Comments on: Christopher Pyne watch

By: Paul Burns

Paul Burns — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 05:19:25 +0000

David Irving (No Relation) @ 70,
Yeah, it really made one sit up and think, “What on earth is this guy on about.”

Liam, DR, re Marsden. He is much better regarded in New Zealand than he is here, though a new New Zealand biography – name of author escapes me – is apparently redressing the balance and painting him as a proper bastard. I say apprently, as I haven’t read it yet. I hope to buy or borrow a copy soon.

Used to be a political hobby of mine to organise demos against old Fred. He told me one day I would convert and stand side by side with him in the cause of Christ. And then somebody conned me into having a photo taken shaking his hand. I told him I thought he was the Devil.
He had no idea where I was coming from.

By: David Irving (no relation)

David Irving (no relation) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 04:47:18 +0000

Paul, I remember thinking much the same as you about something Pell said during the yoof event, and I don’t have the benefit of a papist heritage. It wasn’t actually all that subtle, although I can’t remember exactly what he said now.

By: Liam

Liam — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 04:45:50 +0000

Let us pray, David, for wisdom on the subject of Fred Nile's particular nuttiness. For as Matthew said (7:7): Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find.

Rev Nile sates, “I must respect the NSW ALP Government as “divinely constituted” and that to rebel against the Government “is resisting God’s appointment”.

By: David Rubie

David Rubie — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 04:32:20 +0000

From the Marsden article:

He was able to combine evangelization with the promotion of trade with the islands, which he saw as a civilizing if also profitable activity.

Heh. Some things never change I suppose. Coins and crosses. If you behave, you can have the coins in your pocket. If you don’t, they’re going on your eyes.

I almost feel sorry for Nile – frankly I’m surprised after all this time he hasn’t been discovered deeply involved in some kind of scandal. Talk about the exception that proves the rule.

By: Liam

Liam — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 04:01:34 +0000

Santamaria was an amateur, brother David, as you can tell by his Movement's position in the dustbin of history. It's the Protestants who play for keeps, they just never get any credit because they tend to win. I'll give a shout-out to the pre-eminent political failure of the twentieth century though: Fred Nile of the Congregationalists (later Uniting Church). He's almost a mascot for progressive causes: anything he's opposed has probably become normal or mandatory.

By: David Rubie

David Rubie — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 03:31:15 +0000

Holy crap Liam, why play your trump card first? What happened to the gnarly build-up involving Bob Santamaria, groupers and commies?

Paul, I had never thought of the global warming thing as death of the earth by fire, it’s an interesting angle (i.e. so crazy, somebody probably believes it!)

Although, having said that, the only truly abiding faith a lot of those overtly religious guys have in my experience is a lifelong commitment to hypocrisy. I really dig “The Devil’s Dictionary” definition of Christian

By: Liam

Liam — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 02:54:21 +0000

Did someone say bring the ~~ruckus~~ stoush about which religion brings the most crazy to Australian politics? Because there's no argument to be had there. It's Presbyterians.

By: Paul Burns

Paul Burns — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 02:45:16 +0000

DR,
Orright.
When, during the Popefest, Pell was asked if he believed in global warming (as people seemed to think he might be a climate change denier while Benny was a climate change believer) he said something like “There’s more to it than that.” If my memory serves me right.
Now my brain is and has been highly attuned to Catholic nuances even though I’ve overcome the brainwashing I was subjected to from birth through to my teen years (when I discovered theatre and Marx, in that order), and I thought this was a little bit eschatological – the theology of the Last Days – Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse – world consumed by fire rather than flood because God promised Noah he’d never flood it again, and left us the Rainbow as a reminder of that promise, etc.
So Global Warming = World destroyed by Fire.
Though where the GFC comes in to all this, I’ll be buggered if I know.

By: Sans Blog

Sans Blog — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:19:37 +0000

Thanks, Tigtog. It’s nice to be wrong in this instance!

By: David Rubie

David Rubie — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:05:23 +0000

Paul Burns wrote:

I can’t be bothered getting into a stoush

Ah, c’mon Paul. Surely there’s a mega-stoush to be had on which grouping of religious Australian pollies bring more of the crazy. Is it the Abbotts and Conroys tortured little Catholic souls interfering with decision making, or is it the happy clappers and their unique direct connection allowing them to act as prophets like Bidgood and Fielding? Or perhaps even Howard and Rudd’s wide streak of social conservatism that busts through their otherwise unflappable demeanour when that old-time methodism comes up against drinkin’ and dancin’?

It’s pious death match time! Conscience vs. Prophecy vs. Fire and Brimstone in the “my god is better’n yourn” arena.