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Gillard: Atheist (Read 6471 times)
Annie Anthrax
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Gillard: Atheist
Jun 29th, 2010 at 4:05pm
 
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Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she has no intention of pretending to believe in God to attract religiously-inclined voters.

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd was a regular at Canberra church services and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is known as a devout Catholic.

In contrast, Ms Gillard says that while she greatly respects other people's religious views, she does not believe in God.

Ms Gillard has been quizzed on personal topics including her attitude to religion and her relationship with her partner during interviews this morning.

She says does not go through religious rituals for the sake of appearance.

"I am not going to pretend a faith I don't feel," she said.

"I am what I am and people will judge that.

"For people of faith, I think the greatest compliment I could pay to them is to respect their genuinely held beliefs and not to engage in some pretence about mine."

"I grew up in the Christian church, a Christian background. I won prizes for catechism, for being able to remember Bible verses. I am steeped in that tradition, but I've made decisions in my adult life about my own views.

"I'm worried about the national interest. About doing the right thing by Australians. And I'll allow people to form their own views about whatever is going to drive their views.

"What I can say to Australians broadly of course is I believe you can be a person of strong principle and values from a variety of perspectives."

Meanwhile Ms Gillard has rejected claims that she is soft on Israel.

Former ambassador to Israel Ross Burns made the accusation in a letter to the Sydney Morning Herald, the Fairfax press reported.

Ms Gillard's partner Tim Mathieson works for prominent pro-Israel lobbyist Albert Dadon's real estate company Urbertas Group.

"I've seen that letter to the newspapers, that's not right," Ms Gillard said today.

"I've made up my own views about Israel and made them known publicly well before there was any suggestion that my partner would work in a property group associated with Mr Dadon."



http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/latest/7482364/gillard-wont-play-religion-card/
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aikmann4
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #1 - Jun 29th, 2010 at 4:06pm
 
Awesome. This could mean no more Gillard.
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Annie Anthrax
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #2 - Jun 29th, 2010 at 4:07pm
 
Maybe. Or voters may find her position (and honesty about it) refreshing.
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #3 - Jun 29th, 2010 at 4:11pm
 
Listening to call back radio and not many seem to have a problem with this.

I also think its a positive.
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #4 - Jun 29th, 2010 at 4:12pm
 
In all honesty I don't think this is going to influence how Australians will vote an iota. We don't care.
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #5 - Jun 29th, 2010 at 4:14pm
 
aikmann4 wrote on Jun 29th, 2010 at 4:06pm:
Awesome. This could mean no more Gillard.

Gillard just one of many
Curtin
Gorton
whitlam
Hawke
At least one third of Aussies are atheist, more atheists than Catholics, Anglicans and even Muslims,lol.
I'm pleased she's an atheist ,what really pizzed me off about Rudd was his fairy tale belief in a god.
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #6 - Jun 29th, 2010 at 4:15pm
 
Are you sure about that, Skip? If it was Agnostic, I'd agree...but atheist?
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #7 - Jun 29th, 2010 at 4:19pm
 
Annie Anthrax wrote on Jun 29th, 2010 at 4:15pm:
Are you sure about that, Skip? If it was Agnostic, I'd agree...but atheist?

You';re right, they all list themselves as agnostic,not a lot of difference though.
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #8 - Jun 29th, 2010 at 4:21pm
 
Does Gillard call herself Atheist? not that it matters, by saying you're agnostic you're just trying not to pizz off the bashers to much.
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #9 - Jun 29th, 2010 at 4:30pm
 
She may be an agnostic atheist...

Tongue
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #10 - Jun 29th, 2010 at 6:14pm
 
skippy. wrote on Jun 29th, 2010 at 4:14pm:
aikmann4 wrote on Jun 29th, 2010 at 4:06pm:
Awesome. This could mean no more Gillard.

Gillard just one of many
Curtin
Gorton
whitlam
Hawke
At least one third of Aussies are atheist, more atheists than Catholics, Anglicans and even Muslims,lol.
I'm pleased she's an atheist ,what really pizzed me off about Rudd was his fairy tale belief in a god.


What makes you think it was a fairy tale?
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #11 - Jun 29th, 2010 at 8:27pm
 
Good on Gillard for being 'honest'.
Just goes to show, you don't have to be one of Gods/Allahs/Yalwehs children to be honest.
Good on Gillard for putting 'Politics' first in her life. Shows dedication and a 'belief' in what she does and what is in front of her, especially when it is a 'priority & majority' in her life.

I hope she understands that she is not an Atheist either ...she's just a Polititian  Wink
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #12 - Jun 29th, 2010 at 8:35pm
 
Annie Anthrax wrote on Jun 29th, 2010 at 4:30pm:
She may be an agnostic atheist...

Tongue


Or an atheistic agnostic.

Shocked Shocked Shocked
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #13 - Jun 29th, 2010 at 8:41pm
 
...considering that READING & WRITING are two of the truest expressions of Religion (yes I know the Religious Industry has a 'gun' problem as if they were the Military ...like the Music Industry has a 'drug' problem as if they were the Medical), I found it ironic that I got banned from the Atheist Forum not so long ago for 'writing' so.
Wink
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #14 - Jun 29th, 2010 at 11:19pm
 

yes, if anything I would see it as a positive.
But it'ld be insignificant for votes, I'ld think.

makes no difference to me
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #15 - Jun 30th, 2010 at 7:24am
 
Religiosity in Australian politics will soon enough be crushed by a deeper Australian instinct... A mistrust of the overtly religious.

Wasn't concern about overt religious affiliation the first sign of public dyspepsia over the appointment of Hollingworth as Governor-General?
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #16 - Jun 30th, 2010 at 8:01am
 
It's a weird psyche that we have in this country.
Gillard can get away with so many things because she's a woman.
Not that that's a bad thing, I think it's very refreshing and long overdue.

There's no secret that the ALP has traditionally looked to other people for support rather than forcing people to look to the skies for a belief in some sort of magnificent messiah.
I think a lot of ALP leaders reluctantly attended church to put on a face. I really doubt that you can be a good politician whilst believing in the mumbo jumbo of some other dude's archaic political idealism that got itself an elephant stamp and somehow became a "religion".

It's a bit disappointing that we need some skewed version of equality to be able to have somebody up there that has a veto to call it as she/he sees it. But in the higher name of truth, I'm all for it.







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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #17 - Jun 30th, 2010 at 9:58am
 
She is non-religious. She doesn't have a faith, and describes herself as a non-practising Baptist.

She's also in a defacto relationship. If it was the US, they would crucify her. Now while I'd love to see her elected just to rub it in the faces of the US fundamentalists, I wouldn't vote for her just because of that.

However, her personal life and beliefs is no big deal for us Aussies.  

I think the way the ALP behaved towards Rudd was disgraceful. It was a cold-blooded maneouvre intended to improve their electoral position.

It's a toss-up whether I'd give my preferences to Gillard or Abbot. Gillard was part of one of the most inept and spineless governments I have dealt with. The had the anti-Midas touch. Everything they touched turned to crud, and Gillard was behind most of it.

She has also re-appointed Peter Garret as Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts. Can't they find a more appropriate portfolio for him, like special envoy to Southern Afghanistan?

I sometimes wish I didn't have to allocate preferences, because I'd prefer not to this year.  The Caped Crusader may yet end up with my vote, except for the Senate.  
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #18 - Jun 30th, 2010 at 10:44am
 
Do you think she might scrap the 'Tax-Free Threshold' for Religions now, in the name of equality for everyone else?

I kinda think, especially when it comes to such HillSongs and Scientologies, that people just attend in the name of 'money-making', rather than learning how to read & write, let alone helping keep the world from becoming illiterate.
I couldn't get married in a Church: it was a case that my Father taught me that Elvis was King and not Jesus and that they hardly ever promoted 'reading/writing' as a gift, instead they sang terrible Christian songs that made my sensitive Elf ears screw up like sucking on a lemon and for once agreeing with my Father ...that Elvis was indeed King.
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #19 - Jun 30th, 2010 at 2:31pm
 
I thought it was a stupid question asked of her (by Jon Faine originally).
Once again it's the media who sets the agenda. Their puerile ,vacuous questioning of politicians is a large part of the reason we end up with second-rate politicians.
Similar to the Catholic bashing that has ensued from some quarters  since Abbott became leader.
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #20 - Jun 30th, 2010 at 3:13pm
 
I couldn't care less if she doesn't believe in a god. That's got nothing to do with why I wouldn't vote for her if she was the last pollie on the planet.

And if she is non religious then she should scrap the no tax for religions, but I bet she's not game to do that! 
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #21 - Jun 30th, 2010 at 5:47pm
 
Why are people demanding removal of tax exemption for religions?
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #22 - Jul 1st, 2010 at 1:49am
 
Indeed, what difference does it make what she believes - our system is a secular one. Perhaps the problem isn't with those who don't care, but rather with those who care too much??
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #23 - Jul 1st, 2010 at 5:12am
 
Suffragette wrote on Jul 1st, 2010 at 1:49am:
Indeed, what difference does it make what she believes - our system is a secular one. Perhaps the problem isn't with those who don't care, but rather with those who care too much??


Exactly!

The media in their desire to create a story, have beat it up out of proportion to no-one's surprise.
The media and many of the left have made a big issue of Abbot's religious beliefs although I can't remember anything or any policy statement that he has come out with that is overtly driven by his catholisism.

The media may well continue to try to manufacture something but if either side of politics make an issue of it, it will bite them on the backside, as it should.  
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #24 - Jul 2nd, 2010 at 12:15am
 
Good on her for being honest enough to say she was an atheist.

How many people go to church anyway?
I don't know anyone who does.
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #25 - Jul 2nd, 2010 at 12:33am
 

I'm a christian but can't find the right church so don't go.

It makes no differerence to me if she is a christian or not,
I vote on their promises and how likely they will be to follow through on them.
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #26 - Jul 2nd, 2010 at 12:55am
 
Sprintcyclist wrote on Jul 2nd, 2010 at 12:33am:
I'm a christian but can't find the right church so don't go.



Sprint - there is a lot of choice out there:

You can go for the "prosperity message " from Hillsong -
right through to the
" be poor & have lots of  poor children "
from the Catholic Church .
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #27 - Jul 2nd, 2010 at 2:02am
 
I feel sorry for Gillard though.
She's gonna find some pretty tough issues soon regarding 'foriegn affairs'.
Will she be tough enough to stand up against the likes of Obama ("how much money can Australia give us in the name of 'friendship'") from the USA, China and its SuperNova economy (too late! Its gonna explode!) and other nations.

...oh thats right, they just got rid of possibly our best/toughest International Polititian since Malcolm Fraser  Roll Eyes
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #28 - Jul 2nd, 2010 at 8:54am
 

bobby - i like one within cycling distance of home Smiley
the salvation army was ok, the music was dreary and the topic was money (or a lack thereof).

really, you gotta have upbeat music.
you gotta have a positive message.

but the people there were good.


Where is the "prosperity message, with lots of lovemaking, no kids and peaceful times in the garden or at a BBQ with friends" church ????
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #29 - Jul 2nd, 2010 at 9:00am
 
Interesting point regarding shopping for one's religion... Indicates it all may be less about truth and more about feeling good.
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #30 - Jul 2nd, 2010 at 9:01am
 
Sprintcyclist wrote on Jul 2nd, 2010 at 12:33am:
I'm a christian but can't find the right church so don't go.



When I was about 17, I delved into the Church Notices in the local paper and went to a different church every Sunday. Eventually, I found one with a congregation that didn't look as if it had one foot in the grave. 

So the service was about to start, then somebody from the audience stood up and announced that there was among us, some who were not of the flock.

I didn't go back there. About that time, I became much more interested in girls.
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #31 - Jul 2nd, 2010 at 9:13am
 

muso  -   " ..........not of the flock ........" , what, was there non-merinos there ???

Smiley Smiley Smiley Smiley Smiley

helian - I know where I'm at.
Going ot a church is not mandatory,

a church within cycling distance is a bonus for the environment and a great way to travel. It's a REAL ice-breaker.
Being local, you'll meet local people.
I like music, so some place with droney music is a chore.
Music is a big thing in the bible and a big thing spiritually, it's important.

And, churches are businesses, they should have good music for the customers.
They should have a good message for the customers.

Jesus is a good message.


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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #32 - Jul 2nd, 2010 at 9:14am
 
I wonder if ex-Catholics are much less inclined to go shopping for an alternative protestant or post-protestant Christian sect or are we more inclined to ditch religion altogether?

I get the feeling that those who cross into the tinselly kitsch of ersatz Christianity, such as that found at mega churches (a la Hillsong), with its wannabe quasi-demagogic "Hollywood" preachers, tend to be those who were not raised in an established Christian faith... Whose concept of Christianity is not as developed as those who, through cultural indoctrination, ate, slept and breathed the faith.

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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #33 - Jul 2nd, 2010 at 9:19am
 
Sprintcyclist wrote on Jul 2nd, 2010 at 9:13am:
helian - I know where I'm at.
Going ot a church is not mandatory,

a church within cycling distance is a bonus for the environment and a great way to travel. It's a REAL ice-breaker.
Being local, you'll meet local people.
I like music, so some place with droney music is a chore.
Music is a big thing in the bible and a big thing spiritually, it's important.

And, churches are businesses, they should have good music for the customers.
They should have a good message for the customers.

Jesus is a good message.

(Interesting you use the language of commerce to define reasons for adherence to religion)

All good reasons to join a club or buy a product... But should they be the fundamental reasons why one subscribes to a religion or religious sect? President Gerald Ford apparently was a closet atheist but he regularly attended church for exactly the reasons you suggest... For him it was an important element of cultural cohesion... But he didn't believe a word of it.

Obama is the same kind of "Christian".
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #34 - Jul 2nd, 2010 at 9:26am
 
The supreme irony of American religiosity is that while voting Americans demand of their President that he be a Christian, they don't seem to mind if they know or suspect he's not, so long as he does a good job at faking it.

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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #35 - Jul 2nd, 2010 at 9:37am
 

helian - a church is not a religion spiritual belief.

those are the reasons I have not found the right church for me.

my spiritual belief has not changed.
my church attendance has.
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #36 - Jul 2nd, 2010 at 9:49am
 
I agree that most politicians do not actually believe in the entire writings of the bible when they act out the mantra, but let's face it, we have no better set of morals in place and none on the horizen. So why disrespect the words that ring true over thousands of years for those that we have no idea of their whereabouts or their destination?

The bible has served us well, and in that regard, it is indeed holy.

Our courts of law depend on it for ultimate discretion and judgement. The decision is rarely wrong when referring to the words of the bible.

A belief in God is irrelevant IMO when referring to the wisdom of the bible. The outer may be changed, but never the inner in our lifetime.




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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #37 - Jul 2nd, 2010 at 9:49am
 
Sprintcyclist wrote on Jul 2nd, 2010 at 9:37am:
helian - a church is not a religion spiritual belief.

those are the reasons I have not found the right church for me.

my spiritual belief has not changed.
my church attendance has.

What do you mean by "right church"?
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #38 - Jul 2nd, 2010 at 10:08am
 
Quote:
What do you mean by "right church"?


You knowwwww  Grin

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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #39 - Jul 2nd, 2010 at 10:20am
 

helian - Quote:
......bobby - i like one within cycling distance of home
the salvation army was ok, the music was dreary and the topic was money (or a lack thereof).

really, you gotta have upbeat music.
you gotta have a positive message.....


from a previous post of mine
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #40 - Jul 2nd, 2010 at 10:29am
 
Amadd wrote on Jul 2nd, 2010 at 10:08am:
Quote:
What do you mean by "right church"?


You knowwwww  Grin



Amadd, I really think the Rastafarian church is the one for you Wink
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #41 - Jul 2nd, 2010 at 10:38am
 
Quote:
Amadd, I really think the Rastafarian church is the one for you


Call me anything but late for dinner. If I don't eat...then...u know the rest.
Grin

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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #42 - Jul 2nd, 2010 at 10:43am
 
Sprintcyclist wrote on Jul 2nd, 2010 at 10:20am:
Quote:
really, you gotta have upbeat music.
you gotta have a positive message.....


from a previous post of mine

Hillsong? Grin
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #43 - Jul 2nd, 2010 at 11:16am
 

yes, hillsong are pretty good.
magnificant albums they have released.

they are a bit loud and in your face for me.
too much emphasis on money and not within cycling distance !!!!!
but, they get a "pass" mark from me overall
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #44 - Jul 2nd, 2010 at 2:07pm
 
Sprintcyclist wrote on Jul 2nd, 2010 at 11:16am:
too much emphasis on money and not within cycling distance !!!!!

There are those who'll do it all for love and those who'll do it all for truth...

The least you can do is move to within cycling distance of "the truth" as you perceive it. Wink
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #45 - Jul 2nd, 2010 at 5:53pm
 
It is good to have a PM who doesn't believe in an "imaginary friend"  Smiley
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bwood1946
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #46 - Jul 2nd, 2010 at 5:58pm
 
adelcrow wrote on Jul 2nd, 2010 at 5:53pm:
It is good to have a PM who doesn't believe in an "imaginary friend"  Smiley



pretty hard to have an imaginary friend when you don't have any friends at all
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #47 - Jul 2nd, 2010 at 6:11pm
 
Keep the politician out of Sport & keep Religion out of Politics. Are we Now finally taking a step closer to that ... ??

Smiley Wink Cheesy
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #48 - Jul 2nd, 2010 at 6:58pm
 
adelcrow wrote on Jul 2nd, 2010 at 5:53pm:
It is good to have a PM who doesn't believe in an "imaginary friend"  Smiley


I take it your pleased to be rid of Rudd then ey; weren't lizzard and Wendy Swandive supposed to be his mates?
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Politicians and Nappies need to be changed often and for the same reason.

One trouble with political jokes is that they often get elected.

Alan Joyce for PM
 
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #49 - Jul 2nd, 2010 at 8:37pm
 
Care-factor = zero.

I'm an athiest, too.

Too bad, so sad.

Live with it.
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...
 
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #50 - Jul 2nd, 2010 at 10:09pm
 
Both Rudd & Abbott have imaginary friends.
Now we only have one leader left with their imaginary friend.
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #51 - Jul 4th, 2010 at 10:04pm
 




I'm not so sure, that the Bible (in any of its permutations) has served humanity very well at all...

If I was seeking out any list/s of what are the fair and proper ways for humans to behave, then I'd choose positive Buddhist teachings over negative Xtian ones...



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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #52 - Jul 4th, 2010 at 10:41pm
 

thy - where is the buddhist belief system written and printed publically ?

got a URL for us ?
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #53 - Jul 6th, 2010 at 12:33pm
 

For obvious reasons, English is not the primary language of the Buddhist belief system - but it is documented and published in a range of languages, including English...

I am far from an expert on any religion but I am aware that there is a theory, that JC actually practised Buddhism during an extended period of absence - and therefore that the religions have similar roots...

Like Xtianity and most other religions, there have been divergences in Buddhist teaching and practises over time...

Since you asked for a link, so I'll provide this wiki one - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism - from which you will note that, unlike Xtianity, their teachings are phrased in the positive and advocate taking personal responsibility rather than fearing external judgement...

Quote:
The Four Noble Truths

[...]

According to other interpretations by Buddhist teachers and scholars, lately recognized by some Western non-Buddhist scholars,[32] the "truths" do not represent mere statements, but are categories or aspects that most worldly phenomena fall into, grouped in two:

  1. Suffering and causes of suffering

  2. Cessation and the paths towards liberation from suffering.

Thus, according to the Macmillan Encyclopedia of Buddhism[33] they are

  1. "The noble truth that is suffering"

  2. "The noble truth that is the arising of suffering"

  3. "The noble truth that is the end of suffering"

  4. "The noble truth that is the way leading to the end of suffering"

The early teaching[34] and the traditional Theravada understanding[35] is that the Four Noble Truths are an advanced teaching for those who are ready for them.

[...]



Quote:
The Noble Eightfold Path

[...]

The Noble Eightfold Path—the fourth of the Buddha's Noble Truths—is the way to the cessation of suffering (dukkha). It has eight sections, each starting with the word "samyak" (Sanskrit, meaning "correctly", "properly", or "well", frequently translated into English as "right"), and presented in three groups known as the three higher trainings. (NB: Pāli transliterations appear in brackets after Sanskrit ones):

   * Prajñā is the wisdom that purifies the mind, allowing it to attain spiritual insight into the true nature of all things. It includes:

  1. dṛṣṭi (ditthi): viewing reality as it is, not just as it appears to be.

  2. saṃkalpa (sankappa): intention of renunciation, freedom and harmlessness.

   * Śīla is the ethics or morality, or abstention from unwholesome deeds. It includes:

  3. vāc (vāca): speaking in a truthful and non-hurtful way

  4. karman (kammanta): acting in a non-harmful way

  5. ājīvana (ājīva): a non-harmful livelihood

   * Samādhi is the mental discipline required to develop mastery over one’s own mind. This is done through the practice of various contemplative and meditative practices, and includes:

  6. vyāyāma (vāyāma): making an effort to improve

  7. smṛti (sati): awareness to see things for what they are with clear consciousness, being aware of the present reality within oneself, without any craving or aversion

  8. samādhi (samādhi): correct meditation or concentration, explained as the first four jhānas

The practice of the Eightfold Path is understood in two ways, as requiring either simultaneous development (all eight items practiced in parallel), or as a progressive series of stages through which the practitioner moves, the culmination of one leading to the beginning of another.

The Eightfold Path is little known in the Far East.[39]




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Lamenting the shift in the Australian psyche, away from the egalitarian ideal of the fair-go - and the rise of short-sighted pollies, who worship the 'Growth Fairy' and seek to divide and conquer!
 
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #54 - Jul 6th, 2010 at 12:39pm
 


The following table is probably easier to follow than the above extracts: -

( Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_Eightfold_Path )
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #55 - Jul 6th, 2010 at 1:00pm
 

looks alright to me Thy
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #56 - Jul 6th, 2010 at 1:27pm
 

Sprintcyclist wrote on Jul 6th, 2010 at 1:00pm:
looks alright to me Thy


Yer, it does to me too - I was pleased that I picked up some simple Buddhist texts when my kids and me visited the Golden Triangle a few years ago...

At the time, it really struck me why I had instinctively rejected Xtianity at such a young age - and that Buddhism basically reflected the way I had been bringing my boys up already...

My boys and me will never forget meeting the calm and serene Monks at the Tiger Temple - nor the bizarre rituals of walking around temples repeatedly and worshipping literally dozens of Buddha figurines in both public and private (apparently, the more the better)...

That said, I remain attracted to the basic Buddhist concepts of: think rightly, act rightly, do rightly etc....



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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #57 - Jul 6th, 2010 at 1:55pm
 
Sprintcyclist wrote on Jul 6th, 2010 at 1:00pm:
looks alright to me Thy


It should do. Many of the teachings are very similar to those of Christianity, and it's about 600 years older than Christianity. Buddhism was still fairly strong  in the Levant around the time of Christ, mainly as a result of a diaspora from the Buddhist Indo-Greek kingdom around 10AD when it was invaded by the Scythians. This was a Greek speaking Kingdom located to the North West of India

The Sermon on the Mount and the Story of Simeon show remarkable similarity to Buddhist texts. Also the ritual of placing the palms of the hands together while praying probably came from Buddhist or Indian influences. It was never a Judaic tradition.

This shouldn't come as a surprise. Many religions share some common elements. Interpret this according to your world view.

Both Buddhism and Christianity are good religions to follow, and the food is good too, although I have preferences for Greek Orthodox Christianity from the culinary viewpoint.  
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #58 - Jul 6th, 2010 at 2:39pm
 
Many of the great noble minds think very similarly..

Quote:
Moral excellence comes about as a result of habit. We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts.

Aristotle


Quote:
To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.

William Shakespeare


BTW. Personal opinion but I can't see how buddist priests that worship figures of the Bhudda are following his path. It seems to me that they are missing the point. The Bhudda place no value on such worship is my understanding.

There is a quote that I have heard attributed to the Bhudda but I seem to recall it from a Bruce Lee movie. This is how I heard it though, and I think from one of my lecturers in Eastern Religion.

Quote:
"All instruction is but a finger pointing to the moon; and those whose gaze is fixed upon the pointer will never see beyond. Even let him catch sight of the moon, and still he cannot see its beauty."


another version

Quote:
"Truth has nothing to do with words. Truth can be likened to the bright moon in the sky. Words, in this case, can be likened to a finger. The finger can point to the moon’s location. However, the finger is not the moon. To look at the moon, it is necessary to gaze beyond the finger, right?"


Paying too much attention to the pointer and not the destination. That's my simplified take on it.
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I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives.
 
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #59 - Jul 6th, 2010 at 2:45pm
 
The Sermon on the Mount fully rocks and is highly regarded by many other religions. I've encountered Hindu scholars that consider it one of the great ethical statements of all time.

I certainly think there was very much cross contamination (for want of a better word) of ideas in the time of Christ and the preceeding 500 years.

Also "The Prophet" by Kalil Gibran is one of my essential books that is NEVER packed. Part of my ESSENTIAL collection that immediatly goes on a shelf at any new address.
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I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives.
 
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #60 - Jul 6th, 2010 at 2:49pm
 
Equitist wrote on Jul 6th, 2010 at 1:27pm:
I remain attracted to the basic Buddhist concepts of: think rightly, act rightly, do rightly etc....



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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #61 - Jul 8th, 2010 at 12:17am
 

Indeed!  Roll Eyes
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Re: Gillard: Atheist
Reply #62 - Jul 13th, 2010 at 2:20am
 
Hlysnan wrote on Jun 30th, 2010 at 5:47pm:
Why are people demanding removal of tax exemption for religions?


Because we're sick of paying their share of the tax burden.

Australia is the only country I know of where a religious organisation can get tax free status for their profitable, commercial activities.

Sanatarium, for instance, is owned by the Seventh day Adventist church.  They compete with other commercial entitites on an unveven playing field because they don't have to pay corporations tax. 

How messed up is that?

Let them have tax free status for charitable work, the same way secular charities are treated, and leave it at that.  Why should they get special treatment?
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