we had to find work in order to buy our own clothes. I found work, in a factory. I worked every day from 7am till 9pm with very few breaks, 7 days a week. It was hard work. I rarely got to see my family, life was very hard. This kind of life made me very sad. The factory I worked in made clothes that were sold to you.

"I was sick. I agonized as many of my family, friends and especially the children in my community died from things like diarrhoea and simple infections. I was afraid I too would die in this horrible way. Day after day, month after month, year after year. This happened whilst every now and then, you would give thanks to your God for your health.

"I was homeless and I read in one of your Christian books that if I applied myself and worked hard enough, I could have whatever I could conjure up enough faith for. I have been praying and believing for a home for my family. I cannot wait for God to answer that prayer.

"I was lonely, hoping for someone to visit. Often I saw your aeroplanes flying overhead. I suspect that you were probably on your way to London, or Paris to see things that were very important and special.

"You seemed so blessed with so many things. You must be very holy for God to bless you with so many good things. I am still very hungry and lonely and cold.

Then he will turn to the ones on his right, and he will say:
"Come you who are blessed by my father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world.

"For I was hungry, and you decided to prioritise environmental sustainability and the just nature of trade regarding the food you eat. When you made your food producers and manufacturers accountable to the way they treat me and the planet on which I try to grow my own food, you slowly but surely made a difference in my life and the life of my family.

"When I was thirsty, you heard my cry and sacrificially gathered some of God's wealth and resources and gave them to me so that I could build a well in my community. Your simple sacrifice and concern for me and my family made a huge difference in the life and health of our community.

"I was naked and you were outraged. You demanded that the corporations from whom you purchased your own clothing treated me with justice. I was able to form a trade union and campaign for good working conditions. I was able to work and to rest and recreate because of your concern and action. You now have to pay a little bit more for your own clothing, but that does not concern you for now people are more important to you than money.

"I was sick with preventable diseases, and this filled you with remorse. You decided that you would give some of your monthly income regularly to programs that helped to improve the quality of my life, and that of my family and friends. In your monthly budget, you made sure that you remembered me always, for the remainder of your life.

"I was homeless, and you knew that this was wrong. You opened your home to me, sharing a room, meals, tears, time, frustrations, patience and love with me. It was uncomfortable for you; however you gave much and learned much about yourself, about God, and about our common humanity.

"I was lonely. But so were you, trapped in a world where you needed to be constantly entertained and stimulated. As you broke free from your materialistic prison, we found each other. We talked, and listened to one another, we spent time getting to know each other, and ourselves. In your act of reaching out, you became more human than you realised possible.

And the ones on his right said to the King:
"Lord, when did we see you hungry, thirsty, naked, sick or lonely and in prison?

And the King answered:
"Whatsoever you did to the least of these, you did it to me."

Labels: Culture, Gen Y, Lifestyle, Missiology, Rants, Social Justice, Spirituality, Theology

  Posted by Stephen @ 10:55 AM   10 comments

::Humor-You know you're a wog when...

1. Your grandmother's furniture is covered in plastic even though it's older than you.
2. You always have a friend who 'owes you a favour'.
3. You HAVE to use your hands when you talk.
4. If you are not understood, you would rather speak louder than rephrase.
5. You pronounce "comfortable" con-fort-a-bull - (like convertible)
6. It is always a fashion show .
7. You always dress to impress – even for a quick run to the supermarket.
8. You wear more cologne than deodorant.
9. You are a die hard football fanatic.
10. You don’t understand why anyone would call football “soccer”
11. You put Olive Oil in and on EVERYTHING and brag about how healthy it is.
12. You think nobody eats as well as you do.
13. You cook a meal that lasts 3 days.
14. You can't have a meal without bread/rice/pasta.
15. You have fruit trees in your backyard and when they are in season you live on them.
16. If you have guests, you will serve them food.
17. You tend to cross the street, anywhere you please, whether the light is green or not.
18. You are most likely considered the 'exotic one' amongst your friends.
19. You fight over who's going to pay the bill - but in reality you hate to pay.
20. You smoke as if there is no tomorrow & think it is sexy to do so while dancing.
21. If you are a girl- you give the look of death to any girl that looks better than you.
22. It is normal to see two guys kiss each other on the cheek .
23. You are boastful about your great English, except when it comes to using it to communicate with a foreigner.
24. You teach foreigners to swear in your language.
25. Your mechanic, plumber, electrician, accountant and travel agent are all blood relatives.
26. If you are a traditional male, women can be a bit plumper than average...all the better.
27. Your relatives alone can populate a small city.
28. Your family is over at your house all the time.
29. There is no such thing as quiet time.
30. You are older than one of your uncles or aunts.
31. You gossip about your own family...with your own family.
32. At least 5 of your cousins live on your street.
33. All 5 of those cousins are named after your grandfather or great grandfather.
34. Getting married is the only way to escape your parents.
35. When you go on a date you start thinking of lousy places where nobody would go so you don’t bump into family or friends.
36. You end up in a lousy place and still bump into the relative/friend with the biggest mouth.
37. You measure things in meters, grams, and litres.
38. You are not a farmer, but chances are high that some of your ancestors were.
39. Being away from the beach kills you.
40. The image of your country is extremely important.
41. You brag about how your country is the cradle of all great civilizations.
42. ALL of your guests will eat and drink something, willfully or not.
43. You do not just feel the heat in your thermometer - it doesn't take a survey to prove you're the most hot-blooded.
44. Since you are the most hot-blooded, you are also the most hot-tempered...
45. You view all fast food chains that claim to cook "foreign food" as SACRILEGE!!
46. When you come back to your country, your tribe invades the airport to greet you.
47. When you get married, the whole village/town/city end up at your wedding.
48. Your crazy elders are never sent to the asylum but stay with you at home.
49. A five seat car can indeed seat 13.
50. pfff ... Driving lanes those are for tourists!
51. You probably have more hair per square centimeter than anyone else in the world....unibrows anyone??
52. EVERYTHING is a matter of pride.
53. YOU ARE ALWAYS RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!

Labels: Culture, Humour

  Posted by Stephen @ 4:46 PM   1 comments

::Politics-Major Parties Research I have been asked a number of times for some good summaries of the major political parties leading up to our election.

I tend to be a little nervous of the tables that list items with ticks and crosses next to them as the debate is a little more complex than that.

Having said that, does anyone know where you can get a good summary of the perspectives of the different parties?

Labels: Culture, Election 07, Politics, Theology

  Posted by Stephen @ 10:40 AM   3 comments

::Politics-Nasty and scared John Howard John called the election.

Let me explain to you why I think he is a cunning politician.

He left the call so late so that those who have turned 18 this or last year have to enroll by this Wednesday! And of course all the pollsters are telling us that the younger voters will most likely not vote for John.


Can you let everyone you know who is young, to register to vote by downloading a form here http://www.aec.gov.au/Enrolling_to_vote/ or by calling the electoral commission.

Good one John!

Labels: Culture, Politics

  Posted by Stephen @ 9:59 PM   2 comments

::Politics-Catch the Fire Ministries, a response

This is a response that I sent to a mailing list that I am on. The response was to an email forwarded to the list from Pastor Danny Nillah, from Catch the Fire Ministries. Some people found it helpful so I thought I would cross post it here.

I think the first thing that I would like to put into the public arena regarding this email is the history of Catch the Fire Ministries and their leader, Danny Nilliah.

For those of you unfamiliar with the case, he and his organization were at the centre of a protracted legal battle regarding defamation under the vilification laws that this circular email makes reference to.

At the heart of the case were some significantly misinformed opinions that were widely circulated amongst the broader Christian (and secular) community by Danny and his organisation, regarding Islam.

In the current political climate (post 9/11) any public dialog regarding Islam is difficult, to say the least. I found that the misinformed comments made by Danny were (in my opinion) unhelpful at best, and at their worst, hateful, fearful and contributing nothing to a spirit of dialog, reconciliation and healing of the rifts that have occurred certainly over the last 6 odd years since 9/11, rather they exacerbated what certainly in Melbourne is already an awkward and tense relationship between Muslim communities and the broader mainstream culture.

The Australian legal system (which John Howard's government have presided over for the last 11 odd years) found that this was in fact the case and Danny and his colleague were found guilty of inciting hatred and were forced to publicly retract their statements.

This made some small contribution towards easing the incredible feelings of victimization and isolation felt by many within the Muslim community in our nation, some of whom we have a little to do with.

Secondly, continuing to express my personal opinion here, I have felt deeply grieved that the government of our nation, since 9/11, rather than espousing a spirit of courage and peacemaking, seemed to have pursued deliberate actions that heighten the average Australian's feelings of fear and insecurity created by the broader socio political climate.

Beginning with the Tampa incident (where the sovereign government of this nation, rather than stepping in and taking up the plight of the orphan, the widow and the stranger/refugee in keeping with the strong and systematic teachings of the old and new testaments) chose to use the special armed forces to "protect" Australians. The incident was framed in terms of "the other" being a "threat to national security"...

Almost every objective observation of this event acknowledges that the handling of this event, just prior to an election was a deliberate political device to exploit the prejudices of an almost evenly split electorate.

Tampa was followed by 9/11 and then the Children Overboard affair.

Once again, the Howard government exploited fear and prejudice, at a time when the people of Australia were most vulnerable (the Children Overboard incident followed 9/11 by about a month). The Howard Government intentionally lied to the people of Australia, exploiting once again the orphan, widow and stranger/refugee:

"A Senate select committee inquiry later found that the "Children Overboard" claim was untrue and that the government knew this prior to the election. The government attracted criticism that it had misled the public and cynically "exploited voters' fears of a wave of illegal immigrants by demonising asylum-seekers"."

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children_overboard_affair)

These incidents have been followed by a series of other deliberate intents to mislead the Australian electorate, including but not limited to:

• Reducing Medicare when promising not to. Most vulnerable are the poor, single mums and the like.
• Promising to reduce education costs, with a particular promise that there will never be a $100,000 university degree. Today there is over16 university degree's costing over $100,000. The most vulnerable are middle to lower income Australian families.
• Introducing a GST after promising not to do so in 1995. Again, the most vulnerable are the middle to lower income families.
• A promise to do away with Aged Care and Pension clawbacks. This promise was broken. The most vulnerable? The aged and the chronically ill.
• Labour reform. The promise was that Work Choices would continue to protect the rights of workers. There is a personal story attached to this one with a member of our community being severely exploited and unable to protect himself because he was threatened with termination of employment. Only our commitment to support him financially until he was able to find alternative employment if he was sacked, gave him the courage to challenge his employer who indeed sacked him. In the process, the young man in question discovered that the employer was using illegal immigrants and paying them well below award conditions.
• The young man struggled to know whether to report the incident as a couple of illegal immigrants would have lost jobs and have been deported with the added insult of probably having to spend time in detention centres whilst the issues were being managed by our judicial system.This is one of many cases with over 100,000 cases still before the new Workplace Authority.
• Weapons of Mass Destruction. Hmmm, I'll leave that one...
• Promising that we did not commit to military action in Iraq before the decision was debated in Parliament. This was found out not to be true.
• Tax payer funded political advertising. Google it, it would be much shorter than if I tried to outline it.
• A few others but I think you are getting the point... Danny defends the Christian credentials of John Howard, who has been shown on numerous occasions to have lied to the public for political advantage, and in some of his lies, demonising and discrediting vulnerable groups.

The political climate in Australia after 11 years of conservative rule have made this place a meaner and scarier place to live. The average Australian now feels less safe, and has a greater sense of prejudice directed towards other non Anglo Saxon people, particularly of Middle Eastern descent. This comes to you from me, a second generation Australian, with the most common middle eastern surname in the world (Said), who is often called aside at Australian airports because I fit a particular profile. Middle aged, traveling alone regularly to Asia and the Middle East (I work for a Christian Aid and Development organisation), slightly tanned skin.

I remember being yelled at in the streets of Melbourne, days after the Cronulla riots, being told to f*** off and go home. Even though I was born here and my parents come from Malta, a Catholic nation and a member of the British Commonwealth until 1965.

The cynical part of me believes that John Howard and his government have taken advantage of the broader socio political context, and since the Tampa incident, have made Australia a far less friendly, meaner, much more paranoid, greedier and less hospitable place to live.

In over a decade of unprecedented economic growth, communities have come under much more strain due to the economic liberalization process that benefits the rich, exploits the poor, forces families to devote more of their time to longer working hours (I believe at this point, we are something like second only to Japan in terms of unpaid overtime) whilst working class and poorer/vulnerable communities suffer greater hardship. The present government seems to continue to appeal to the baser instincts that lurk beneath the surface of our civilised veneer.

If our political engagement proceeds from a platform of fear, a fear driven politic will focus on creating artificial barriers that give us an illusion of control and will ultimately lead to attempts to legislate righteousness. This is the way of the Pharisee. Those who do not fit our moral code are excluded and when our politics are examined, we find that they are devoid of compassion, mercy, grace and justice for all (as opposed to justice for just us).

The homosexual is particularly singled out and demonised, as are the perpetrators of abortion. Our politics become private. Our morals are limited what one can and cannot do with your penis and/or vagina. It is ultimately a narrow, and dehumanising.

The politics of Jesus, in the grand tradition of the Old Testament Prophet, are concerned with not how laws effect me, but how they effect the least and the last. God constantly reminds the people of God in the OT that the reason that they have to care for the orphan, widow and stranger(refugee) is because they were an orphan (in Egypt with no "father" to protect them), a widow (as an idolatrous nation, stripped of their Husband to defend and without protect them from the violence committed against them as judgment for their paganism) and a refugee (wandering in the wilderness as a stateless people prior to inheriting the land).

And on the issue of their judgment as pagans, the paganism that God accuses them of is prostituting their vocation which is to show the world what Yahweh is like. When they use slave labour to build the temple, when they use the wealth that God has blessed them with to create a system of justice that exploits the most vulnerable among them, they are no different to the pagan nations around them. They do not honour God, because they forget that when you treat the least of these as slaves and economic units in a system designed to make the rich richer and happier and the poor continue to lose their dignity as image bearers, not only do they *not* honour God, they dishonour him in the most brutal of ways (inanimate things are of more value than animate things).

On the question of Islam, I find that Danny conducts his affairs in the same vein as conservative politics in Australia. He creates an Islamic "straw man". The church of all institutions on earth should know that radical Islamic terrorism is to Islam, what the Ku Klux Klan is to Christianity. We have far more in common with our human brethren who follow the way of Islam than we actually do with the secular materialistic Aussie. Yet Danny chooses to paint them as tools of Satan who will rape, pillage and destroy in the name of Allah.

I cannot reconcile a person who espouses hatred and fear for another grouping based on religious conviction as being consistent with the missionary God who commands us to go to all the peoples of the earth making disciples where we find them. Time (and energy) does not permit me to outline the incredible opportunity for dialog and learning we can engage in with the Muslim community in Australia.

I cannot subscribe to Danny's political point of view. His politics are private, seeking to create divisions that funnily enough, put him on the right side of God and those who do not agree on the wrong side of God. He points out some ritual behavior of the Australian government and claims that this makes them candidates for God's favour and dismisses the alternatives because they do not engage in the same ritualistic behavior (prayer in parliament etc). Yet he completely fails to outline the significant lies told by the present government for political advantage, and their failure to take responsibility and to apologise to the Australian people for.

I find that his perspective will only lead to a Pharisaical hatred that does not honor our God or his kingdom, one characterised by grace (God's undeserved favor towards all), mercy, justice, righteousness, truth ad infinitum.

I would not want you to construe this response as endorsement of the ALP either. Someone asked me the other day, "who will you vote for"?

My response was that I would vote for the party that would give me an undertaking that as a society would do our best to protect and include the least and the last in our communities, economically, socially, politically.

Politics should not be about fearfully looking for the system that will protect us and our aspirations. It is about setting the political agenda, and letting governments know (no matter who they are) that our God, the King of Kings has set them in place and then need to rule with justice, mercy and compassion, caring for those who cannot look after themselves. They must represent the needs of the many, not the desires and selfish ambitions of the few.

I would urge you my brothers and sister, humbly in the Lord, that you would carefully consider, not just Danny's email, but any email coming to you asking them to considering it before voting. We have a grave responsibility as spiritual leaders. I want to urge you to get your communities thinking about Jesus and his Kingdom, and the ways in which our politics might better achieve this end.

More than happy to continue the dialog regarding this *short* reply.

(Those who know me will know that this *is* short!) ;)

Labels: Culture, Politics, Rants, Spirituality, Theology

  Posted by Stephen @ 10:36 PM   7 comments

::Rants-For those who love mine... For those who have seen mine, have asked me where to get one, have commented on how much they like it, well, you can get your own! And even one for your baby!

Labels: Culture, Humour

  Posted by Stephen @ 10:28 PM   0 comments

::Rants-An 80's Education I am trying to introduce my Gen Y house mate into the richness that was 80's movies. Below is a compilation of movies that we are including in our "80's Movie Festival" to give him a snapshot of 80's pop culture. Yes there is a bias towards sci fi, but that is me.

With that in mind, I wonder what your thoughts are? Will he be getting a quintessential snapshot of the 80's? What would you lose/include?

fyi - We used www.boxofficemojo.com ad lookes at the top 50 from each year and tried to narrow it down to 3, 4 at a pinch. Let me know what you reckon. We start with Close Encounters this week!

1980:

• Close Encounters of the Third Kind
• Empire Strikes Back
• Fame

1981:

• Escape from New York
• American Werewolf in London
• Raiders of the Lost Ark

1982:

• Blade Runner
• First Blood
• Gandhi

1983:

• Scarface
• The Outsiders
• Wargames

1984:

• 16 Candles
• The Last Starfighter
• Karate Kid

1985:

• The Breakfast Club
• The Goonies
• Back to the Future

1986:

• Pretty in Pink
• Ferris Beuller's Day Off
• Aliens
• Top Gun

1987:

• The Lost Boys
• Wall Street
• Predator
• Good Morning Vietnam

1988:

• Mississippi Burning
• Cocktail
• Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

1989:

• A Weekend at Bernie's
• Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
• Field of Dreams
• Dead Poets Society
  

Labels: 80's, Culture, Discipleship

  Posted by Stephen @ 12:28 PM   9 comments

::Rants-A good opportunity? Got this three times via email today. Anyone interested?

ABC Radio National's Encounter is a feature documentary series exploring intersections of religion, ethics, politics and culture.

They are looking for new freelancers - younger people who are interested in radio as a form (and in learning how to use it), who have good background in theology and religious culture, and who have burning ideas about programs they would like to make.

If you would like to find out more, please email Margaret

Coffey at coffey.margaret@abc.net.au.

Labels: Culture, Media, Philosophy, Theology

  Posted by Stephen @ 1:23 PM   0 comments

::Rants-Bible Rewrite The Sheep and the Goats doesn't get a whole lot of airplay. Maybe a bit more now but very little when I first came to faith. A significant contributor to my formation was a rewrite of the Sheep and the Goats that looked something like this:

I was hungry and you formed a humanities club and discussed my hunger, thankyou.

I was imprisoned and you crept off quietly to your chapel in the cellar and prayed for my release.

I was naked and in your mind you debated the morality of my appearance.

I was sick and you knelt and thanked God for your health.

I was homeless and you preached to me of a spiritual shelter of the love of God.

I was lonely and you left me alone to pray for me.

You seemed so holy, so close to God, but I am still very hungry and lonely and cold.

It impacted me to such a degree that I thought that I had to do something to give it the same gravity to the young adults that I spend time with, that the original had upon me. Here is my humble version...

For I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink. So we found a water table and drilled a well. But Coca Cola Amatil came to our city and outbid us for access to our own water. They use it to make your Coca Cola. They outbid us with the profits they made from selling you their product.

I was imprisoned in my own country, so I fled in desperation with nothing except the money that I was able to get in exchange for everything I ever owned. I managed to get to your country, even though the people smugglers told me I was going to England! When I got to your country, you put me into another prison. Except you call yours a detention centre?

I was naked, and you did not clothe me. So we had to find work in order to buy our own clothes. I found work, in a factory. I worked every day from 7am till 9pm with very few breaks, 7 days a week. It was hard work. I rarely got to see my family, life was very hard. This kind of life made me very sad. The factory I worked in made clothes that were sold to you.

I was sick. I agonized as many of my family, friends and especially the children in my community die from things like diarrhoea and simple infections. I was afraid I would die in this horrible way too. Day after day, month after month, year after year. This happened whilst every now and then, you would give thanks to your God for your health.

I was homeless and I read in one of your Christian books that if I applied myself and worked hard enough, I could have whatever I could conjure up enough faith for. I have been praying and believing for a home for my family. I cannot wait for God to answer that prayer.

I was lonely, hoping for someone to visit. Often I saw your aeroplanes flying overhead. I suspect that you were probably on your way to London, or Paris to see things that were very important and special.

You seemed so blessed with so many things. You must be very holy for God to bless you with so many good things. I am still very hungry and lonely and cold.

I would be interested in your thoughts...

Labels: Culture, Discipleship, Lifestyle, Rants, Social Justice, Spirituality, Theology

  Posted by Stephen @ 4:35 PM   16 comments

::Rants-FINISHED! Sorry it has taken SOOOOOOOOO long but those of you who have been patiently been waiting for me to figure out how to convert Powerpoint files to Flash, here it is!

The Spirituality of Gen Y Presentation

This is a shrunken down version (file size wise) of a presentation I made to a gathering of Victorian church leaders a few months ago regarding the Spirituality of Gen Y in response to the report recently tabled and presented.

Enjoy!

Labels: Church, Culture, Gen Y, Missiology, Rants, Spirituality

  Posted by Stephen @ 11:29 AM   0 comments

::Rants-Social Justice is the new Emergent Social Justice is the new black. Apparently.

Seems as though (in the Australian context anyway) that "cool" for Christians is involvement in social justice. Emergent has worn off a while ago it would seem.

The problem I find with interest in social justice is (as I have blogged before) it's consumed just as quickly as any fad. "Social Justice" becomes another t shirt, wrist band or some other consumer product that gives someone a feeling of involvement.

In the same way that social commentators refer to Gen Y's experience of community as "pseudo community", so too the social action engaged in is "pseudo social justice".

The issue, once again becomes the ability to hold the information or an idea in our head whilst living out contradictory actions, and at some level considering this to be belief.

One of the biggest issues I find is the long term nature of living a life in response to the injustice that grips so many levels of our world. It requires continuous action, every hour of every day. Our purchases, our interactions with people, our interactions in the systems which we inhabit, it is never ending.

In this context, I find Paul's encouragement to "not become weary in doing good" (Gal 6:9). There is recognition that the task of remaking the world is a long term one, requiring several million small acts each week, that may at certain points, really annoy you because you sometimes will feel like giving up and buying into the prevailing culture.

Labels: Culture, Discipleship, Mission, Rants, Social Justice, Spirituality

  Posted by Stephen @ 10:34 AM   7 comments

::Chuch-Why we make it hard for people to come... I have had quite a few discussions (dare I say arguments?) with people recently regarding the way we go about doing missio Dei. I was having an email conversation with someone about this (don't worry, it was quite civil) and I wrote this to respond to some of their questions. I thought it would make a good blog entry...

We use some strange terminology, like initiation, I know. One of the main reasons we do this is because a few of us do a bit of public speaking and preaching outside of our community. Consequently it is easy to attract Christian people who want to check things out. If we are not careful, it would be pretty easy to get a crowd of Christians who want to come and consume what we are trying to do. Before we know it, we will be running services for Christians coming from other churches. After a while, they will probably move on, and then we find ourselves with something that we shaped for Christians moving through.

We wanted to put priority on engaging with unchurched people in our local communities. We hope that Christians who want to connect with us, realise that the gathering is not a place of excitement and entertainment, rather it is a place of intentional formation that is contrary to the culture in which we find ourselves.

Over the years, inspired by the old monasticism, we are trying to develop what is being described globally as new monasticism. A set of simple practices that help us to continue to be oriented towards the least, the lost and the last. These practices hopefully not only challenge and change our behavior, but also our beliefs and understanding.

We have had uninitiated people come into community gatherings in the past, and the conversation moves very quickly to "what I need" or "what I am looking for in a church". So we find that right from the outset, we have discussions about better sermons, more teaching, better worship etc.

We decided early on that this is not what we were called to do. So initiation is about trying to orient people to a missional life style before they begin to participate in the gatherings. Once people get oriented, and start to experience their world in terms of being called by God to create something of his Kingdom here on this earth, well, let's just say that when they participate in a gathering *after* initiation, the conversations are very different.

Labels: Church, Culture, Discipleship, Lifestyle, Mission, Spirituality

  Posted by Stephen @ 2:14 PM   0 comments

::Rants-NepalDEEP This will be a cracker! I was a part of designing the Tear Short Term program and this trip to Nepal is part of the overall program. I can guarantee that involvement in NepalDEEP will be hazardous to your faith!

Wish I was leading it!

Keep an eye on this link for more details as they become available...

Labels: Culture, Discipleship, Lifestyle, Rants, Tear

  Posted by Stephen @ 4:24 PM   1 comments

::Theology-Slow of the mark
In typical Stephen Said fashion, I have finally got my hands on a fantastic book that I have heard lots about and have heard references to, months after it was popular and released. The book is Colossians Remixed, and is a ripper of a "commentary" that puts the book back into historical context but also contemporary context, as all good commentaries should do. I will keep you posted with musings over the next few months!

Labels: Culture, Rants, Theology

  Posted by Stephen @ 7:48 AM   0 comments

::Culture-Grrrl Power On ABC Newsradio today, I heard a report that women make up 41% of the gaming population. Women are attracted to games that revolve around simulations (The Sims) and world building type games. They make up a significantly smaller percentage of the revenue stream due to the fact that they tend to play one game for longer periods of time whereas guys will buy a game, play it for a short period of time then move onto the next.

Interesting initial observations:

• Women joining the ranks of the virtual world, living their lives through digital persona's using such games as The Sims and Secondlife.
• Women like to control their context, having detailed control over the environment they inhabit (does this have anything to do with what appears to be a genetic compulsion to want to dress their their men up a certain way? ;)
• Women tend to games that involve nurturing and creating rather than the more goal oriented, destructive nature of games generally associated with male players.

What effects will this have on emerging young women?

Labels: Culture, Rants, Technology

  Posted by Stephen @ 5:36 PM   3 comments