Whilst we love being in Australia there are some home comforts we miss – not least The Spectator. But to my joy I discovered that there is an Australian edition of the best magazine in the world – and it’s as good as, if not better than the UK version (it actually contains most of the UK articles with a few Aussie ones and an Aussie cover thrown in!). This past weeks was a delight to read – although it did confirm my view that Australian is on the same regressive slide as the UK. So this week I thought I would share a couple of stories that indicate that the madness that has gripped the elites in the UK, is fast taking hold here.
But before we get on to that let me note a few more observations about this culture.
Its strange seeing policemen with guns…more like the US than the UK.
The libraries are the best I’ve ever seen. I now work regularly from the Loan Cove library which has superb facilities and a stand up desk which I love using….
The weather is hot – apparently this is autumn and the temperature has reached over 30 degrees several times in the past week. The beaches and houses in coastal Sydney are just beautiful. It’s such a shame that they are so expensive and that the poor are being driven out (and forced to commute in to serve the wealthy in their jobs).
The Sydney transport system is superb – especially if you use the Opal card. It can also be quite funny. We were on the ferry from Circular Quay to Rose Bay when the following announcement came over the tannoy “this is the ferry to Rose Bay. Stopping at… Rose Bay. And nowhere else. So if you are heading for the Greek islands or anywhere else in the world – you’re on the wrong ferry. Get off!”
Whilst were on that very there was an interesting snapshot of contemporary life. We were going past some of the most gorgeous and stunning scenery in the world – including the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and Sydney Opera House. Yet there was one muscled, tattooed man who was only concerned with taking numerous selfies of himself, standing up and posing on the chair, whilst ignoring all around him. Modern life!
Onto the three stories I picked up;
Revolutionary Tribunals in Sydney:
In the new climate of liberal hate/intolerance things are moving on quickly. The University of Technology Sydney has set up a four-person panel, including two students, who will act as an extrajudicial panel to deal with complaints of sexual harassment. What’s wrong with this? The problem is that the definition of what constitutes sexual assault is vague. The article reports it could include kissing. Even more chillingly the rules for this panel state: “A university Student Conduct Committee is not bound by the rules of evidence and may inform itself on any matter it thinks fit”. Just stop. And think. Here is a revolutionary tribunal (sorry – ‘extrajudicial panel’) which has the power to expel students and it ‘is not bound by the rules of evidence’. This is the new liberal version of social justice – evidence is not essential, only feelings, perception and political correctness. Farewell justice and freedom.
Apartheid in Australia –
I have been reading a lot about Aboriginal history – it is fascinating and horrific. I will almost certainly write more about it later. The way that the indigenous peoples have been treated over the past couple of hundred years is a shameful episode in Western history. But of course now the liberal elites are jumping on the bandwagon and proclaiming themselves the saviours of indigenous culture. I find it a little ironic that the LGBTQIAS movement is claiming to be the same as that of the indigenous people. I wonder what the various aboriginal groups thought about homosexuality?!
Can you imagine what would happen if I told you that I was in a country where there were signs that said, ‘no blacks here’? Or ‘this is a whites only space’. I guess you would think of apartheid South Africa or Mississippi in the 1950s. But this is Australia today. There is segregation according to race and colour of your skin.
In NSW the Liberal government has told every hospital emergency department to have a ‘culturally appropriate space’ or ‘designated Aboriginal waiting room’.
Queensland University created an Aboriginal only computer room and students who complained were hauled before the Human Rights Commission.
The City of Melbourne’s art studio displays posters which state “this is a safe blak space…if your blood is of the settler, please respect our request not to enter” Doubtless the justification for this is the concept of separate cultural development – i.e. apartheid!
Israel Folau
The Australian press have quickly got over their cricketing debacle with captain Steve 
Smith and have found themselves a new hate figure – the best rugby player in the world, Israel Folau – whose crime is dreadful. He apparently had the temerity to say that he was against same-sex marriage and then was caught out saying that he believed homosexuals need to repent or they would go to hell. The OTT reaction to this is actually enormously indicative of the whole society, so I’m going to leave commenting on it for another couple of days until I can do some more research. Is he a homophobic hatefilled bigot, an unwise Christian who doesn’t know how to speak the proper language, or a faithful Christian who is being attached for his faith? We will find out… Meanwhile I will leave you with a bit of madness from the old country:
Two women went to a South London swimming pool where they self-identified as men in order to take part in a men only swimming session as a protest against proposed changes in the gender laws. They were stripped to the waist wearing only trunks and a pink cap. One elderly man asked if we knew it was a male only night. ‘I am a man’ she said. ‘Oh really’ he replied and got on with his swimming. Their point was made. Where will all this end?
I also came across this wonderful poem/cartoon in one of the papers…
Ozzie Observations – Week 2 – Katoomba Christian Convention
Ozzie Observations – Week One – Sydney Morning Herald, Cricket, TV, Asian Australians and Education
Thanks for your article, David. I must say I’m shocked and disgusted by the continuing segregation of Aborigines in Australia. I knew they were and are mistreated but had no idea of the extent. Surprised there isn’t more of an outcry from the international community to be fair….
The world is on the brink of a war, maybe the Final War, with untold numbers of casualties and immense amounts of human suffering.
The US and its allies are determined to attack Syria and the Russians have said there will be a response, warning of the “gravest” possible consequences.
And yet I find that not only is no mainstraem politician talking about this (for fear of being labeleld unpatriotic) but most of my fellow countrymen are without a clue as to the gravity of the situation. maybe becuase teh telly is downplaying it. That majority includes fellow Christians. Nobody has World War 3 – which may be imminent- on their mental radar. “As it was in the days of Noe . . . “
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
“Its strange seeing policemen with guns…more like the US than the UK.”
Yet you were recently in Northern Ireland – an integral part of the U.K. – where every police officer is armed!!!
“… more like the US than GB.” would have been accurate!!
Michael,
Not sure if you live in Australia or not..? I think the examples David is referring to are a minority of Aboriginal-identifying people trying to set up spaces which non-Aboriginal people cannot access. They would say they are redressing past injustices.
As far as I know, there are no places, public or private, which exclude people because they are Aboriginal. There are laws which would make that quite impossible.
Katherine,
I’m so glad that you wrote, as I was about to say the same thing. I’m seventy nine years of age, I grew up in a community where there were many aboriginals and had many of them as friends. I have traveled widely in this country and never saw discriminatory signs.
Your last paragraph is absolutely correct. We do have an apartheid here, but in reverse, where those aboriginals who have been influenced by the left are demanding, and getting the examples David used. As you say,”a minority of Aboriginal-identifying people”.
Falou is entitled to his opinion regarding same sex marriage.
Which is of course ridiculous and merely shows how truly idiotic Christianity is that it maintains belief in such rubbish.
Again you are full of assertions. Why is it ridiculous?
The Jewish word used is Sheol and the closest translation would be grave.
Hades- is the Greek word.
Then there is Gehenna. Which is actually what the biblical character Jesus referred to.
The Valley of Hinomn is now some sort of recreational area /park the last time I researched.
It’s true that by the time of Christ, Judaism had incorporated related concepts into its belief system, though in earlier times it did not teach that an ever-burning hell was to be the fate of the unsaved. Nor did the early New Testament Church teach it. The doctrine has its roots elsewhere.
http://www.vision.org/visionmedia/origin-of-hell/41044.aspx
The development can, in part be traced back to the Athanasian Creed. I am sure you are aware of this as well.
And it was Augustine who developed this further.
Finally there was Dante who turned up almost a thousand years later with The Divine Comedy.
And he got his ideas from Virgil.
And it goes back even further.
You say you have a passion for history? Then read the link. It is all there.
Jesus of Nazareth did NOT teach eternal fiery torture and damnation for humans.
Thanks Ark – a lovely summary of your methodology. Google and find articles that suit your pre-determined view, then post as though you actually know what you are talking about. It doesn’t work. Because I have read the teaching of Jesus in the original language and he clearly speaks of Hell more than any other person in the Bible. He did not rely on Augustine or Dante! I have also read all the early Church Fathers and one thing is clear all of them believed in a literal hell thus making a nonsense of your statement that ‘the early NT Church did not teach it’. I realise that you like to make assertions about church history and theology but those assertions are usually wrong – they are what I would call flat earth theology/history. Because its like arguing with a flat earther – they believe that the earth is flat and they will Google articles which support any or their pre-suppositions. Anything you present to them that shows otherwise is just ‘part of the conspiracy’. Its quite amusing that you think you know what Jesus taught – when in reality you know nothing about him….
You have NOT read the teachings of Jesus, only what is claimed as his words, as you have no way of verifying what is attributed to him as being correct.
And based on this you demonstrate once again how your presuppositional fundamentalist arrogant view clouds your judgement so much you cannot see wood for trees.
Truly, David, and you wonder why Diallahunty took you to the cleaners?
I am just surprised he was so restrained in the face of such outright ignorance.
But Ark – you keep telling us with absolute certainty that you know what the teachings of Jesus are. How do you know that? On the other hand I have the eyewitness accounts of the apostles (if you are up to reading an actual book with evidence try Richard Bauckhams’ Jesus and the eyewitnesses”.
I’m not sure who Diallahunty is but Matt Dillahunty did not take me to the cleaners (although I guess in the surreal parallel universe you live in I guess you could make that happen). How do I know that? Because of the fact that although he usually posts his debates immediately afterwards he took a couple of weeks to do so. Because he got so angry (as did his followers) and because Unbelievable got so many complaints from atheists claiming it wasn’t fair! Any reasonable view of that debate would see that Dillahunty really struggled. He thought that he would operate his usual modus operandi (aim for the low hanging fruit and mock the dumb Christian rednecks)…he ended up out of his depth. Only the most desperate and blind atheist fundamentalist would see it as him ‘taking me to the cleaners’. You are in good company!
What a load of tosh! I have never said such a thing.
Really? Then you are unique among humans and if you would like , I shall make inquiries as to how we can nominate you for a Nobel Prize.
Providing you can verify your claim, that is? No problem I am guessing, right?
Yes, you mention several times how you deduce that because Matt did not immediately respond with a post that he must have been licking his wounds or sulking.
I guess that decides it then.
*Sigh*
Obviously, reasonable people would – in your mind – exclude those Christians that had a less than complimentary response to your performance and tacitly tried to tell you?
I suppose that sort of criticism doesn’t penetrate The Robertson Force?
I will give you this though.
In the years that you have been taken to the cleaners and attempted to joyfully grind your opponents into the ground (sic) you have developed a good talent for asinine responses to criticism, and raised arrogance in apologetics to new levels.
I am not sure if this would be universally recognised as commendable, but based on your claim that the Church of Scotland is collapsing I would say you are doing a marvelous job.
Therefore, I implore you, keep at it.
In fact, you might even consider taking several evangelical hopefuls under your wing and train them in the ”Robertson Way”.
Anything to further the cause right?
As you profess to be a Zep fan:
If there’s a rustle in the hedgerow, don’t be alarmed now,
It’s just a spring – clean for the May queen.
Regards
Ark
You did and do keep telling us what Jesus would and would not have said….how do you know?
Yes – I do have the eyewitness accounts of the apostles and so do millions of others…Want to give us all Nobel prizes
The rest of your post is the usual incoherent, abusive nonsense so forgive me if I don’t respond as I do have better things to do with my life. Although it may help you to know that I am not a minister in the Church of Scotland…
Anyway -feel free to continue sending your posts but I will not be putting up the abusive, or nonsensical ones – they lost their amusement value after a while. Keep it factual. Keep it logical. Keep it polite.. That should limit your posts!
Nope. Never, ever have ”told ” you or anyone else what Jesus would have said. The words of the character Jesus of Nazareth are unknown. It is the Christians – such as you – who seem to know exactly what the character said. Goodness knows how, of course.
And now,David, you simply being obtuse
Yes, David I know perfectly well that you are not a minister in the C of S, yet you have stated that the C of S is in a state of collapse – or words to this effect – and didn’t you allude to something similar about Christianity in general in your home country suggesting that Scotland was now one of the most secular countries around?
And yet you said that Jesus did not believe in hell. How do you know? Or are you just making it up?
If i am not a minister in the C of S, I’m not sure how you can attribute its decline to me. I am a minister in the Free Church which is growing – and my own congregation has grown from 7 to over 300….go figure!
Oh, and original language? Ae you kidding!
the character spoke Aramaic and the gospel were written in Greek.
You going to tell me that Casey’s view holds sway just because of a few words!
Good grief!
Yes – the original languages – as in the language in which they were written. By the way you are aware that there were many Greek speaking Jews in Israel at the time. Jesus may well have spoken Greek as well as Aramaic.
Yes, I am perfectly aware thanks, And yes, Jesus’ language skills have been postulated.
But these are generally rejected considering his lowly background and even more so because of the company he kept and traveled with.
Yet even if he was a fluent speaker and could also read and write in beautiful Greek, this still does not get you past first base.
You have no way of knowing if he spoke the words attributed to him and we can go back as far as Luderman who suggested that in which he argued that only about five per cent of the sayings attributed to Jesus are genuine and the historical evidence does not support the claims of traditional Christianity,
So, once again. No, you haven’t read the teachings of the character Jesus of Nazareth and have no way of knowing to any degree of certainty what he spoke of .
Yawn….yes I do. These are the words of Christ and they will last far beyond your words.
Sorry, you really do not know, David. And unless you are able to demonstrate such a claim then you are in error. We are no longer living in the 19th century or before where what the church or its ministers said is accepted verbatim by a large majority of the population.
You, like every other member of the cloth is going to have to deal with this fact and while you may have considerable influence in emerging countries and places like the States, in Europe that control and influence is waning.
And that is a simple fact of life,
Note again that you make an assertion and provide no evidence whatsoever….I would suggest you actually read a book (yes a whole book) and take your time actually examining the evidence. Richard Bauckham’s ‘ Jesus and the Eyewitnesses’ provides the evidence you need (but won’t read or believe!). I love your ‘simple facts of life’. They are simple. They are not facts. And they have nothing to do with life!