Interesting plane ride

[Th3rdDigree]

Last week I flew from Sydney to Perth. I was in an isle seat. Next to me was some fella I didnt know and next to him in the window seat was a young women. I didnt know it at the time but I now know that women to be Michelle Pearse - W.A Director of the Australian Christian Lobby.

http://australianchristianlobby.org.au/state/wa/ (http://australianchristianlobby.org.au/state/wa/)

Not too long into the flight a conversation began between my two neighbours and at some point I overheard him ask her "so what do you do for a living?" to which she replied "I work for the Australian Christian Lobby" Well, my ears pricked up with interest then, didnt they! I casually took my ear plug from my left ear whilst pretending to continue reading Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali and listened as he made the fatal mistake of asking a follow up question along the lines of "So what exactly do you do there?" BIG mistake! She immediately seized this opportunity to begin talking up the ACL and preaching about her religious beliefs ad nauseum for the rest of the flight! I mean, she just wouldnt shut up! At first it was mildly interesting, you know, the usual bullshit about what great work they're doing and how society is falling apart because of a lack of faith and all that rubbish. She covered all the big issues - euthanasia, prostitution, stem cell research etc. I was curious as to how they think. But eventually I had to replace my ear plug in an (unsuccessful) attempt to drown her out. It just went on and on! Twice he skillfully attempted to change the conversation away from religion but she quickly brought the topic of conversation back to faith. Poor bastard! I decided to stay out of the subject. I tell you though, it took all my strength not to say anything. Any other time or place I would have launched into the debate both guns blazing. Oh how I wished though I had of been reading "The God Delusion" or "God is not Great" so I could have just casually rested it on my knee for her to see. I didnt know if I was relieved or disappointed that I wasnt sitting immediately next to her. A lost opportunity perhaps? Maybe.

One thing I did learn though....Did you know that the ACL regularly conduct live webcasts to churches around Australia that reach up to 70,000 sheep, in which they enjoy an audience with the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition plus other State and Federal Ministers? The express aim of which is to get our political leaders to give answers and commitments to questions the ACL ask and then the ACL holds them to those statements /commitments the entire time they're in office?

So much for seperation of church and state!

[BlueDevil]

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing that.



.

[Sieveboy]

Thanks for sharing that, I appreciate that (my blood pressure didn't but thats not your fault :)). What a shame, I would love to have seen Daro, DB or GM sitting next to her, I wonder who would have tried to change topics then :eek:

[youngmoigle]

Free trip to heaven if she had converted him - worth the effort.

[DezinerAU]

One thing I did learn though....Did you know that the ACL regularly conduct live webcasts to churches around Australia that reach up to 70,000 sheep, in which they enjoy an audience with the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition plus other State and Federal Ministers? The express aim of which is to get our political leaders to give answers and commitments to questions the ACL ask and then the ACL holds them to those statements /commitments the entire time they're in office?

So much for seperation of church and state!

I remember reading about it, not in the main-stream media, in the lead up to the last two elections. It's appalling, especially that these teleconferences happen behind closed doors, where the media is expressly forbidden from taking part, meaning the rest of us rarely get to know what was promised.

Gillard taking part in this farce was when I decided I didn't like that convictionless woman, agnostic/atheist or not.

[wearestardust]

One thing I did learn though....Did you know that the ACL regularly conduct live webcasts to churches around Australia that reach up to 70,000 sheep, in which they enjoy an audience with the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition plus other State and Federal Ministers? The express aim of which is to get our political leaders to give answers and commitments to questions the ACL ask and then the ACL holds them to those statements /commitments the entire time they're in office?


I was aware they did it at election times and indeed at the last election I strolled down to my local Catholic Church to listen in. The relative privacy ie broadcasting only to churches was worrying in terms of the Q&A going down routes which might not happen in public - ie church leaders able to actively request primacy of xianity in government policy, and Rudd and Abbott being able to give a good nudge nudge, wink wink, you'll be right. I recall in particular Abbott talking about how religion had no impact on policy, and the importance of secularism, and then following up with a long list of special deals and treatment the Howard govt had given churches and their cronies - wink, you'll be right.

[Worldslaziestbusker]

My own encounter, today, concerned an Anglican vicar on my train. The dog collar was the tell-tale. Having just read the Herald Sun headline article about muslim calls for state funded Halal abbatoirs and madrassas, I opened our conversation with a query about whether or not state funding for religion was valid in his eyes (yes, but he thought butchers would follow the money and Halality would ramp up with demand).
Topics ranged from the mutual exclusivity of faiths (no, being nice is not enough, vicar man, and if the muslims are on the money, you're poked) to living a meaningful life (sorry chief, but the only thing religion offers that secularity can't is talk about eternal life) but it was talk of the gay that really set his formerly steady gaze a-roving out the window, never again to meet my own line of sight (you're right that I'm free to have this conversation, but my ambition is to be left alone, and that the various churches have an opinion about who my children will be allowed to be attracted to requires that I have this conversation, when I would rather be reading my book).
He left the train at Footscray, though whether or not that was his destination is another matter. The Footscray doughnut van has seen me leave my train in the past, but I don't know if it's still there.
Alert to the threatening impression people can get from my recently shaved head, grumpy neutral expression and largish physique, I was careful to smile, speak politely and use non-threatening body language, but I feel the critique I gave of his chosen career and its repurcussions on the community may have rattled the man somewhat.
I hope he is there on the return journey as there is still much ground to be covered.

[BlueDevil]

Would have loved to have listened in to that conversation WLB

[Worldslaziestbusker]

Would have loved to have listened in to that conversation WLB

As with the Tory Geri Experience, it felt a bit like kicking a puppy until I reminded myself that the puppy got paid, partly on my dollar, no less, to tell people who they should be, based on myths.

[askegg]

I went to one of their question nights on the 16 Feb 2010 when the local Politicians were drumming up votes for the election. Here are the notes fro that night:

The term “Christian family values” was thrown around a bit. What does this actually mean? Which family values can Christianity alone provide? What makes them wholly Christian? Do other faiths love their children? What about those with no faith? It seems to me the phrase is clearly aimed at hijacking decent morality and claiming it to be derived from a religion which worships death, suffering, and vicarious human sacrifice.

Both parties gave full support to continue the discrimination of homosexuals and others by granting marriage special privilege. What sickens me about this is they claim marriage is a Christian institution (it isn’t), and that only a man and a woman can love each other (because homosexuality is unnatural). State sanctioned bigotry.

The National Chaplaincy program was giving full support from both sides, to spite the fact it almost certainly violates section 116 of the Australian Constitution. Government has no business promoting one religion over another, or any religious view over another. The fact the program automatically grants religious persons advantages over others is plain wrong.

Christian charities were praised for their efforts, with one politician stating government could not possible achieve the same results (oh yee of little faith). There is nothing unique to the Christian faith which grants it exclusive rights to charity. There is nothing good I can do which demands I believe Jesus was born of a virgin (for example). Also, full trust was given to charitable organisations like the Salvation Army, whose stated mission is to spread the word of Jesus at every opportunity.

They all seemed to be against voluntary euthanasia, or “state sanctioned killing” as Mr. Hodgeman put it. Seems no Christian is in a hurry to get to Heaven.

They both agreed that the “exploitation of sex workers” was immoral and harmful, and may be looking at criminally charging those who use the services (after the Swedish model). I also have a problem with exploitation, but not all sex workers are. Some positively choose to sell themselves for “easy money”. What will they outlaw next, sexual desire? (slippery slope argument)

The night ended with a “won’t somebody think of the children” question. You can imagine the responses.

“…Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human needs in His name without discrimination.” – Salvation Army Mission Statement.

[xanthopan]

An excellent post, thank you so much.

[gruber]

should have ripped into the crazy for her parties interference in the R rating for games