church and state: cult directed members to support PM

It’s come out in recent days that the Exclusive Brethren cult, which in the past has claimed to be not just politically neutral but to actually forbid participation in political activities, in fact instructed its Australian members to…

church and state: abbott plays the god card?

Tony Abbott seems to have decided to make faith an election-year issue, rather than allowing Kevin Rudd’s public airing of his own beliefs to pass without comment. An excerpt from The Australian:

Question: Do you think his advisers

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church and state update: Pyne added to health portfolio

Further to this post about the increasing influence of religious groups on the Government, yesterday’s cabinet reshuffle has promoted MP Christopher Pyne to the newly created position of assistant minister for health.

Pyne, like the health…

separation of church and state: PM catches the fire, government already burning

There is an obvious and fundamental issue with the most senior member of the Government, and the democratically appointed leader of the country, lending the credibility of his office to any religious group