[Beth Curran]

Is Latham "out"? (i.e. openly nonreligious)
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Julian Shaw (Man Myth or Monkey?)" 
<julian at monkeyfamily.freeserve.co.uk>
To: "<" <powderworks at cs-lists.cs.colorado.edu>; "Erin Oneill" 
<Erin.Oneill at newcastle.edu.au>
Sent: Tuesday, September 28, 2004 3:15 AM
Subject: RE: [Powderworks] PG in the Financial Review


> Interesting...where is powderpolitics when you need it?
>
> I'm not a Christian and I disagree with a lot of Christian ideas. But I 
> think
> this is a bit one sided.
>
> 1) Being anti-abortion is not a Christian idea it is a piece of Church 
> dogma.
> I myself am anti-abortion but I'm for a woman having the right to chose. 
> There
> is no reason to think that PG would try and force his views on other 
> people.
>
> 2) Just because people don't subscribe to a major religious faith doesn't 
> mean
> that there decisions aren't marked by dogma. In fact you will find that 
> most
> political parties are filled with people who will always vote with their 
> side,
> loyalty to the party and all forgetting any reason or principles. In some
> cases being Labour, Liberal, Communist becomes like a religion with all 
> the
> conditions that you should believe in set out for you before you join the
> brotherhood...even if some of them make no sense.
>
> 3) In the Oils lyrics the Christian images have always been very universal 
> and
> carefully balanced with other forms of spirituality. There is no reason to
> think that PG has suddenly become a right-wing religious fundamentalist. I
> think he has too much intelligence for that.
>
> Julian
>
>
>>===== Original Message From Erin Oneill <Erin.Oneill at newcastle.edu.au> 
>>=====
>>hello one and all...
>>
>>Last saturdays' financial review had an article on PG.  They commented on 
>>how
> he is anti-abortion etc (ie has very conservative Christian views) and may 
> use
> his public tenure within the Labor Party as a possible pro-Christianity 
> push
> using the Labor Party as his vehicle.
>>I have to say this worries me.
>>I can appreciate his concerns about abortion, but when push comes to shove 
>>I
> don't think he should have the right to dictate to women (of all religious
> persuasions) how to live their lives just because he believes in a the
> Christian god.  My second concern is how so much of parliament (both 
> sides) is
> being dominated by God-botherers (e.g. Kevin Rudd, Tony Abbott).  I note 
> that
> Mark Latham (leader of the opposition) is not religious and is criticised 
> for
> this.  Perhaps that puts him in a good position to assess policy on it 
> merits
> rather than what will make him feel good about his god.  I'm afraid my
> experience with religious people in general (of any religion) has shown me
> that they put their god and their beliefs before the masses (especially 
> those
> not of their persuasion), and so good public policy is severly compromised 
> or
> stuffed entirely.
>>
>>I have to say though, I'm not suprised.
>>
>>If you want to find the article here in Australia, public and university
> libraries usually carry copies of the sat. Fin. Review.
>>
>>Cheerio,
>>Erin.
>>
>>
>>
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