A lot of people are asking what does Gillard believe in. We certainly know what she doesn't believe in God and as gone on the record as saying so. Privately a lot of believers despise nonbelievers. And would put atheism in the same philosophical/theological basket as Satanism. Then again a lot of people from are of the view that atheism as just another form of Satanism.
It is good for Gillard that superficial (at least), believers are not publically inclined to agitate for the use of more proactive techniques to cleanse the despoiled soul s of atheists ,heretics, blasphemers and doubters and the like. Like atheu used to do in years past. It seems that in these modern times the laying of the hands is the preferred method rather than the once favoured method of unspeakable tortures and death - burning at the stake being particularly favoured. It is interesting to note that burning at the stake much favoured by Catholics (Henry VIII's daughter, Mary Tudor or Bloody Mary as she was grimly referred. Bloody Mary had 274 burnings of mainly Protestants during her five year reign when she was attempting the reinstatement of Catholicism in England. That's not to say that you sometimes get the feeling that the more extreme religious right pine for the good old days. Eternal damnation is not in itself entirely satisfying it seems. Sin now - pay later! It just doesn't work in the real world. Take for example a murderer who had just convicted of murdering his wife's side of the family and a couple of innocent bystanders. What if the his lawyer in his sentencing submissions implored the judge to give the bastard a non custodial sentence and a couple of ours doing community service - where's the justice in that. Of course there is another more secular option to precede Gillard's eternal damnation given that the more merciful option of her soul being purified with a stint in Purgatory and it's cleansing fires would be a unnecessary conciliation. Perhaps she might suffer the indignity that she inflicted on her predecessor. That would indeed would be divine justice to many believers and nonbelievers because divine justice transcends theological and secular concepts.
As our present prime minister is a secularist and her numerous of this world deliberations differ from Tony Abbott because of his devoutness to deliberated from a point of view that includes both theological and secular concepts. Deep down Abbott is of the opinion that being a member of the Church of Rome that in being a catholic he is a member of the true faith - the original universal church and that those of the protestant faith and others who reject papal authority are nothing more than Johnny-come-latelies. Abbotts always says when it is fitting to do so 'Our prayers are with you to .....(insert given name/name/followed by reason the prayers are being accorded. Just about every politician has cause these days to commence his or her 10 oration concerning some tragic incident. second dialogue on the evening news with our prayers are with them/him/her- that's because most Politicians believe in God . Obviously Gillard couldn't say 'our prayers are with you' because atheists don't pray unless the perquisite of a miraculous conversion is involved such as occurred all those years ago when Saul was struck down on the road to Damascus. Rather her Gillard's preferred option is our hearts go out to .....(insert appropriate given name/ followed by reason the thoughts are being accorded. If at some time in the future she says our prayers are with you then it can only mean that she has found God. Some readers might find such a suggestion ridiculous but this is not so. Remember Gillard's address to Congress on March 10 2011 - the superlatives were flowing so thick and fast we thought she might run out of them and resort to getting on all fours and engaging in a bit of unrestrained bootlicking. It doesn't seem so long ago when she was a comrade member of the group Socialist Forum. Socialist Forum was a somewhat extreme leftwing think-tank . She even put her moniker to a pamphlet advocating that the ANZUS alliance with the US be terminated once and for all. See what we mean . If Ms Gillard is vulnerable to secular road to Damascus type conversions then she is equally susceptible to religious type road to Damascus conversions. We shall have to wait and see. transform
Tony Abbott, The Leader of the Opposition is a prayers are with you man. Not that he overplays the religious card. That's all part of his humility because devoutness goes hand-in-hand with humility. He is also a confidante and mate of George Pell, the conservative some might say reactionary Catholic Archbishop of Sydney. Archbishop Pell underwent a meteoric rise in his career path under his patron Pope John Paul ll who appreciated Pell's no-nonsense approach to Catholicism and his disdain for new fangled ideas circulating throughout more progressive elements of the Catholic faithful.
And while we're on the subject. How come Australia's tally in the sainthood stakes is a miserly one - Mary MacKillop, canonized on October 17 2010 in Rome by John-Paul's successor Pope Benedict XVI . John -Paul canonized 296 new saints and beatified 923 during his papacy. (some of them for reasons that are apparently a bit dodgy. (Borderline was baptized into Catholicism and to hedge our bets we are reminded that St Alphonsus believed one could be accused of heresy if you were to accuse Rome of making an error when canonizing a saint. Heresy is followed by excommunication and incorporation in the Vatican's list of the unspeakable damned. So just to be sure….). Could it be that Mary MacKillop's unorthodox methods aroused suspicions of socialist inclinations? Probably, as we all know John -Paul never had much time for those with socialist leanings - not coming from Poland. Let's face it if she was alive today Mary MacKillop could be accused of liberation theology/practice, more worthy of excommunication than canonization.
And another point while we're in the mood for speculation do you think if Christ was Leader of the Opposition in Australia and Abbott Minister for Defense/Foreign Affairs whatever he would demand the one of his senior ministers (apostles)make the necessary arrangements for the boats to be turned back? Would not the merciful father in heaven make such a request? No way! What if Abbott argued that the boats be turned around? Would Abbott be accused of lacking in Christian charity and compassion, publically rebuked, sacked and sent on his way into the wilderness like his father had done to Cain on an earlier occasion? Of course he would. You can only wonder if Abbott sought counsel with George Pell on the matter - maybe Cardinal Pell is fully aware that in the cut and thrust of politics when you want a fellow believer of the same faith in The Lodge you have to be a bit pragmatic. 'Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's,' Luke 20:25 or perhaps in this instance when you get in bed with the devil you have to be prepared to take your trousers off might \ to the point.
A footnote. You can it wrong though. When it comes to determining a persons apparent saintliness. And the Vatican might take notice on both accounts. When Jeanne Pratt wife of the late Richard Pratt the prominent Australian businessman (fined $36 million for price fixing) called the once Melbourne society priest Vincent Kiss 'a living saint' it was an observation shared by the then A list of Melbourne society. How was she to know the former priest at the Sacred Heart Church in Mate Street, North Albury wasn't a living saint at all as this extract from a Age newspaper report in 2002 wrote;
Vincent Kieran Kiss was the ideal escort to all the right charity functions - safe and unattached. Or so it seemed, until his other life unraveled.
The fall from grace of Father Vincent Kieran Kiss is complete. The former society priest, who was once to be seen at the most exclusive Melbourne functions, yesterday pleaded guilty in a Sydney court to 13 child sex charges.
Kiss, 70, will be sentenced in the Sydney District Court on September 6 on 10 charges of indecent assault and three of "the abominable act of buggery" on four youths aged 13 to 17. Judge Penny Hock was told the offences were to have taken place between 1966 and 1973 at locations including Albury, Yass and Sydney.
The four complainants' names have been suppressed.
If Kiss goes to prison, as Judge Hock indicated was likely, his surroundings won't be unfamiliar. He was released from Ararat jail in July, 1999, after serving seven years for stealing $1.8 million from a charitable trust he was employed to administer.
