|
December 22, 2006
A light moment as we enter into the Xmas period and begin to realize, yet again, how Australia's Christian traditions are fraying all around us.
Andrew Weldon
It would be nice to see a simialr carttoon done for the Nationals, Greens and Family First. Or one for how the corporate media still sees bloggers. The assumption seems to be that journalists rewriting government media releases should be taken seriously as a contribution to democracy, whilst commentary on political events, public policy or the the “disaster” of Australia's foreign policy in Iraq by boggers should be treated as frivolous, a bit like popcorn at the movies.
No doubt we will hear yet more calls that Australia needs a recovery of faith to overcome the moral decay (postmodernism and relativism) that is eating away at the foundations of civilised society. Or that a study of Australia's Christian heritage should be mandated in in history classes. Will studying Nietzsche's critique of Christianity--God is dead and we killed him--- be mandated to nuture critical thinking to ensure a bit of balance and keep the Enlightenment in play? After all Nietzsche was all about the revaluation of values; not a simple affirmation of the old worn out religious ones.
Update: 23 Dec.
I see that conservative Christians are banging on about "aggressive secularism" and a need to put God back into our lives. God is back, they say, then they go all political. The God is back bit comes because we are supposedly tired of materialism and an unexplained universe, they are searching for some purpose and meaning that makes sense in the 21st-century environment, and religion has the enduring answers. God. But's he dead remember. We killed him off, as Nietzsche said.
I cannot forget that it is the Christian Right who push Islamophobia or Anti-Muslimism, which is becoming one of the more pressing social pathologies in Australia. They are helping it to become established and acceptable and so legitmating of virulent bigotry.
|
Poor old peter....he is so close to getting the bolts in his neck by the cartoonist. LOL