Link Highlights | August 2019
Sunday, 15 September 2019
| Ethos editor
Link highlights – August 2019
Below is a selection of links to online news and opinion pieces from August 2019. To keep up-to-date with our posts, ‘like’ us on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter.
The articles below are selected by the editor, Armen Gakavian, at his discretion. Neither the editor nor Ethos necessarily endorse the views expressed in these articles.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Two years after The Statement from the Heart, James Carleton and guests Ray Minniecon, Jacinta Tobin and Sarah Maddison discuss where we’re at on this journey, where we’re headed and how far we have left to go.
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/godforbid/what-would-a-treaty-mean-for-indigenous-people/11413574
Anthony Dillon writes: We need to change the language from improving 'attendance' to improving 'engagement' — to reflect that schools need to be places of learning for Indigenous children, not just minding centres, and that learning comes with engagement.
https://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article/keys-to-closing-the-education-gap
Abortion
Legislation to decriminalise abortion passed the New South Wales Parliament’s lower house last night after a debate in which MPs voted against a move preventing gender-selective terminations.
http://cathnews.com/cathnews/35733-abortion-bill-passes-lower-house
Akos Balogh writes: Is the Fetus a human person? Are unborn babies human beings? If we ask this question first before discussing any other issue about abortion, then we’ll be able to make sense of this painful issue.
http://akosbalogh.com/2019/08/08/could-this-one-question-end-the-abortion-debate/
The Wilberforce Foundation writes: The adoption of an abortion on demand framework up to 22 weeks raises many complex moral and medical issues. And the lack of genuine community consultation, and the rush to debate the bill without it, is far less than any civilized society deserves.
https://lawandreligionaustralia.blog/2019/08/08/lawyers-commenting-on-nsw-abortion-law-changes/
Jacqueline Maley writes: The objections to the abortion bill were lifted straight from the playbook of the US pro-life lobby. This branch of conservatism frequently links faith with morality, is reactionary rather than conservative and is obsessed with the sex lives of others.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/one-american-import-we-could-do-without-hard-right-religious-conservatism-20190809-p52fls.html
Kayley Payne writes: As abortion debates heat up again, more churches are waking up to the need to respond with a more personal approach for women facing crisis pregnancies.
https://www.eternitynews.com.au/in-depth/rally-around-a-pregnancy-support-centre-not-abortion-clinic/
Kayley Payne writes: Bishop Peter Stuart of Newcastle has “some reservations” about the bill as it currently stands, but those reservations do not warrant opposing the bill overall.
https://www.eternitynews.com.au/australia/bishop-affirms-the-sanctity-of-life-but-says-nsw-abortion-bill-should-pass/
Laurel Moffatt writes: Both sides of the abortion debate offer something of great importance to this issue, but we will miss it if we aren’t listening. We need laws that can think imaginatively, creatively, humanely about the complex issues of our life together, including the complex issue of abortion.
https://www.spectator.com.au/2019/08/we-need-more-expressions-of-care-for-one-another-the-draft-nsw-abortion-laws-dont-fit-the-bill/
Margaret Mayman writes: In the debate about the NSW abortion law reform we should trust women to make good decisions about whether or not to continue a pregnancy.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/aug/12/as-a-uniting-church-minister-i-think-abortion-can-be-a-morally-good-choice
Erica Millar writes: There’s no evidence gestational limits result in fewer second and third trimester abortions. But there is evidence that such cut-offs harm women, especially those who are already disadvantaged.
https://theconversation.com/heres-why-there-should-be-no-gestational-limits-for-abortion-121500
Brad Norington writes: Religious leaders in NSW have condemned legislation seeking to decriminalise abortion in NSW, saying it offers no safeguards against late-term terminations or gender selection.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/abortion-on-demand-unites-faiths-in-opposition/news-story/31bda54198b9500d98dd8c561ed42807
Debbie Garratt writes: Many abortion advocates are strenuously denying that sex-selection abortion occurs in Australia, yet there is both anecdotal and research evidence that it does.
https://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=20456
Jeremy Sammut writes: The biggest obstacle facing the campaign for Indigenous Constitutional Recognition remains the lack of detail concerning role and operation of the proposed Voice to Parliament.
https://www.cis.org.au/commentary/articles/politics-of-the-voice/
There was almost a celebratory tone at tonight’s ‘Stand for life’ protest in Sydney’s Martin Place, with protesters buoyed by what they called a show of unity amongst Christians against abortion.
https://www.eternitynews.com.au/australia/thousands-gather-in-sydney-in-last-ditch-effort-to-stop-abortion-bill
Gareth Wearne writes: The Bible presents a spectrum of attitudes which exist in balanced tension. Those who feel the Bible has something to contribute to social and moral debates must first acknowledge its complexity and limitations.
https://www.abc.net.au/religion/where-is-the-bible-in-the-nsw-abortion-debate/11441628
Laurel Moffatt writes: The arguments of abortion advocates often expect far too little of women, of their minds, their bodies; they claim to give women rights without responsibility and choice without consequence.
https://www.abc.net.au/religion/abortion-truth-and-indifference/11453630
Ageing
Julian Hughes writes: People living with dementia can and do exercise both social citizenship and the social virtue of authenticity.
https://www.abc.net.au/religion/julian-hughes-dementia-authenticity-and-citizenship/11452556
Art and Culture
Michael Frost writes: A more satisfying and successful approach to depicting Jesus is to avoid a sword-and-sandal epic about Jesus himself and opt for a stand-in, a redemptive Christ figure who doesn’t crumble under the expectations of Christian viewers.
https://mikefrost.net/stealth-messiahs-christ-figures-in-film/
Artificial Intelligence
Robots are increasingly being used with children on the autism spectrum. So what are the ethical and moral implications of using robots to teach children social life skills? Compass explores the complex relationship between people with autism and robots.
https://www.abc.net.au/religion/watch/compass/my-best-friend-is-a-robot/11378228
Asylum seekers, refugees and migration
Richard Kearney writes: When faced with the stranger, do we open or close the door? Do we reach for a weapon or extend an open hand? This is one of the inaugural dramas of human ethics.
https://www.abc.net.au/religion/to-welcome-or-refuse-the-stranger/11385666
Body and Body Image
Kylie Beach writes: Anna McGahan is an Australian actress, best known for her work in Underbelly, Picnic at Hanging Rock and 100 Bloody Acres. She’s also the author of a newly released book, Metanoia. She recently spoke to Eternity about wrestling her journey onto the pages of her book.
https://www.eternitynews.com.au/in-depth/anna-mcgahan-i-follow-my-bodys-journey/
Child sexual abuse
Benjamin Preiss and Debbie Cuthbertson write: The Catholic Church is set to defy new laws that would punish priests with jail time if they refuse to report sexual abuse revealed during confession.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/church-digs-in-as-victoria-forces-disclosure-of-abuse-revealed-in-confession-20190813-p52gqd.html
Barney Zwartz comments on the dismissal of George Pell's appeal, and what it means for survivors of child sexual abuse.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/failure-of-pell-s-appeal-will-help-heal-abuse-survivors-20190821-p52jap.html
Patrick Parkinson writes: The majority decision of the Victorian Court of Appeal will be shattering for those who believe that Cardinal Pell is innocent of the charges against him. But our trust in institutions and in the dedication of highly respected judges to fairness and transparency, should not be overwhelmed by emotion, conspiracy theories or visceral tribal loyalties.
https://www.abc.net.au/religion/after-the-appeal-the-tragedy-of-cardinal-george-pell/11435998
CPX’s Simon Smart speaks to 2GB about the impact of sex abuse scandals on people's faith and relationship with the church.
https://www.2gb.com/podcast/the-aftermath-of-the-pell-verdict-on-peoples-faith/
Civil society and discourse
Teresa Bejan writes: Mere civility reminds us that the temptation to achieve a tolerant society through exclusion is constant. We need to be careful that we are not eager to avoid the disagreeableness of disagreement in favour of the more agreeable company of the like-minded.
https://www.abc.net.au/religion/teresa-bejan-mere-civility-as-the-basis-of-a-tolerant-society/11373126
Luke Zaphir writes: Whether we’re talking about making arguments for school or just in life, there are three things present in all good arguments.
https://theconversation.com/how-to-make-good-arguments-at-school-and-everywhere-else-121305
Dementia
Julian Hughes writes: People living with dementia can and do exercise both social citizenship and the social virtue of authenticity.
https://www.abc.net.au/religion/julian-hughes-dementia-authenticity-and-citizenship/11452556
Economics, finance and inequality
Nicola Heath writes: It isn't just mothers and wives who bear the burden. Many households outsource domestic labour to nannies, housekeepers and cleaners. These workers are part of a vast global industry that employs 100 million people around the world. They are usually women from poor backgrounds who are rarely paid well for their labour.
https://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article/the-politics-of-domestic-labour
Nicola Heath writes: Cook and television presenter Adam Liaw attributed the widespread underpayment of hospitality workers to the complexity of the award system. In my experience, underpayment was simply part of the business model. The mentality was take it or leave it. There was always another uni student ready to take your place.
https://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article/why-are-we-so-soft-on-wage-theft
Paul Oslington writes: We need a richer understanding of economic suffering and evil, and a renewal of the discussion of economic theodicy initiated by Malthus, Smith and other early economists.
https://www.abc.net.au/religion/god-and-the-problem-of-economic-suffering/11448060
Environment and Nature
What is the connection between the ten commandments and the creation? Mick Pope looks at how Old Testament ethics applies to our understanding of the environment today.
http://ethos-environment.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-ten-commandments-of-creation-caring.html
This summer, the Lausanne Movement asked where creation care should rank among other Christian concerns like evangelism and discipleship. Here are the answers of Lausanne leaders. Compiled by Jeremy Weber.
https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2019/august-web-only/environmental-concerns-christian-business-creation-care-gwf.html
Michael O'Keefe writes: Australia ensured its official communiqué watered down commitments to respond to climate change, gaining a hollow victory.
https://theconversation.com/pacific-island-nations-will-no-longer-stand-for-australias-inaction-on-climate-change-121976
Kylie Beach writes: A report by TEAR indicates that disposable plastic packaging is responsible for widespread loss of life, health and livelihood among the world’s poor.
https://www.eternitynews.com.au/world/how-rubbish-is-killing-the-worlds-poor/
Allison Howell writes: More than 50 years ago, historian Lynn White Jr blamed Christianity as the root cause of the world’s ecological crisis. Since then, a lively debate has gone on about the truth of that claim.
https://www.eternitynews.com.au/world/is-christianity-to-blame-for-the-worlds-ecological-crisis-and-climate-change/
Recently, ecologist Professor Lesley Hughes was honoured for her work on climate change with the 2019 Australian Museum Research Institute Lifetime Achievement Award. In her acceptance speech, she gave six reasons for hope in the face of climate change.
https://australianmuseum.net.au/blog-archive/amri-news/pioneering-australian-ecologist-wins-2019-australian-museum-research-institute-lifetime-achievement-award/
N. T. Wright writes: The question of how you think about the ultimate future has an obvious direct impact on how you think about the task of the church in the present time.
https://www.plough.com/en/topics/justice/environment/jesus-is-coming-plant-a-tree
Everyday living
Christian B. Miller writes: Why is it that some virtues have received a great deal of attention from contemporary philosophers, whereas others – like generosity – have been almost completely neglected? When we begin to examine generosity as a virtue, rather than a one-off, it ends up being surprisingly complex and multifaceted.
https://www.abc.net.au/religion/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-generous-person/11427282
Food
Christopher Mayes writes: Food can be used to transform individuals and communities — particularly as a means to reconcile differences and dispel fears.
https://www.abc.net.au/religion/you-are-what-you-eat-food-ethics-and-companionship/11466328
Foreign policy
Michael O'Keefe writes: Australia ensured its official communiqué watered down commitments to respond to climate change, gaining a hollow victory.
https://theconversation.com/pacific-island-nations-will-no-longer-stand-for-australias-inaction-on-climate-change-121976
Gender
Nic Zumaran writes: Twelve leading philosophers have published an open letter calling for academic freedom when discussing topics of sex and gender. What are the ethics of and limitations of discussions on sex and gender?
https://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/academics-call-for-freedom-for-fearless-discussion-of-gender-issues/13174
Hiroshima and Nagasaki – 74th Anniversary
Robin Gomes writes: On the 74th anniversary of the nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Hiroshima’s mayor and bishop have called for working for peace and nuclear disarmament.
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2019-08/japan-hiroshima-nagasaki-anniversary-bishop-mayor-peace-denuclea.html
Andrew Hamilton writes: One event, recalling the revelation of Jesus' relationship to God, is a feast of light; the other, recalling man's inhumanity to man, speaks of darkness. Both are pointers to possible human futures: one of glory and the other of annihilation. The history of nuclear weapons and recent developments present this choice more starkly.
https://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article/hiroshima-and-transfiguration
Hospitality and welcome
Richard Kearney writes: When faced with the stranger, do we open or close the door? Do we reach for a weapon or extend an open hand? This is one of the inaugural dramas of human ethics.
https://www.abc.net.au/religion/to-welcome-or-refuse-the-stranger/11385666
Samuel Well writes: Those who advocate the “inclusive church” agenda and those who most vehemently oppose it are currently asking the same question, and the reason they’re are at odds is because they’re giving different answers.
https://www.abc.net.au/religion/sam-wells-what-does-it-mean-to-be-an-inclusive-church/11400088
Justice
Ian Birrell writes: Businesses need to start displaying social responsibility and stop undermining wider well-being before they are shackled by their foes and we all suffer the consequences.
https://unherd.com/2019/08/where-are-capitalisms-heroes/
Law, human rights and free speech
Neil James Foster writes: The case of Comcare v Banerji provides interesting insights into the operation of the implied constitutional freedom of political communication. However, while it may seem similar to the Israel Folau case, the two cases raise quite different issues.
https://lawandreligionaustralia.blog/2019/08/07/public-servant-sacked-for-social-media-comments/
John Sandeman writes: The case of public servant Michaela Banerji, who has lost her bid not to be sacked for online commentary, is significantly different from the Israel Folau case, according to Associate Professor in Law Neil Foster.
https://www.eternitynews.com.au/opinion/folau-and-the-public-servant-case-they-are-different/
A. J. Brown writes: Never has the case for law reform to properly protect public-interest whistleblowers been so stark.
https://theconversation.com/from-richard-boyle-and-witness-k-to-media-raids-its-time-whistleblowers-had-better-protection-121555
Samuel Moyn writes: Our age of rights, lacking a public language of duties, is an historical outlier. The consequences are significant, as both Mohandas Gandhi and Giuseppe Mazzini foresaw. Human rights wither when their advocates fail to cross the border into the language of duty.
https://www.abc.net.au/religion/reclaiming-the-language-of-duty-in-an-age-of-human-rights-samue/11412158
Law, human rights and free speech – Israel Folau
Josh Bornstein writes: Those cheering on the loss of Folau's livelihood and career have undermined the cause of countless other employees who espouse controversial progressive views and suffer the same fate.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-07/israel-folau-should-be-able-to-go-back-to-work/11386826
Politics, society and ideology
Jonathan Cole writes: The Christian cannot help but understand the political order in which they live in the light of his or her theological convictions. And yet many Christians, perhaps even a majority, do not bring their theological convictions to bear on their political context in any self-reflective, critical, or systematic manner. This has led some Christians into the realm of political absurdity.
https://www.abc.net.au/religion/what-can-political-theology-in-an-age-of-political-fragmentation/11483584
Religion in Politics
Christopher Rhodes writes: A modern political Christianity – morally principled but not divisive or exclusionary – could help the nation refocus and find a new sense of purpose and identity.
https://unherd.com/2019/08/why-britain-needs-christian-politics/
Just how has Tim Costello married his faith and his advocacy has made him a figure of controversy among some Christians, writes John Sandeman.
https://www.eternitynews.com.au/opinion/is-tim-costello-australias-most-misunderstood-christian
Gillian Edevane writes: Republican political adviser Peter Wehner voiced his criticism of evangelical Christian support for President Donald Trump, saying that the powerful voting block remains in Trump's corner out of a misguided sense of pragmatism.
https://www.newsweek.com/ex-reagan-adviser-evangelical-leaders-who-back-trump-do-more-harm-christian-values-atheists-1450332
Barry Gittins writes: In his Quarterly Essay, Erik Jensen argues that, while Shorten expresses honest doubt and cites Christ's golden rule, care of his Jesuit educators, Morrison indulges in a marathon of spiritual self-indulgence. Morrison masterfully works right-wing media outlets, or is worked by them, with Alan Jones leading the PM through a radio interview 'like Simpson led his donkey'.
https://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article/the-contrasting-gospels-of-morrison-and-shorten
Annabel Crabb asks: Why do politicians get nervous about dragging Christianity into politics? Because so much of what they do clashes horribly with the teachings of the Bible.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-04/politics-and-religion/11474738
Two insiders who worked at the nexus of religion and centre-left politics - Michael Wear from the US and Kate Harrison Brennan from Australia - talk about how the left can talk to religious voters.
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/religionandethicsreport/wear-and-brennan/11454566
Jonathan Cole writes: The Christian cannot help but understand the political order in which they live in the light of his or her theological convictions. And yet many Christians, perhaps even a majority, do not bring their theological convictions to bear on their political context in any self-reflective, critical, or systematic manner. This has led some Christians into the realm of political absurdity.
https://www.abc.net.au/religion/what-can-political-theology-in-an-age-of-political-fragmentation/11483584
Religion in Politics - Scott Morrison
Barry Gittins writes: In his Quarterly Essay, Erik Jensen argues that, while Shorten expresses honest doubt and cites Christ's golden rule, care of his Jesuit educators, Morrison indulges in a marathon of spiritual self-indulgence. Morrison masterfully works right-wing media outlets, or is worked by them, with Alan Jones leading the PM through a radio interview 'like Simpson led his donkey'.
https://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article/the-contrasting-gospels-of-morrison-and-shorten
Religion in Society
Greg Sheridan writes: You cannot live off Christianity’s moral capital, its ethics and traditions, without believing in it. You cannot inspire the young with a vision which you happily admit arises from beliefs that are fictional and nothing more than long-standing superstition.
https://www.spectator.co.uk/2019/08/the-west-cannot-survive-without-a-re-energised-belief-in-christianity/
Benjamin Preiss and Debbie Cuthbertson write: The Catholic Church is set to defy new laws that would punish priests with jail time if they refuse to report sexual abuse revealed during confession.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/church-digs-in-as-victoria-forces-disclosure-of-abuse-revealed-in-confession-20190813-p52gqd.html
Simon Chapple writes: A survey of New Zealanders' attitudes towards religious groups, taken after the Christchurch mosque shootings, shows they trust Buddhists most and Evangelicals least.
https://theconversation.com/new-survey-reveals-which-religions-new-zealanders-trust-most-and-least-after-christchurch-shootings-120069
Religious Freedom
Liam Elphick, Amy Maguire and Anja Hilkemeijer write: Given the unique aspects of the proposed bill, there should be a longer consultation period to examine why religious freedoms should be prioritised over other freedoms.
https://theconversation.com/the-government-has-released-its-draft-religious-discrimination-bill-how-will-it-work-122618
The Institute for Civil Society has presented the Prime Minister with a paper on freedom of religion and belief. The paper sets out a 7-point agenda and has been endorsed by a group of senior Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders.
http://www.i4cs.com.au/advancing-an-agenda-to-protect-freedom-of-religion-and-belief/
Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra Under the government's draft religious discrimination legislation, big companies would face tougher rules in relation to indirect discrimination.
https://theconversation.com/religious-discrimination-legislation-would-hit-big-companies-harder-than-small-business-122623
Nils von Kalm writes: History shows that when Christians get too close to power, our witness loses its cutting edge. And there is no evidence that the early Christians fought for their own rights.
https://www.sightmagazine.com.au/columns/sight-seeing/12952-sight-seeing-focus-on-our-own-freedoms-puts-us-on-a-very-dangerous-path-2
Liam Elphick and Alice Taylor write: The draft Religious Discrimination Bill goes much further than other discrimination laws and weakens existing protections for LGBTIQ+ people, women, people with disabilities and those from diverse racial and cultural backgrounds.
https://theconversation.com/religious-discrimination-bill-is-a-mess-that-risks-privileging-people-of-faith-above-all-others-122631
In an interview with the Gospel Coalition Australia, Neil James Foster explores some of the good and bad points of the legislation released last week.
https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/article/legal-reflections-religious-discrimination-bill/
Guy Rundle writes: The religious freedom bill is the final surrender of the Coalition to a progressivist worldview, in which the state perpetually advances its frontier into the conduct of everyday life.
https://www.crikey.com.au/2019/09/03/flaw-and-order-the-religious-freedom-bill-is-a-godawful-mess/
John Sandeman writes: Freedom For Faith’s “Freedom19”, a day-long legal think tank featuring some of Australia’s best legal brains, focused on explaining how to turn the draft Religious Freedom Bill into a much better one.
https://www.eternitynews.com.au/australia/how-to-fix-the-religious-discrimination-bill/
The approach of a standard anti discrimination law, “a shield and not a sword” and a provision preventing “large employers from restricting religious expression” are major features of the Religious Discrimination Bill the Morrison Government is putting forward, writes John Sandeman.
https://www.eternitynews.com.au/australia/religious-discrimination-bill-draft-released
John Sandeman explores the different responses by Christians to the proposed religious discrimination bill.
https://www.eternitynews.com.au/australia/mild-and-fierce-a-split-in-christian-responses-to-religious-discrimination-bill/
Renae Barker writes: It is unfortunate that the Religious Discrimination Bill has been written in the wake of high-profile incidents that may be examples of religious discrimination — most notably, those involving Israel Folau and Hobart Archbishop Julian Porteous. But if the debate about the Bill is to progress, it must shift away from these specific cases to the real issue: religious discrimination itself.
https://www.abc.net.au/religion/the-religious-discrimination-debate-is-not-about-christians/11472040
Legislating for religious freedom is the legal equivalent of doing the Kokoda Track in a suit of armour, writes Professor Greg Craven.
https://cathnews.com/cathnews/35998-everyone-is-entitled-to-their-religious-belief-or-non-belief (Original source: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/faith-hope-but-no-clarity-in-religious-discrimination-bill/news-story/2c28434f319a883bf93856992d3fab16)
Sexuality
Nic Zumaran writes: Twelve leading philosophers have published an open letter calling for academic freedom when discussing topics of sex and gender. What are the ethics of and limitations of discussions on sex and gender?
https://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/academics-call-for-freedom-for-fearless-discussion-of-gender-issues/13174
Ed Shaw writes: A new book by Mark A. Yarhouse uses stories and statistics to dispel stereotypes and suspicion about Christians who identify as gay.
https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2019/july-august/costly-obedience-mark-yarhouse-celibate-gay-christians.html
Brendan Zietsch writes: The largest study of its kind - comparing the genetic sequences of almost half a million people - has revealed many different parts of our genetic makeup.
https://theconversation.com/gay-gene-search-reveals-not-one-but-many-and-no-way-to-predict-sexuality-122459
Michael Cook writes: There is no single “gay gene”, according to an article in Science which analyses survey responses about same-sex sexual behaviour and correlates them with genetic data.
https://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/farewell-to-the-gay-gene-theory/13200
Slavery
CPX's Simon Smart asks: How was the Bible was used to support a system of profound oppression and dehumanisation?
https://www.publicchristianity.org/slavery-in-christian-america/
Social media
Monica Wilkie writes: Social media has been blamed for an epidemic of damaging misinformation that has poisoned political discourse. But the real threat to free speech and political debate comes from over-zealous and ill-advised regulation.
https://www.cis.org.au/commentary/articles/the-biggest-threat-to-our-democracy-is-government-not-social-media/
Cheryl McGrath writes: I continue to write because, for me, the question isn’t “Who’s in charge?”, but “Why don’t we see this as an opportunity?”
http://twentysixletters.org/whos-afraid-of-the-christian-blogosphere/
Darren Grimes writes: 'The Church is a great bridge. Each Sunday, I join with people of all political opinions – Left and Right, Leave and Remain. We share a common baptism that transcends our trivial divisions, differences that in the wider scheme of eternity are nothing.'
https://unherd.com/2019/08/how-i-found-god-on-twitter/
Tim Costello
Just how has Tim Costello married his faith and his advocacy has made him a figure of controversy among some Christians, writes John Sandeman.
https://www.eternitynews.com.au/opinion/is-tim-costello-australias-most-misunderstood-christian
US politics
Gillian Edevane writes: Republican political adviser Peter Wehner voiced his criticism of evangelical Christian support for President Donald Trump, saying that the powerful voting block remains in Trump's corner out of a misguided sense of pragmatism.
https://www.newsweek.com/ex-reagan-adviser-evangelical-leaders-who-back-trump-do-more-harm-christian-values-atheists-1450332
Michael Gerson writes: The moral convictions of many evangelical leaders have become a function of their partisan identification. This is not mere gullibility; it is utter corruption.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/04/the-last-temptation/554066/
War, peace and nonviolence
Robin Gomes writes: On the 74th anniversary of the nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Hiroshima’s mayor and bishop have called for working for peace and nuclear disarmament.
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2019-08/japan-hiroshima-nagasaki-anniversary-bishop-mayor-peace-denuclea.html
Women
Nicola Heath writes: It isn't just mothers and wives who bear the burden. Many households outsource domestic labour to nannies, housekeepers and cleaners. These workers are part of a vast global industry that employs 100 million people around the world. They are usually women from poor backgrounds who are rarely paid well for their labour.
https://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article/the-politics-of-domestic-labour
Work
Nicola Heath writes: It isn't just mothers and wives who bear the burden. Many households outsource domestic labour to nannies, housekeepers and cleaners. These workers are part of a vast global industry that employs 100 million people around the world. They are usually women from poor backgrounds who are rarely paid well for their labour.
https://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article/the-politics-of-domestic-labour
Nicola Heath writes: Cook and television presenter Adam Liaw attributed the widespread underpayment of hospitality workers to the complexity of the award system. In my experience, underpayment was simply part of the business model. The mentality was take it or leave it. There was always another uni student ready to take your place.
https://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article/why-are-we-so-soft-on-wage-theft
Mark Fabian and Robert Breunig, write: We've tested the claim that overworkers have no choice, and found it wanting.
https://theconversation.com/most-of-us-who-work-long-hours-like-the-jobs-we-are-in-those-who-dont-change-jobs-quickly-122633
Sheridan Voysey writes: Checking email at all hours. Catching up on work every weekend. Feeling like you should be doing something productive when you rest. If you’ve ever been caught in the modern malady of overwork and hyper-productivity, you’re not alone.
https://sheridanvoysey.com/need-to-stop-work-from-taking-over-your-life-listen-to-this
Youth
Kate Griffiths and Danielle Wood write: A new Grattan Institute study finds that for the first time since white settlement, young Australians are no better off than those who came before, and are likely to do worse.
https://theconversation.com/for-the-first-time-in-a-long-time-were-setting-up-a-generation-to-be-worse-off-than-the-one-before-it-121983