Some changes to church doctrines would make it more appealing, writes Barney Zwartz. In less than a month, Pope Benedict will celebrate Mass in Sydney before an expected congregation of 500,000 — the high point of the week-long World Youth Day celebration that the Catholic Church in Australia hopes will revitalise church attendance and religious commitment.
Secular critics fear that — helped by an ever-rising injection of Government funds, so far about $130 million — it may. Many Catholics are sceptical. Yes, there will be a media-fuelled surge of interest. Devout young Catholics will find their faith affirmed, and some less-committed will be reached. But many young people will attend in the same spirit as a concert — an interesting event, but not life-changing.
The church would be wrong to put all its eggs in the World Youth Day basket. As it enters its third millennium, it needs another bout of self-examination of the sort it has done sporadically through the centuries.
Age 24 Jun 2008
Jun 26, 2008
PARENTING: Mum with 14 kids charged
A VICTORIAN woman aged 28 was charged in Adelaide last night with five counts of criminal neglect after police and welfare agencies raided two houses where up to 21 children were living in abject squalor. Age 24 Jun 2008
Jun 25, 2008
PUBLIC THEOLOGY: N T Wright on public theology
In his new book, The Great Awakening, Jim Wallis describes how as a young man growing up in an evangelical church, he never heard a sermon on the Sermon on the Mount. That telling personal observation reflects a phenomenon about which I have been increasingly concerned: that much evangelical Christianity on both sides of the Atlantic has based itself on the epistles rather than the Gospels, though often misunderstanding the epistles themselves.
Indeed, in this respect evangelicalism has simply mirrored a much larger problem: the entire Western church, both Catholic and Protestant, evangelical and liberal, charismatic and social activist, has not actually known what the Gospels are there for.
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are all in their various ways about God in public, about the kingdom of God coming on earth as in heaven through the public career and the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Christian Century 17 Jun 2008
Indeed, in this respect evangelicalism has simply mirrored a much larger problem: the entire Western church, both Catholic and Protestant, evangelical and liberal, charismatic and social activist, has not actually known what the Gospels are there for.
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are all in their various ways about God in public, about the kingdom of God coming on earth as in heaven through the public career and the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Christian Century 17 Jun 2008
WAR: Lest we forget: the scars of war
The sight of [British] coffins bearing the bodies of the fallen have become a familiar sight. But what of the comrades who survived? How have they coped with their loss?...Ask Private Tom Wilde if he has suffered long term from the combat he lived through in Afghanistan and he brushes off the suggestion with a casual shrug. He speaks with the characteristic understatement of an infantryman who has witnessed horrors beyond the comprehension of civilians. But the words betray him. "Nothing really sets me off – well, maybe the banging of doors but I'll get over it," said Pte Wilde, 23. "I don't really have nightmares, just the odd one or two. And every now and then, for some strange reason, I will cry."
Independent 23 Jun 2008
Independent 23 Jun 2008
ENERGY: Hooked on oil? Have another drag, baby
TWO years ago, President Bush declared that America was "addicted to oil", and, by gosh, he was going to do something about it. Well, now he has. Now we have the new Bush energy plan: "Get more addicted to oil," writes Thomas Friedman.Actually, it's more sophisticated than that: Get Saudi Arabia, our chief oil pusher, to up our dosage for a little while and bring down the oil price just enough so the renewable energy alternatives can't totally take off. Then try to strong-arm Congress into lifting the ban on drilling offshore and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
It's as if our addict-in-chief is saying to us: "C'mon, guys, you know you want a little more of the good stuff. One more hit, baby. Just one more toke on the ole oil pipe. I promise, next year, we'll all go straight. I'll even put a wind turbine on my presidential library. But for now, give me one more pop from that drill, please, baby. Just one more transfusion of that sweet offshore crude."
It is hard for me to find the words to express what a massive, fraudulent, pathetic excuse for an energy policy this is. Age 23 Jun 2008
ZIMBABWE: Mugabe rival quits poll
ZIMBABWEAN opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has pulled out of a run-off election against President Robert Mugabe, saying a free and fair poll was impossible in the current climate of violence. Speaking only hours after his opposition Movement for Democratic Change reported its rally had been broken up by pro-Mugabe youth militia, Mr Tsvangirai called on the United Nations and the African Union to intervene to stop "genocide" in the former British colony. Age 23 Jun 2008
ECOLOGY & ENVIRONMENT: Troubled waters ahead
JUST when Kevin Rudd has smoothed the waters with Japan, another stoush over whales looms. The International Whaling Commission meeting in Santiago, Chile this week will be a test of strength, highlighting the stark differences between the two countries. Australia will argue that the commission should become an organisation dedicated to conservation. Japan's view is that whales are a resource, and whaling should be a legitimate commercial industry; it classes the current moratorium, imposed in the 1980s, as an interregnum. Japan wants the commission - to be a manager of a resource rather than of a ban. SMH 23 Jun 2008
ANGLICAN CHURCH: Jensen defends keepers of the Bible
SYDNEY'S Anglican Archbishop, Peter Jensen, has defended a breakaway conference of church leaders in Jerusalem as the true keepers of the authority of the Bible.In an interview with the Herald before the opening yesterday of a conference of 1000 conservative Anglican leaders from 27 countries - including 280 bishops - Dr Jensen described the formal separation of the church into conservative and liberal groupings as a tragedy. The split has emerged since the ordination in the United States five years ago of the openly gay Bishop Gene Robinson. SMH 23 Jun 2008
ABORIGINAL & INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS: $50m to combat horror of NT camps
THE Indigenous Affairs Minister, Jenny Macklin, has offered to spend $50 million on a comprehensive clean-up of the notorious Alice Springs town camps - home to some of the worst incidents of domestic violence and alcohol-related crime in the Northern Territory. SMH 23 Jun 2008
ZIMBABWE: Britain names those behind poll violence
Britain increases pressure on Robert Mugabe by accusing six of his key officials of running bloodstained campaign aimed at keeping him in power. SMH 23 Jun 2008
ADVERTISING: Products get a gig at schools
CORPORATE giants have broken through one of the last bastions of advertising-free ground to pitch their products directly to schoolchildren. Mobile phone companies, hair product companies, video game manufacturers, magazines and youth websites have jumped aboard an event that showcases bands and runs sessions on careers in the music industry. SMH 23 Jun 2008
CENSORSHIP: Eros part of our humanity
We live in a complex society made up of people with different interests. Some of them, sport for instance, are majority interests. Others, like the high arts, are easily categorised and dismissed as elitist. But democracy, and egalitarianism too, is about spread, not the superior rights of the majority; government support of the arts is not an optional extra. It is a necessary fact of democracy, of egalitarianism and spread.Governments do not produce art. They give grants to those who do, or they make art that would otherwise be too expensive for most people available to them; either free as in art galleries or by subsidising the price of a seat at the theatre, the opera or in concert halls. This is all we can expect of governments.
Whether the individual members of a government are themselves interested in the arts is neither here nor there. What we can expect from them is some understanding that to devote your life energy to photography, as Bill Henson does, or to writing music, as Ross Edwards does, or to poetry, like Les Murray, is serious and may need to be taken as seriously as running a company or even a country, and deserves respect -- the respect of one professional for another, writes David Malouf. Weekend Australian Review 21 Jun 2008
EUTHANASIA: A good death (review)
A Good Death: An Argument for Voluntary Euthanasia
By Rodney Syme Melbourne University Publishing, 320pp, $32.95
AT Easter in 1998, Melbourne urologist Rodney Syme stirred the pot with a piece of mischief in The Age, arguing that God the father performed euthanasia on Jesus to provide relief from his unbearable suffering.
Even the son of God sought relief from his extreme anguish and pain, crying: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" The Christian Gospels record Jesus died quickly, the same afternoon, unlike the victims of many Roman crucifixions.
Syme, a self-described Christian humanist, returns to this theme in his remarkable and provocative book, A Good Death. In the mid-1970s, Syme, then in his early 40s, sat facing a man whose invasive bladder cancer was causing incontinence and blood clots that blocked the flow of urine. He was in excruciating pain. Cases such as this, Syme reminds us, have caused generations of surgeons to whisper: "Please God, do not take me through my bladder." Pale as chalk, Len looked him straight in the eye, Syme recalls, and asked: "Isn't there anything else you can do for me?"
For Syme, this profound question recalled the suffering and despair of Jesus on the cross. Weekend Australian Review 21 Jun 2008
By Rodney Syme Melbourne University Publishing, 320pp, $32.95
AT Easter in 1998, Melbourne urologist Rodney Syme stirred the pot with a piece of mischief in The Age, arguing that God the father performed euthanasia on Jesus to provide relief from his unbearable suffering.
Even the son of God sought relief from his extreme anguish and pain, crying: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" The Christian Gospels record Jesus died quickly, the same afternoon, unlike the victims of many Roman crucifixions.
Syme, a self-described Christian humanist, returns to this theme in his remarkable and provocative book, A Good Death. In the mid-1970s, Syme, then in his early 40s, sat facing a man whose invasive bladder cancer was causing incontinence and blood clots that blocked the flow of urine. He was in excruciating pain. Cases such as this, Syme reminds us, have caused generations of surgeons to whisper: "Please God, do not take me through my bladder." Pale as chalk, Len looked him straight in the eye, Syme recalls, and asked: "Isn't there anything else you can do for me?"
For Syme, this profound question recalled the suffering and despair of Jesus on the cross. Weekend Australian Review 21 Jun 2008
CAPITALISM: Commerce and people power
Supercapitalism By Robert Reich Scribe, 272pp, $32.95
CORPORATIONS are not people. A statement of the obvious, but how often do you hear politicians, or community groups, call on business to operate in the public interest, as if shame is all that is required to deliver a fairer society?
Robert Reich, one of the more readable economists, believes both capitalism and democracy would work better if we stopped pretending the two are somehow connected. Companies exist to make money. It is politicians, and through them the public, who can place a value on community, the environment and the like. Review by George Megalogenis. Weekend Australian Review 21 Jun 2008
CORPORATIONS are not people. A statement of the obvious, but how often do you hear politicians, or community groups, call on business to operate in the public interest, as if shame is all that is required to deliver a fairer society?
Robert Reich, one of the more readable economists, believes both capitalism and democracy would work better if we stopped pretending the two are somehow connected. Companies exist to make money. It is politicians, and through them the public, who can place a value on community, the environment and the like. Review by George Megalogenis. Weekend Australian Review 21 Jun 2008
EUTHANASIA: Euthanasia law expert backs jury
AN expert in the laws of voluntary euthanasia says a jury reached a predictable and appropriate decision when it convicted two elderly women of manslaughter for what they claimed was the mercy killing of an Alzheimer's sufferer. Aust 21 Jun 2008
ABORIGINAL & INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS: More comment
Three more articles from the 21 June 2008 edition of The Australian:
Send kids to school or lose welfare
Indigenous seven-year-olds try sex and dope
Stolen Generations pioneer Bruce Trevorrow dies
Send kids to school or lose welfare
Indigenous seven-year-olds try sex and dope
Stolen Generations pioneer Bruce Trevorrow dies
ABORIGINAL & INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS: A work in progress
The intervention is on track, but has a long way to go, says The Australian.
IN June last year, when controversy over the newly announced Northern Territory intervention was at its height, lawyer Noel Pearson slayed its critics with a powerful argument: "Ask the terrified kid huddling in the corner, when there's a binge-drinking party going on down the hall, ask them if they want a bit of paternalism," he said. "Ask them if they want a bit of intervention, because these people who continue to bleat without looking at the facts, without facing up to the terrible things that are going on in our remote communities, these people are prescribing no intervention, they are prescribing a perpetual hell for our children."
Twelve months after former prime minister John Howard announced the emergency intervention, following revelations of horrific and widespread child abuse, the difficult and painstaking process is advancing slowly. The former and current governments both deserve credit for abandoning failed, decades-old approaches. A start has been made, with 9000 health checks, more police, a drop in gambling, drug-taking and alcohol abuse, and improvements in school attendance and fresh food consumption. Aust 21 Jun 2008
IN June last year, when controversy over the newly announced Northern Territory intervention was at its height, lawyer Noel Pearson slayed its critics with a powerful argument: "Ask the terrified kid huddling in the corner, when there's a binge-drinking party going on down the hall, ask them if they want a bit of paternalism," he said. "Ask them if they want a bit of intervention, because these people who continue to bleat without looking at the facts, without facing up to the terrible things that are going on in our remote communities, these people are prescribing no intervention, they are prescribing a perpetual hell for our children."
Twelve months after former prime minister John Howard announced the emergency intervention, following revelations of horrific and widespread child abuse, the difficult and painstaking process is advancing slowly. The former and current governments both deserve credit for abandoning failed, decades-old approaches. A start has been made, with 9000 health checks, more police, a drop in gambling, drug-taking and alcohol abuse, and improvements in school attendance and fresh food consumption. Aust 21 Jun 2008
ABORIGINAL & INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS: No question of turning back
IN the tumultuous year since John Howard's indigenous intervention turned the Northern Territory on its head, the federal government's emergency response has been condemned and praised, questioned and revised, lampooned and obituarised.Yet it remains in force, reshaping remote territory communities, just as the deep-seated social problems it was designed to counter also remain, writes Nicholas Rothwell. Aust 21 Jun 2008
PEDOPHILIA: Pedophile policeman jailed
A POLICEMAN who kept thousands of child pornography images on his home computer and who kept a provocative video of a young girl in his work locker has been sentenced to more than three years in jail. SMH 21 Jun 2008
HOMOSEXUAL RIGHTS: For same-sex couples, the law must embrace love
We like to think of the 19th century as an age of almost totalitarian sexual repression. Yet when we consider the current debate around same-sex superannuation entitlements, it is our own legislature that ends up looking embarrassingly Victorian, argues Alecia Simmonds. SMH 21 Jun 2008
CENSORSHIP: Art censorship isn't the answer
AUSTRALIA'S peak visual arts body has slammed suggestions from a child welfare activist that a vetting system be established to determine artists' bona fides in working with children. Aust 14 Jun 2008
CRIMINAL JUSTICE: David Hicks set to be Guantanamo's only convict
DAVID Hicks looks likely to be the Bush administration's only successful conviction from the prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, after a stunning decision by the US Supreme Court again threw the military trials at the US naval base into chaos. Aust 14 Jun 2008
POLITICS - AUSTRALIA: One Nation spurred a decade of change
TEN years ago, in the wake of the Queensland election that turned One Nation from a cult of personality based around Pauline Hanson to a party in its own right, The Weekend Australian said the result confirmed domestic politics had detached itself from the base. One Nation secured 11 seats in the single-chamber Queensland parliament, robbing both Labor and the Coalition, dooming the conservative Borbidge government, and handing power to Peter Beattie in a hung parliament in which a non-One Nation independent held the balance of power. Many who turned to One Nation did so out of frustration at unemployment, economic uncertainty and change. The backlash was also a consequence of the poll-driven, research-based politics of the major parties, which had become so sophisticated and manipulative in their attention to interest groups as to overlook the concerns of many Australians.
A decade later, with One Nation having imploded under the weight of expectations that it perform, a lot has changed on Australia's political landscape. The active listening defence used by Peter Beattie to disarm the feelings of exclusion that fuelled the maverick party has become de rigueur for politicians everywhere. Kevin Rudd has followed Mr Beattie's lead with community cabinets and a 2020 summit designed to give the impression that government believes in a bottom-up rather than top-down connection with voters. Despite this, with less certain economic times and urban elites eager to reclaim government in their image, there are many lessons from the One Nation experience that need to be remembered, says The Australian. Aust 14 Jun 2008
A decade later, with One Nation having imploded under the weight of expectations that it perform, a lot has changed on Australia's political landscape. The active listening defence used by Peter Beattie to disarm the feelings of exclusion that fuelled the maverick party has become de rigueur for politicians everywhere. Kevin Rudd has followed Mr Beattie's lead with community cabinets and a 2020 summit designed to give the impression that government believes in a bottom-up rather than top-down connection with voters. Despite this, with less certain economic times and urban elites eager to reclaim government in their image, there are many lessons from the One Nation experience that need to be remembered, says The Australian. Aust 14 Jun 2008
AID & DEVELOPMENT: Abortion aid to nations is harmful and obscene
The Australian parliamentary group on population and development, led by Labor senator Claire Moore and federal Liberal MP Mal Washer - who was one of those instrumental in having the abortion drug RU486 made available in Australia - has recommended to Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith that aid must be directed more towards family planning, or reproductive health as it is termed, and that might include abortion. It is supported by the Australian Reproductive Health Alliance.
The pro-abortion mentality of these advocacy groups targets pregnancy as a dangerous condition, to be treated by "safe abortion" rather than targeting the disturbing lack of prenatal care, vaccines, trained midwives, centres equipped for obstetric complications and transportation to those centres, writes Angela Shanahan. Aust 14 Jun 2008
The pro-abortion mentality of these advocacy groups targets pregnancy as a dangerous condition, to be treated by "safe abortion" rather than targeting the disturbing lack of prenatal care, vaccines, trained midwives, centres equipped for obstetric complications and transportation to those centres, writes Angela Shanahan. Aust 14 Jun 2008
POLITICS - NSW: Lying is not a sackable offence
MORRIS IEMMA has just set a new low in standards for ministers in this state and made himself look weak and indecisive in the process. What a way to cap off a horrible week. SMH 14 Jun 2008
CIVILITY: The trashing of civility
The Australian Governor-General has a few laments about a changing Australia. Phillip Hudson was there to listen.He declares it to be disgraceful that some of the still-living players in Melbourne's gangland wars are cashing in on their fame from the TV show Underbelly to run tours of the crime scenes, or become celebrities.
As he enters the final months before his retirement as the Queen's man in Australia, Major-General Jeffery is speaking out on a range of subjects. SMH 14 Jun 2008
Jun 24, 2008
SMOKING: Chinese cold turkey
China's nicotine-addicted masses will be hit by an unprecedented smoking ban during the Beijing Olympics. Aust 18 Jun 2008
FROM THE VAULT: Modern slaves
Hardly a thing of the past, slavery thrives in our world. Investigative reporter Benjamin Skinner tells Salon the shocking truth about human trafficking.
During the four years that Benjamin Skinner researched modern-day slavery for his new book, "A Crime So Monstrous," he posed as a buyer at illegal brothels on several continents, interviewed convicted human traffickers in a Romanian prison and endured giardia, malaria, dengue and a bad motorcycle accident. But Skinner, an investigative journalist, is most haunted by his experience in a seedy brothel in Bucharest, Romania, where he was offered a young woman with Down syndrome in exchange for a used car.
"There are more slaves today than at any point in human history," writes Skinner, citing a recent estimate that there are currently 27 million worldwide.
Salon.com 27 Mar 2008
During the four years that Benjamin Skinner researched modern-day slavery for his new book, "A Crime So Monstrous," he posed as a buyer at illegal brothels on several continents, interviewed convicted human traffickers in a Romanian prison and endured giardia, malaria, dengue and a bad motorcycle accident. But Skinner, an investigative journalist, is most haunted by his experience in a seedy brothel in Bucharest, Romania, where he was offered a young woman with Down syndrome in exchange for a used car.
"There are more slaves today than at any point in human history," writes Skinner, citing a recent estimate that there are currently 27 million worldwide.
Salon.com 27 Mar 2008
Jun 23, 2008
WAR: Troop commitment to foreign wars should be decided by the Parliament
With the withdrawal of Australia's combat troops from Iraq, we should examine how we got there in the first place. Australia should never again go to war based only on a decision of the government of the day. Parliamentary approval should be required for a prime minister to commit Australian troops to hostile action overseas. Britain is moving in this direction, and so should Australia, writes George Williams.
Online Opinion 18 Jun 2008
Online Opinion 18 Jun 2008
ISLAM & CHRISTIANITY: Persecution spurs debate in Algeria
The Algerian government has been appeasing Islamists since early 2008 by implementing its 2006 'Presidential Order Concerning Religion' and repressing Christian worship and practice. Habiba Kouider (35) was charged with 'practising non-Muslim religious rites without a licence' after police found Bibles in her handbag on 29 March. Her case is so controversial that on 27 May the court postponed its verdict.
On 1 June police harangued Habiba in the street for two hours. Then on 3 June, four Algerian Christians got suspended jail sentences and fines for 'attempting to shake the faith of Muslims'. The government asserts that religious liberty is part of a foreign conspiracy to colonise Algeria. But many Algerians are not buying that and voices for liberty and justice are being raised in Algeria. Please pray for Algeria and its Church in this time of trial and debate.
Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin No. 483 Wed 18 Jun 2008
On 1 June police harangued Habiba in the street for two hours. Then on 3 June, four Algerian Christians got suspended jail sentences and fines for 'attempting to shake the faith of Muslims'. The government asserts that religious liberty is part of a foreign conspiracy to colonise Algeria. But many Algerians are not buying that and voices for liberty and justice are being raised in Algeria. Please pray for Algeria and its Church in this time of trial and debate.
Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin No. 483 Wed 18 Jun 2008
ISLAM & CHRISTIANITY: Covering up: What to learn from the French debate over headscarves
What we see in France today is an explicit recognition of the classroom—the crucible of education—as public space, and an effort to ensure that it remains a secular venue in which students of all faiths come together. Contrary to Scott's argument, which claims that by passing the headscarf law France is actively rejecting Muslims, the French state is trying to include Muslims in the classroom while keeping Islam at bay. The French state cannot reinterpret Islam so that it recognizes a distinction between public and private, but it can certainly make Muslim citizens of France recognize this distinction, writes Rayyan Al-Shawaf.
CT Books & Culture May/Jun 2008
CT Books & Culture May/Jun 2008
POLITICS & FAITH: State of protest: The counterculture and the religious right
Thoughtful academics have long been sensitive to the liberal origins of the Reagan Revolution. In the bestselling Why Americans Hate Politics, E. J. Dionne emphasized just how easy it was for pot-smoking hippies to grow into espresso-sipping yuppies. The liberal heritage of the neoconservative hawks who have circled around Republican administrations since 1980 is even less disputed. These intellectuals, after all, hail from radical socialist and communist backgrounds, and they carried their youthful idealism with them in their various campaigns to spread democracy.
One significant faction of the modern Republican Party, however, is usually situated well outside what Louis Hartz famously described as the American liberal tradition. Indeed, the Religious Right routinely gets compared to the Taliban and the KKK. Even more sober observers regard the Religious Right as an illiberal reaction to the convulsions of the Sixties.
As its great title suggests, Hippies of the Religious Right sharply disagrees with the conventional wisdom. In Preston Shires' rendering, today's conservative evangelicals owe a great debt to the Sixties. Indeed, many of them participated in the counterculture.
CT Books & Culture May/Jun 2008
One significant faction of the modern Republican Party, however, is usually situated well outside what Louis Hartz famously described as the American liberal tradition. Indeed, the Religious Right routinely gets compared to the Taliban and the KKK. Even more sober observers regard the Religious Right as an illiberal reaction to the convulsions of the Sixties.
As its great title suggests, Hippies of the Religious Right sharply disagrees with the conventional wisdom. In Preston Shires' rendering, today's conservative evangelicals owe a great debt to the Sixties. Indeed, many of them participated in the counterculture.
CT Books & Culture May/Jun 2008
SOCIAL JUSTICE & FAITH: Colson on faith-based social action
Here is a little secret I have discovered over the years: Government does its best when it lets faith-based groups do what they do best. But, usually, this does not happen until government admits that it cannot do everything on its own, writes Chuck Colson.
BreakPoint 16 Jun 2008
BreakPoint 16 Jun 2008
PUBLIC THEOLOGY: N T Wright on public theology
"Public religion," Sightings' constant theme, includes "public theology." This week The Christian Century (June 12) offers a challenge on that theme from the Anglican Bishop of Durham, N. T. Wright, as noted a New Testament scholar as is being read and heard these days. The article condenses his lecture last November to the Society of Biblical literature.
He always speaks and writes clearly, so it is hard to duck his point. He aims negatively at "the extraordinary inverted snobbery of preferring gnostic saying-sources to the canonical documentation" and at over-worked scholarly "source and form criticism." Taking the two together, he regards them as efforts to see the four Gospels "patronized, muzzled, dismembered and eventually eliminated altogether as a force to be reckoned with." Strong stuff. Wright is then obliged to make his positive case, which is no less likely to jolt many interests who engage in scholarship and "public theology."
Here it is: "The central message of all four canonical Gospels is that the Creator God, Israel's God, is at last reclaiming the whole world as his own, in and through Jesus of Nazareth. That, to offer a riskily broad generalization, is the message of the kingdom of God, which is Jesus' answer to the question, What would it look like if God were running this show." Which God? Not the one Nietzsche or Christopher Hitchens denounces, their "celestial tyrant" who is badly "running the world." No, "the whole point of the Gospels is that the coming of God's kingdom on earth as in heaven is precisely not the imposition of an alien and dehumanizing tyranny, bur rather the confrontation of alien and dehumanizing tyrannies with the news of a God—the God recognized in Jesus—who is radically different from them all, and whose inbreaking justice aims at rescuing and restoring genuine humanness."
Sightings 16 Jun 2008
He always speaks and writes clearly, so it is hard to duck his point. He aims negatively at "the extraordinary inverted snobbery of preferring gnostic saying-sources to the canonical documentation" and at over-worked scholarly "source and form criticism." Taking the two together, he regards them as efforts to see the four Gospels "patronized, muzzled, dismembered and eventually eliminated altogether as a force to be reckoned with." Strong stuff. Wright is then obliged to make his positive case, which is no less likely to jolt many interests who engage in scholarship and "public theology."
Here it is: "The central message of all four canonical Gospels is that the Creator God, Israel's God, is at last reclaiming the whole world as his own, in and through Jesus of Nazareth. That, to offer a riskily broad generalization, is the message of the kingdom of God, which is Jesus' answer to the question, What would it look like if God were running this show." Which God? Not the one Nietzsche or Christopher Hitchens denounces, their "celestial tyrant" who is badly "running the world." No, "the whole point of the Gospels is that the coming of God's kingdom on earth as in heaven is precisely not the imposition of an alien and dehumanizing tyranny, bur rather the confrontation of alien and dehumanizing tyrannies with the news of a God—the God recognized in Jesus—who is radically different from them all, and whose inbreaking justice aims at rescuing and restoring genuine humanness."
Sightings 16 Jun 2008
EVANGELISM: Unapologetic Apologist
On a gray sunday afternoon at the famous Speakers Corner in Hyde Park, London, a turbaned man jabs his finger into the chilly air as he preaches to 200 people crowded around him. Two followers behind him clutch poles supporting a banner emblazoned with Arabic script. Its translation: "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger." Fifty feet away, another crowd gathers around Jay Smith, a quick-thinking, controversial evangelical known for debating Muslims. He uses chapters (surahs) from the Qur'an as his principal text. On this occasion, Smith and Beth Grove, a British grad student in theology, debate the place of women in traditional Islam, in contrast to New Testament teaching.
Christianity Today 13 Jun 2008
Christianity Today 13 Jun 2008
EVANGELISM: Southern Baptists confront prevailing 'lostness'
Ending their annual meeting on an encouraging yet challenging note, Southern Baptists were called to make their impact on "the lostness that remains".
Christian Today 13 Jun 2008
Christian Today 13 Jun 2008
SOCIAL JUSTICE & FAITH: How Responding to People’s Needs Hurts the Church
Defining the church’s ministry by responding to people’s needs is a common notion; but, because of the blurred line between want and need, no matter how much we speak of needs or perceived needs, it puts the church in the position of being defined not by its faith or history but by people’s wants. This trivializes the church, its mission, and its outreach. It eviscerates the heart of the church’s message and cuts the church off from its identity as the people of Christ, argues Elizabeth I. Steele.
Alban Institute Spring 2008
Alban Institute Spring 2008
BIOETHICS - STEM CELLS: Doctor makes movie about stem cell research
Dr Shelley Chawla is tired of watching his patients suffer. Chawla, a neurologist in Topeka, fervently believes that some of the suffering he sees while treating chronically ill patients could be eased by embryonic stem cell research which, he believes, has been delayed in the US by political and religious opposition.
Age 10 Jun 2008
Age 10 Jun 2008
HUNGER: Church bodies seek 'daily bread' for world’s poor
Church bodies have affirmed their commitment to feeding the world's hungry after world government's agreed at the recent Rome food crisis summit that overcoming the current shortages would require a united effort.
Christian Today 9 Jun 2008
Christian Today 9 Jun 2008
SOCIAL JUSTICE & FAITH: Integral mission can help church solve global challenges
Integral mission is “foundational” to the church’s response to some of the biggest challenges facing the world today, believes the head of the World Evangelical Alliance, Dr Geoff Tunnicliffe. Addressing the Christian Management Australia conference at Bondi Beach last week, Dr Tunnicliffe said that a clash of world views, increasing secularism and post-modernism were just some of the “major” challenges to global stability.
He acknowledged that evangelicalism had for many people around the world become synonymous with a narrow social agenda and in some cases US foreign policy, whilst faith communities in some western countries were being “pushed to the edge” of society by the torchbearers of radical secularism.
WAR: Bush regrets his legacy as man who wanted war
President Bush has admitted to The Times that his gun-slinging rhetoric made the world believe that he was a “guy really anxious for war” in Iraq. He said that his aim now was to leave his successor a legacy of international diplomacy for tackling Iran.
Times Online 11 Jun 2008
Times Online 11 Jun 2008
CHINA: China funding campaign to eliminate house churches
A new report released on Sunday, exactly two months ahead of the Beijing Olympic Games, details the current Chinese Government’s crackdown on unregistered Christians, including the funding of a campaign to eradicate house churches throughout China.
Christian Today 10 Jun 2008
Christian Today 10 Jun 2008
INTERFAITH: David Coffey to join Blair's Faith Foundation
Washington, D.C. (BWA)--Baptist World Alliance President David Coffey has been named to the Advisory Council of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation.
Former British Prime Minister Blair, in his May 2 invitation letter to Coffey, said, “Given your extensive knowledge and experience, I would count it a great honor and privilege if you were willing to accept an invitation to become a council member.”
Coffey, in accepting the invitation, stated, “I pledge my support for the Tony Blair Faith Foundation because I share the vision of fostering respectful relations between the historic faith traditions of the world. It is of vital importance for the peace of the nations that the faith traditions learn how to live with their deepest differences.”
BWA media release, 6 Jun 2008
Former British Prime Minister Blair, in his May 2 invitation letter to Coffey, said, “Given your extensive knowledge and experience, I would count it a great honor and privilege if you were willing to accept an invitation to become a council member.”
Coffey, in accepting the invitation, stated, “I pledge my support for the Tony Blair Faith Foundation because I share the vision of fostering respectful relations between the historic faith traditions of the world. It is of vital importance for the peace of the nations that the faith traditions learn how to live with their deepest differences.”
BWA media release, 6 Jun 2008
POLITICS & FAITH: Virtue over policy in elections?
When we are choosing someone to lead us, we do best to look for a "good human being," write Daniel Taylor & Mark McCloskey. Such a person is not likely to be moralistic or pious or politically correct. But he or she needs to be virtuous. Because, over time, nations flourish only to the degree that their collective virtue sustains.
Christianity Today 6 Jun 2008
Christianity Today 6 Jun 2008
IDEOLOGY: Chuck Colson on political ideology
As the presidential campaign heats up, Christians need to see that most of the issues being debated arise from conflicting ideologies of the two parties. But we should be taken in by nobody’s ideology. Because we look to the revealed, enduring moral order, we may advocate things the world calls “liberal”—like prison reform—because doing so promotes human dignity. And we may also reject those things that ideology labels “conservative” that fail to recognize or uphold the moral order.
BreakPoint 5 Jun 2008
BreakPoint 5 Jun 2008
POLITICS & FAITH: Assessing a More Prominent 'Religious Left'
Liberal and progressive religious voices have become increasingly prominent in the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign. To complement a recent Forum-sponsored panel discussion on the “religious left,” Associate Director Mark O’Keefe asked Senior Fellow John Green to define the various groups that make up the religious left movement and talk about implications for the “religious right.”
Pew Forum 5 Jun 2008
Pew Forum 5 Jun 2008
SEX: Resisting the "hookup" culture
That the "hookup"—a random sexual encounter often fueled by drunkenness—is the dominant way of relating to the opposite sex on many college campuses is no longer news. Neither is the announcement that the hookup culture has negative repercussions for its participants. Its pervasiveness has gotten the attention of sociologists, feminists, parents, and even novelist Tom Wolfe.
What may be a promising twist to the story of the American university's fall from grace was covered in a recent New York Times Magazine article, "Students of Virginity." There's a growing number of brave students banding together to both resist the hookup culture and to promote sexual abstinence before marriage—and not mainly for religious reasons.
Christianity Today 4 Jun 2008
What may be a promising twist to the story of the American university's fall from grace was covered in a recent New York Times Magazine article, "Students of Virginity." There's a growing number of brave students banding together to both resist the hookup culture and to promote sexual abstinence before marriage—and not mainly for religious reasons.
Christianity Today 4 Jun 2008
News & opinion updates resuming on the blog
From today, Religion & Ethics Australia (REA) news posts will appear on this blog again. Remember, you can find back issues of REA here:
http://www.nswchurches.com/content/REA.aspx
http://www.morling.nsw.edu.au/tinsley_institute/public_theology/religion_and_ethics/
(brand new website)
http://www.nswchurches.com/content/REA.aspx
http://www.morling.nsw.edu.au/tinsley_institute/public_theology/religion_and_ethics/
(brand new website)
Mar 26, 2008
The last post (of Andrew Olmsted)
U.S. Army Major Andrew Olmsted was killed in Iraq on 3 January 2008. My previous post gives some background. Olmsted was a prolific blogger and wrote a "final message" before he left the U.S., to be posted in the event of his death. Here it is:
“I am leaving this message for you because it appears I must leave sooner than I intended. I would have preferred to say this in person, but since I cannot, let me say it here.”G’Kar, Babylon 5
“Only the dead have seen the end of war.”Plato*
This is an entry I would have preferred not to have published, but there are limits to what we can control in life, and apparently I have passed one of those limits. And so, like G’Kar, I must say here what I would much prefer to say in person. I want to thank hilzoy for putting it up for me. It’s not easy asking anyone to do something for you in the event of your death, and it is a testament to her quality that she didn’t hesitate to accept the charge. As with many bloggers, I have a disgustingly large ego, and so I just couldn’t bear the thought of not being able to have the last word if the need arose. Perhaps I take that further than most, I don’t know. I hope so. It’s frightening to think there are many people as neurotic as I am in the world. In any case, since I won’t get another chance to say what I think, I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity. Such as it is.
“When some people die, it’s time to be sad. But when other people die, like really evil people, or the Irish, it’s time to celebrate.”Jimmy Bender, “Greg the Bunny”
“And maybe now it’s your turnTo die kicking some ass.”Freedom Isn’t Free, Team America
What I don’t want this to be is a chance for me, or anyone else, to be maudlin. I’m dead. That sucks, at least for me and my family and friends. But all the tears in the world aren’t going to bring me back, so I would prefer that people remember the good things about me rather than mourning my loss. (If it turns out a specific number of tears will, in fact, bring me back to life, then by all means, break out the onions.) I had a pretty good life, as I noted above. Sure, all things being equal I would have preferred to have more time, but I have no business complaining with all the good fortune I’ve enjoyed in my life. So if you’re up for that, put on a little 80s music (preferably vintage 1980-1984), grab a Coke and have a drink with me. If you have it, throw ‘Freedom Isn’t Free’ from the Team America soundtrack in; if you can’t laugh at that song, I think you need to lighten up a little. I’m dead, but if you’re reading this, you’re not, so take a moment to enjoy that happy fact.
"Our thoughts form the universe. They always matter."Citizen G'Kar, Babylon 5
Believe it or not, one of the things I will miss most is not being able to blog any longer. The ability to put my thoughts on (virtual) paper and put them where people can read and respond to them has been marvelous, even if most people who have read my writings haven't agreed with them. If there is any hope for the long term success of democracy, it will be if people agree to listen to and try to understand their political opponents rather than simply seeking to crush them. While the blogosphere has its share of partisans, there are some awfully smart people making excellent arguments out there as well, and I know I have learned quite a bit since I began blogging. I flatter myself I may have made a good argument or two as well; if I didn't, please don't tell me. It has been a great five-plus years. I got to meet a lot of people who are way smarter than me, including such luminaries as Virginia Postrel and her husband Stephen (speaking strictly from a 'improving the species' perspective, it's tragic those two don't have kids, because they're both scary smart.), the estimable hilzoy and Sebastian of Obsidian Wings, Jeff Goldstein and Stephen Green, the men who consistently frustrated me with their mix of wit and wisdom I could never match, and I've no doubt left out a number of people to whom I apologize. Bottom line: if I got the chance to meet you through blogging, I enjoyed it. I'm only sorry I couldn't meet more of you. In particular I'd like to thank Jim Henley, who while we've never met has been a true comrade, whose words have taught me and whose support has been of great personal value to me. I would very much have enjoyed meeting Jim.
Blogging put me in touch with an inordinate number of smart people, an exhilarating if humbling experience. When I was young, I was smart, but the older I got, the more I realized just how dumb I was in comparison to truly smart people. But, to my credit, I think, I was at least smart enough to pay attention to the people with real brains and even occasionally learn something from them. It has been joy and a pleasure having the opportunity to do this.
"It's not fair.""No. It's not. Death never is."Captain John Sheridan and Dr. Stephen Franklin, Babylon 5
"They didn't even dig him a decent grave.""Well, it's not how you're buried. It's how you're remembered."Cimarron and Wil Andersen, The Cowboys
I suppose I should speak to the circumstances of my death. It would be nice to believe that I died leading men in battle, preferably saving their lives at the cost of my own. More likely I was caught by a marksman or an IED. But if there is an afterlife, I'm telling anyone who asks that I went down surrounded by hundreds of insurgents defending a village composed solely of innocent women and children. It'll be our little secret, ok?
I do ask (not that I'm in a position to enforce this) that no one try to use my death to further their political purposes. I went to Iraq and did what I did for my reasons, not yours. My life isn't a chit to be used to bludgeon people to silence on either side. If you think the U.S. should stay in Iraq, don't drag me into it by claiming that somehow my death demands us staying in Iraq. If you think the U.S. ought to get out tomorrow, don't cite my name as an example of someone's life who was wasted by our mission in Iraq. I have my own opinions about what we should do about Iraq, but since I'm not around to expound on them I'd prefer others not try and use me as some kind of moral capital to support a position I probably didn't support. Further, this is tough enough on my family without their having to see my picture being used in some rally or my name being cited for some political purpose. You can fight political battles without hurting my family, and I'd prefer that you did so.
On a similar note, while you're free to think whatever you like about my life and death, if you think I wasted my life, I'll tell you you're wrong. We're all going to die of something. I died doing a job I loved. When your time comes, I hope you are as fortunate as I was.
"What an idiot! What a loser!"Chaz Reingold, Wedding Crashers
"Oh and I don't want to die for you, but if dying's asked of me;I'll bear that cross with honor, 'cause freedom don't come free."American Soldier, Toby Keith
Those who know me through my writings on the Internet over the past five-plus years probably have wondered at times about my chosen profession. While I am not a Libertarian, I certainly hold strongly individualistic beliefs. Yet I have spent my life in a profession that is not generally known for rugged individualism. Worse, I volunteered to return to active duty knowing that the choice would almost certainly lead me to Iraq. The simple explanation might be that I was simply stupid, and certainly I make no bones about having done some dumb things in my life, but I don't think this can be chalked up to stupidity. Maybe I was inconsistent in my beliefs; there are few people who adhere religiously to the doctrines of their chosen philosophy, whatever that may be. But I don't think that was the case in this instance either.
As passionate as I am about personal freedom, I don't buy the claims of anarchists that humanity would be just fine without any government at all. There are too many people in the world who believe that they know best how people should live their lives, and many of them are more than willing to use force to impose those beliefs on others. A world without government simply wouldn't last very long; as soon as it was established, strongmen would immediately spring up to establish their fiefdoms. So there is a need for government to protect the people's rights. And one of the fundamental tools to do that is an army that can prevent outside agencies from imposing their rules on a society. A lot of people will protest that argument by noting that the people we are fighting in Iraq are unlikely to threaten the rights of the average American. That's certainly true; while our enemies would certainly like to wreak great levels of havoc on our society, the fact is they're not likely to succeed. But that doesn't mean there isn't still a need for an army (setting aside debates regarding whether ours is the right size at the moment). Americans are fortunate that we don't have to worry too much about people coming to try and overthrow us, but part of the reason we don't have to worry about that is because we have an army that is stopping anyone who would try.
Soldiers cannot have the option of opting out of missions because they don't agree with them: that violates the social contract. The duly-elected American government decided to go to war in Iraq. (Even if you maintain President Bush was not properly elected, Congress voted for war as well.) As a soldier, I have a duty to obey the orders of the President of the United States as long as they are Constitutional. I can no more opt out of missions I disagree with than I can ignore laws I think are improper. I do not consider it a violation of my individual rights to have gone to Iraq on orders because I raised my right hand and volunteered to join the army. Whether or not this mission was a good one, my participation in it was an affirmation of something I consider quite necessary to society. So if nothing else, I gave my life for a pretty important principle; I can (if you'll pardon the pun) live with that.
"It's all so brief, isn't it? A typical human lifespan is almost a hundred years. But it's barely a second compared to what's out there. It wouldn't be so bad if life didn't take so long to figure out. Seems you just start to get it right, and then...it's over."Dr. Stephen Franklin, Babylon 5
I wish I could say I'd at least started to get it right. Although, in my defense, I think I batted a solid .250 or so. Not a superstar, but at least able to play in the big leagues. I'm afraid I can't really offer any deep secrets or wisdom. I lived my life better than some, worse than others, and I like to think that the world was a little better off for my having been here. Not very much, but then, few of us are destined to make more than a tiny dent in history's Green Monster. I would be lying if I didn't admit I would have liked to have done more, but it's a bit too late for that now, eh? The bottom line, for me, is that I think I can look back at my life and at least see a few areas where I may have made a tiny difference, and massive ego aside, that's probably not too bad.
"The flame also reminds us that life is precious. As each flame is unique; when it goes out, it's gone forever. There will never be another quite like it."Ambassador Delenn, Babylon 5
I write this in part, admittedly, because I would like to think that there's at least a little something out there to remember me by. Granted, this site will eventually vanish, being ephemeral in a very real sense of the word, but at least for a time it can serve as a tiny record of my contributions to the world. But on a larger scale, for those who knew me well enough to be saddened by my death, especially for those who haven't known anyone else lost to this war, perhaps my death can serve as a small reminder of the costs of war. Regardless of the merits of this war, or of any war, I think that many of us in America have forgotten that war means death and suffering in wholesale lots. A decision that for most of us in America was academic, whether or not to go to war in Iraq, had very real consequences for hundreds of thousands of people. Yet I was as guilty as anyone of minimizing those very real consequences in lieu of a cold discussion of theoretical merits of war and peace. Now I'm facing some very real consequences of that decision; who says life doesn't have a sense of humor?
But for those who knew me and feel this pain, I think it's a good thing to realize that this pain has been felt by thousands and thousands (probably millions, actually) of other people all over the world. That is part of the cost of war, any war, no matter how justified. If everyone who feels this pain keeps that in mind the next time we have to decide whether or not war is a good idea, perhaps it will help us to make a more informed decision. Because it is pretty clear that the average American would not have supported the Iraq War had they known the costs going in. I am far too cynical to believe that any future debate over war will be any less vitriolic or emotional, but perhaps a few more people will realize just what those costs can be the next time.
This may be a contradiction of my above call to keep politics out of my death, but I hope not. Sometimes going to war is the right idea. I think we've drawn that line too far in the direction of war rather than peace, but I'm a soldier and I know that sometimes you have to fight if you're to hold onto what you hold dear. But in making that decision, I believe we understate the costs of war; when we make the decision to fight, we make the decision to kill, and that means lives and families destroyed. Mine now falls into that category; the next time the question of war or peace comes up, if you knew me at least you can understand a bit more just what it is you're deciding to do, and whether or not those costs are worth it.
"This is true love. You think this happens every day?"Westley, The Princess Bride
"Good night, my love, the brightest star in my sky."John Sheridan, Babylon 5
This is the hardest part. While I certainly have no desire to die, at this point I no longer have any worries. That is not true of the woman who made my life something to enjoy rather than something merely to survive. She put up with all of my faults, and they are myriad, she endured separations again and again...I cannot imagine being more fortunate in love than I have been with Amanda. Now she has to go on without me, and while a cynic might observe she's better off, I know that this is a terrible burden I have placed on her, and I would give almost anything if she would not have to bear it. It seems that is not an option. I cannot imagine anything more painful than that, and if there is an afterlife, this is a pain I'll bear forever.
I wasn't the greatest husband. I could have done so much more, a realization that, as it so often does, comes too late to matter. But I cherished every day I was married to Amanda. When everything else in my life seemed dark, she was always there to light the darkness. It is difficult to imagine my life being worth living without her having been in it. I hope and pray that she goes on without me and enjoys her life as much as she deserves. I can think of no one more deserving of happiness than her.
"I will see you again, in the place where no shadows fall."Ambassador Delenn, Babylon 5
I don't know if there is an afterlife; I tend to doubt it, to be perfectly honest. But if there is any way possible, Amanda, then I will live up to Delenn's words, somehow, some way. I love you.
“I am leaving this message for you because it appears I must leave sooner than I intended. I would have preferred to say this in person, but since I cannot, let me say it here.”G’Kar, Babylon 5
“Only the dead have seen the end of war.”Plato*
This is an entry I would have preferred not to have published, but there are limits to what we can control in life, and apparently I have passed one of those limits. And so, like G’Kar, I must say here what I would much prefer to say in person. I want to thank hilzoy for putting it up for me. It’s not easy asking anyone to do something for you in the event of your death, and it is a testament to her quality that she didn’t hesitate to accept the charge. As with many bloggers, I have a disgustingly large ego, and so I just couldn’t bear the thought of not being able to have the last word if the need arose. Perhaps I take that further than most, I don’t know. I hope so. It’s frightening to think there are many people as neurotic as I am in the world. In any case, since I won’t get another chance to say what I think, I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity. Such as it is.
“When some people die, it’s time to be sad. But when other people die, like really evil people, or the Irish, it’s time to celebrate.”Jimmy Bender, “Greg the Bunny”
“And maybe now it’s your turnTo die kicking some ass.”Freedom Isn’t Free, Team America
What I don’t want this to be is a chance for me, or anyone else, to be maudlin. I’m dead. That sucks, at least for me and my family and friends. But all the tears in the world aren’t going to bring me back, so I would prefer that people remember the good things about me rather than mourning my loss. (If it turns out a specific number of tears will, in fact, bring me back to life, then by all means, break out the onions.) I had a pretty good life, as I noted above. Sure, all things being equal I would have preferred to have more time, but I have no business complaining with all the good fortune I’ve enjoyed in my life. So if you’re up for that, put on a little 80s music (preferably vintage 1980-1984), grab a Coke and have a drink with me. If you have it, throw ‘Freedom Isn’t Free’ from the Team America soundtrack in; if you can’t laugh at that song, I think you need to lighten up a little. I’m dead, but if you’re reading this, you’re not, so take a moment to enjoy that happy fact.
"Our thoughts form the universe. They always matter."Citizen G'Kar, Babylon 5
Believe it or not, one of the things I will miss most is not being able to blog any longer. The ability to put my thoughts on (virtual) paper and put them where people can read and respond to them has been marvelous, even if most people who have read my writings haven't agreed with them. If there is any hope for the long term success of democracy, it will be if people agree to listen to and try to understand their political opponents rather than simply seeking to crush them. While the blogosphere has its share of partisans, there are some awfully smart people making excellent arguments out there as well, and I know I have learned quite a bit since I began blogging. I flatter myself I may have made a good argument or two as well; if I didn't, please don't tell me. It has been a great five-plus years. I got to meet a lot of people who are way smarter than me, including such luminaries as Virginia Postrel and her husband Stephen (speaking strictly from a 'improving the species' perspective, it's tragic those two don't have kids, because they're both scary smart.), the estimable hilzoy and Sebastian of Obsidian Wings, Jeff Goldstein and Stephen Green, the men who consistently frustrated me with their mix of wit and wisdom I could never match, and I've no doubt left out a number of people to whom I apologize. Bottom line: if I got the chance to meet you through blogging, I enjoyed it. I'm only sorry I couldn't meet more of you. In particular I'd like to thank Jim Henley, who while we've never met has been a true comrade, whose words have taught me and whose support has been of great personal value to me. I would very much have enjoyed meeting Jim.
Blogging put me in touch with an inordinate number of smart people, an exhilarating if humbling experience. When I was young, I was smart, but the older I got, the more I realized just how dumb I was in comparison to truly smart people. But, to my credit, I think, I was at least smart enough to pay attention to the people with real brains and even occasionally learn something from them. It has been joy and a pleasure having the opportunity to do this.
"It's not fair.""No. It's not. Death never is."Captain John Sheridan and Dr. Stephen Franklin, Babylon 5
"They didn't even dig him a decent grave.""Well, it's not how you're buried. It's how you're remembered."Cimarron and Wil Andersen, The Cowboys
I suppose I should speak to the circumstances of my death. It would be nice to believe that I died leading men in battle, preferably saving their lives at the cost of my own. More likely I was caught by a marksman or an IED. But if there is an afterlife, I'm telling anyone who asks that I went down surrounded by hundreds of insurgents defending a village composed solely of innocent women and children. It'll be our little secret, ok?
I do ask (not that I'm in a position to enforce this) that no one try to use my death to further their political purposes. I went to Iraq and did what I did for my reasons, not yours. My life isn't a chit to be used to bludgeon people to silence on either side. If you think the U.S. should stay in Iraq, don't drag me into it by claiming that somehow my death demands us staying in Iraq. If you think the U.S. ought to get out tomorrow, don't cite my name as an example of someone's life who was wasted by our mission in Iraq. I have my own opinions about what we should do about Iraq, but since I'm not around to expound on them I'd prefer others not try and use me as some kind of moral capital to support a position I probably didn't support. Further, this is tough enough on my family without their having to see my picture being used in some rally or my name being cited for some political purpose. You can fight political battles without hurting my family, and I'd prefer that you did so.
On a similar note, while you're free to think whatever you like about my life and death, if you think I wasted my life, I'll tell you you're wrong. We're all going to die of something. I died doing a job I loved. When your time comes, I hope you are as fortunate as I was.
"What an idiot! What a loser!"Chaz Reingold, Wedding Crashers
"Oh and I don't want to die for you, but if dying's asked of me;I'll bear that cross with honor, 'cause freedom don't come free."American Soldier, Toby Keith
Those who know me through my writings on the Internet over the past five-plus years probably have wondered at times about my chosen profession. While I am not a Libertarian, I certainly hold strongly individualistic beliefs. Yet I have spent my life in a profession that is not generally known for rugged individualism. Worse, I volunteered to return to active duty knowing that the choice would almost certainly lead me to Iraq. The simple explanation might be that I was simply stupid, and certainly I make no bones about having done some dumb things in my life, but I don't think this can be chalked up to stupidity. Maybe I was inconsistent in my beliefs; there are few people who adhere religiously to the doctrines of their chosen philosophy, whatever that may be. But I don't think that was the case in this instance either.
As passionate as I am about personal freedom, I don't buy the claims of anarchists that humanity would be just fine without any government at all. There are too many people in the world who believe that they know best how people should live their lives, and many of them are more than willing to use force to impose those beliefs on others. A world without government simply wouldn't last very long; as soon as it was established, strongmen would immediately spring up to establish their fiefdoms. So there is a need for government to protect the people's rights. And one of the fundamental tools to do that is an army that can prevent outside agencies from imposing their rules on a society. A lot of people will protest that argument by noting that the people we are fighting in Iraq are unlikely to threaten the rights of the average American. That's certainly true; while our enemies would certainly like to wreak great levels of havoc on our society, the fact is they're not likely to succeed. But that doesn't mean there isn't still a need for an army (setting aside debates regarding whether ours is the right size at the moment). Americans are fortunate that we don't have to worry too much about people coming to try and overthrow us, but part of the reason we don't have to worry about that is because we have an army that is stopping anyone who would try.
Soldiers cannot have the option of opting out of missions because they don't agree with them: that violates the social contract. The duly-elected American government decided to go to war in Iraq. (Even if you maintain President Bush was not properly elected, Congress voted for war as well.) As a soldier, I have a duty to obey the orders of the President of the United States as long as they are Constitutional. I can no more opt out of missions I disagree with than I can ignore laws I think are improper. I do not consider it a violation of my individual rights to have gone to Iraq on orders because I raised my right hand and volunteered to join the army. Whether or not this mission was a good one, my participation in it was an affirmation of something I consider quite necessary to society. So if nothing else, I gave my life for a pretty important principle; I can (if you'll pardon the pun) live with that.
"It's all so brief, isn't it? A typical human lifespan is almost a hundred years. But it's barely a second compared to what's out there. It wouldn't be so bad if life didn't take so long to figure out. Seems you just start to get it right, and then...it's over."Dr. Stephen Franklin, Babylon 5
I wish I could say I'd at least started to get it right. Although, in my defense, I think I batted a solid .250 or so. Not a superstar, but at least able to play in the big leagues. I'm afraid I can't really offer any deep secrets or wisdom. I lived my life better than some, worse than others, and I like to think that the world was a little better off for my having been here. Not very much, but then, few of us are destined to make more than a tiny dent in history's Green Monster. I would be lying if I didn't admit I would have liked to have done more, but it's a bit too late for that now, eh? The bottom line, for me, is that I think I can look back at my life and at least see a few areas where I may have made a tiny difference, and massive ego aside, that's probably not too bad.
"The flame also reminds us that life is precious. As each flame is unique; when it goes out, it's gone forever. There will never be another quite like it."Ambassador Delenn, Babylon 5
I write this in part, admittedly, because I would like to think that there's at least a little something out there to remember me by. Granted, this site will eventually vanish, being ephemeral in a very real sense of the word, but at least for a time it can serve as a tiny record of my contributions to the world. But on a larger scale, for those who knew me well enough to be saddened by my death, especially for those who haven't known anyone else lost to this war, perhaps my death can serve as a small reminder of the costs of war. Regardless of the merits of this war, or of any war, I think that many of us in America have forgotten that war means death and suffering in wholesale lots. A decision that for most of us in America was academic, whether or not to go to war in Iraq, had very real consequences for hundreds of thousands of people. Yet I was as guilty as anyone of minimizing those very real consequences in lieu of a cold discussion of theoretical merits of war and peace. Now I'm facing some very real consequences of that decision; who says life doesn't have a sense of humor?
But for those who knew me and feel this pain, I think it's a good thing to realize that this pain has been felt by thousands and thousands (probably millions, actually) of other people all over the world. That is part of the cost of war, any war, no matter how justified. If everyone who feels this pain keeps that in mind the next time we have to decide whether or not war is a good idea, perhaps it will help us to make a more informed decision. Because it is pretty clear that the average American would not have supported the Iraq War had they known the costs going in. I am far too cynical to believe that any future debate over war will be any less vitriolic or emotional, but perhaps a few more people will realize just what those costs can be the next time.
This may be a contradiction of my above call to keep politics out of my death, but I hope not. Sometimes going to war is the right idea. I think we've drawn that line too far in the direction of war rather than peace, but I'm a soldier and I know that sometimes you have to fight if you're to hold onto what you hold dear. But in making that decision, I believe we understate the costs of war; when we make the decision to fight, we make the decision to kill, and that means lives and families destroyed. Mine now falls into that category; the next time the question of war or peace comes up, if you knew me at least you can understand a bit more just what it is you're deciding to do, and whether or not those costs are worth it.
"This is true love. You think this happens every day?"Westley, The Princess Bride
"Good night, my love, the brightest star in my sky."John Sheridan, Babylon 5
This is the hardest part. While I certainly have no desire to die, at this point I no longer have any worries. That is not true of the woman who made my life something to enjoy rather than something merely to survive. She put up with all of my faults, and they are myriad, she endured separations again and again...I cannot imagine being more fortunate in love than I have been with Amanda. Now she has to go on without me, and while a cynic might observe she's better off, I know that this is a terrible burden I have placed on her, and I would give almost anything if she would not have to bear it. It seems that is not an option. I cannot imagine anything more painful than that, and if there is an afterlife, this is a pain I'll bear forever.
I wasn't the greatest husband. I could have done so much more, a realization that, as it so often does, comes too late to matter. But I cherished every day I was married to Amanda. When everything else in my life seemed dark, she was always there to light the darkness. It is difficult to imagine my life being worth living without her having been in it. I hope and pray that she goes on without me and enjoys her life as much as she deserves. I can think of no one more deserving of happiness than her.
"I will see you again, in the place where no shadows fall."Ambassador Delenn, Babylon 5
I don't know if there is an afterlife; I tend to doubt it, to be perfectly honest. But if there is any way possible, Amanda, then I will live up to Delenn's words, somehow, some way. I love you.
Andrew Olmsted's view of the Iraq war
An American army officer who blogged for a US newspaper website from Iraq was killed on 3 January 2008 in an attack in the north of the country. The US army said Major Andrew Olmsted died with another US soldier when insurgents attacked with small arms near Sadiyah, 100 miles north-east of Baghdad.Olmsted, who had been based at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, began blogging after his unit was sent to Iraq with the mission of helping train the Iraqi Army. A sniper killed Olmsted as he was trying to talk three suspected insurgents into surrendering. A sniper's bullet also cut down Capt. Thomas J. Casey. They were in Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad.
Before he left for Iraq in July, he penned a final entry about his death in the event that he did not make it back, and this was published by a friend posthumously on his website.
Here's the last blog Olmsted wrote before he died, written on 26 December.
It's not at all easy to find the "final entry" post, but it's currently available here.
The full text is also in the next post to this blog.
Mar 25, 2008
Barack Obama speech on race and America's future
Here's a YouTube video (at 37 min, 39 sec it's a long one) of U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama speaking in Philadelphia, PA at Constitution Center, on matters of race and recent remarks, and the fundamental path by which Americans can work together to pursue a better future.
Like Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's speech in the Australian Parliament on 13 Feb 2008, Obama's address demonstrates that the making of political speeches of rhetorical excellence, moral vitality and enduring significance is still possible today.
Like Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's speech in the Australian Parliament on 13 Feb 2008, Obama's address demonstrates that the making of political speeches of rhetorical excellence, moral vitality and enduring significance is still possible today.
Mar 24, 2008
Recent articles
This blog remains active but work pressure means that I often won't have time to post articles here for the next few months. But there's good news: for hundreds of recent articles on ethics, politics and religion, go to my weekly pdf summaries:
Religion & Ethics Australia (weekly summaries & links)
Alternative web archive (weekly summaries & links)
Enjoy!
Religion & Ethics Australia (weekly summaries & links)
Alternative web archive (weekly summaries & links)
Enjoy!
Jan 25, 2008
95% of music downloads are illegal
An increase in legitimate music sales over the past year did not come close to offsetting the billions of dollars being lost to music piracy, with illegal downloads outnumbering the legal ones sold online by a factor of 20 to 1.
SMH 25 Jan 2008
SMH 25 Jan 2008
Transplant girl's blood change a 'miracle'
SHE'S got purple highlights in her hair and bright blue fingernails, but to doctors at the Children's Hospital at Westmead, Demi-Lee Brennan is a one-in-6 billion miracle. The 15-year-old liver transplant patient is the first person in the world to take on the immune system and blood type of her donor, negating the need to take anti-rejection drugs for the rest of her life. The phenomenon, which has been documented in the New England Journal of Medicine, has amazed doctors, who say they have no idea how it occurred.SMH 25 Jan 2008
Research council calls for transparent school funding system
THE $30 billion federal and state government funding system for schools is highly political, inefficient, in disarray and needs to be urgently overhauled, argues Milanda Rout.
Aust 25 Jan 2008
Aust 25 Jan 2008
A great chance for long-term rebuilding
Australians are not mugs. They know the present problems are not the Rudd Government's doing. This gives the Rudd-Swan team the chance to do what the Hawke-Keating team did from 1983: undertake deep structural reforms and investments in the key drivers of our economic future, argues Michael Costello.
Aust 25 Jan 2008
Aust 25 Jan 2008
Alcohol and drugs killed spirit of Santa
TOMORROW it will be a year since I was honoured by being chosen Young Australian of the Year. In my acceptance speech last January, I said that my award was a stark reminder that I was one of very few young people from my home community in Aboriginal Cape York who have been given a real chance to an education and a choice in how to lead their life. A year ago, I was hoping for change. Since then many good policies, such as welfare reform, have started to be implemented in Cape York, but to tell the truth, not much has changed for children and young people in Kowanyama. Tania Major writes.
Aust 25 Jan 2008
Aust 25 Jan 2008
Heat put on Stern report
A PRODUCTIVITY Commission paper has criticised the influential Stern review on global warming for making value-laden assumptions that inflated estimates of the economic costs of warming. The internal staff working paper, released as Australia prepares its own version of the Stern review, called the original British review's conclusions "as much an exercise in advocacy as it is an economic analysis of climate change". It acknowledged Nicholas Stern's contribution to the field, but said it was impossible to say whether some assumptions were "definitively right or wrong".
Aust 25 Jan 2008
Aust 25 Jan 2008
Jan 24, 2008
Sex and porn major causes of debt woe
A QUARTER of people with problem debt have confessed to spending money on sex or pornography, a report by the UK Insolvency Helpline shows. The group said that between January and September, 10,251 — or one in four — callers to the helpline aged between 25 and 49 had visited a brothel or strip club, or paid to view pornography. It has warned the public about sex-industry spending. The sex industry now lies in third place behind drug and alcohol abuse and shopping addiction in the table of most common reasons for getting into debt.
Age 24 Jan 2008
Age 24 Jan 2008
Love thy neighbour - it's in our hands
People like to blame governments for all our ills, but we can all do a little more to improve the lives of others. At heart, we're a fantastically tolerant and generous society, and on Australia Day we should give thanks for that. This Australia Day let's pledge ourselves to be better neighbours. Let's remember the less fortunate and the lonely, and perform, if we can, some act of kindness, however small. It is too late now to help Jorge Chambe, but his death need not be in vain, writes NSW Premier Morris Iemma.
SMH 24 Jan 2008
SMH 24 Jan 2008
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