Julia Gillard - Atheist

[newtaste]

Today on ABC Radio, Julia Gillard said that she does not believe in God. Does it matter that the PM is an atheist?

"I am not going to pretend a faith I don't feel," she said. "I am what I am and people will judge that. For people of faith, I think the greatest compliment I could pay to them is to respect their genuinely held beliefs and not to engage in some pretence about mine. I grew up in the Christian church, a Christian background. I won prizes for catechism, for being able to remember Bible verses. I am steeped in that tradition, but I've made decisions in my adult life about my own views."

Gillard won't play religion card - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

 

[nolongerhome]

No, it doesn't.

 

[Tenka]

For as long as we've had parliament we've had a tradition of parliament prayer quickly followed up by the universal political tradition of lying, backstabbing and verbally abusing each other like schoolchildren.
I'm doubtful an atheist PM is going to upset this wonderful system much.

 

[Monarchist]

I would prefer an athiest pm who didnt lie to a Christian pm who did lie
but
I expect she will lie through her teeth just like all other politician

 

[TheDag]

I think it is great she is not pretending to be christian just to get the christian vote (well if we suckers fall for it everytime then why not try hey!)

I don't think it matters who is in charge as long as no faith gets to force their beliefs on others as I think to do so is unbiblical. Does this mean no christian influence should be allowed? No it doesn't. It like many things is another fine balancing act.

 

[Cooch]

Labor has been playing the religion card ever since Abbot was elected Leader of the Opposition.

Trying to misrepresent your opponent as a religious nutter qualifies.

 

[nolongerhome]

How is labeling Tony Abbot a "religious nutter" a misrepresentation?

 

[AnthonyB]

How is M---r'Abbot a religious nutter? He isn't a liberal Christian (sorry I try very hard to be tolerant but that phrase still sounds like an oxymoron to me personally) and his personal allegiance to traditional Christian moral standings leads him open to mocking and denigration but....

I cannot think of many federal politicians who have been more involved in volunteer work with indegineous communities (in the Cape York region) or as activiley personally involved in charity work (Pollie Pedal).

You could just as easily call Ms Gillard, an athiest nutter. As many sane and rational people share Tony's religious views as share Julia's non religious views.

 

[Nooj]

How is M---r'Abbot a religious nutter? He isn't a liberal Christian (sorry I try very hard to be tolerant but that phrase still sounds like an oxymoron to me personally) and his personal allegiance to traditional Christian moral standings leads him open to mocking and denigration but....

I cannot think of many federal politicians who have been more involved in volunteer work with indegineous communities (in the Cape York region) or as activiley personally involved in charity work (Pollie Pedal).

You could just as easily call Ms Gillard, an athiest nutter. As many sane and rational people share Tony's religious views as share Julia's non religious views.

I think nolongerhome is joking.

 

[AnthonyB]

Black Beauty,

I'm sorry if I offended you but it is an admisson of my own struggle not an exclusion of them per se. However I think your and my categories are somewhat different.

NT Wright would IMHO be classed neo-orthodox not liberal. I wouldn't classs the "new perspecitves" as specifically liberal at all.

Bishop Spong is what I'd class as a liberal Christian or in Australia Dr McNabb. Liberalism IMHO isn't about denying conservative protestantism but about deanchoring Christianity from any real historical roots. Or to paraphase Paul, no real ressurection then the whole of our faith is total foolishness.

I do honestly struggle to see why someone like Bishop Spong doesn't drop the word Christian from his views.

For the record....

I accept that salvation is by faith from first to last but faith is not merely mental ascent but must be an expression of a personal, convenental commitment to Jesus.

Atonement is universal, baptism is part of a faithful response to the gospel, God will always be faithful to us but he does allow us to choose to be unfaithful to him, even to the point where the faith covenant might be broken by us.

 

[nolongerhome]

I think nolongerhome is joking.

Apparently smilies just don't have the same effect as they used to...

 

[tgg]

I don't care if a country's leader is a believer or a non-believer - as long as I get three meals a day, a roof over my head and a bed to sleep in every day then I don't give a monkey's butt what they do.

Religion ought to be left out of politics - Family Farce are a joke, as is Tony Abbutt. Anybody I know personally who vote for them in the upcoming general election will be disowned by me.

 

[Monarchist]

Julia Gillard on the ABCs QandA last night called children a commodity

Our PM equates children to nothing more than a commercial crop or
A physical substance, such as food, grains, and metals, which is interchangeable with another product of the same type ...

Clearly she is a mad athiest
I hope the Liberals get in and end her inability to differentiate human life with interchangeable produce

I will now vote Liberal

 

[nolongerhome]

I watched most of the program and don't recall hearing her say that. Can you remember what question it was in relation to/how far into the program it was?

It is pretty amusing that you will "now" vote Liberal... as if you ever had any intention of voting for Gillard ever.

 

[Monarchist]

I watched most of the program and don't recall hearing her say that. Can you remember what question it was in relation to/how far into the program it was?

It is pretty amusing that you will "now" vote Liberal... as if you ever had any intention of voting for Gillard ever.

The QandA site will have it up and I had NO intention of voting Liberal until today

I had NO intention of voting Liberal until today

Gillard supports late term abortion and that is beyond my comprehension

I am not judging anybody I just wont support her

 

[nolongerhome]

Who were your options before today?

I really struggle to believe that the ALP was one of them.

 

[Monarchist]

I didnt say that the Labor party was an option

This is what I said I will now vote Liberal

 

[glymph]

Julia Gillard on the ABCs QandA last night called children a commodity

Quite right. She went on to say that children should be listed on the commodities exchange to allow people that want to give up their children for adoption to get a fair price. And if I remember correctly she said that there's no reason that pregnant couples should be allowed to have abortions when couples that have already had their kids are denied this privilege - she thinks that they should be able to abort their kids at any age. And fair enough too, after all Deuteronomy 21:18-21 says:

If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:

Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;

And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.

And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

 

[nolongerhome]

I didnt say that the Labor party was an option

This is what I said I will now vote Liberal

Can you explain how the words of the leader of a party that you were not going to vote for encouraged you to vote for another party?

It strikes me that, considering you weren't going to be voting for them anyway, anything the ALP does is irrelevant to your decision making.

So... where is the causation?

 

[TheDag]

Julia Gillard on the ABCs QandA last night called children a commodity

Our PM equates children to nothing more than a commercial crop or
A physical substance, such as food, grains, and metals, which is interchangeable with another product of the same type ...

Clearly she is a mad athiest
I hope the Liberals get in and end her inability to differentiate human life with interchangeable produce

I will now vote Liberal

yes because paying people to have babies is nothing like treating kids as commodities! Remember it was the coalition who introduced the baby bonus which was certainly useful but still treating kids as commodities.