Election 2010: Good bye Mr Fielding

The results have come in and Mr Fielding from Family First hasn't made the cut and will be leaving the senate in July next year.

I'm opposed to any religous party. It seems like they would just like us to become a theocracy. I'm much more impressed by Christians who want to influence major parties by joining them and spreading their 'salt' within.

Like Christianity in Australia I think the time of 'Christian' parties are in decline. Who knows what other religious groups will pop up though?

I don't think Family First will be able to make the transition away from 'Christian label', unless it can get its funds from others that aren't wealthy Christians. Thus in the long run I don't think Family First will be viable. Family First may pop up occasionally but I doubt they will have the balance of power like Fielding had.

Feildings response

Upon last weeks post on Q&A on the ABC I couldn't help feel sorry for Steven Fielding. I was perplexed that his reply to Dawkins question 'was he a creationist?' The reply was a small 'yes' and a loud (and I paraphrase) 'lots of people are allowed to believe different things.' It was if he was rather embarassed by his answer. To be honest I would have been more interested in why he was a creationist. Even if I didn't agree, I think it would have been a better response.


Now where I have empathy with Feilding is that as a Christian there are responses that we will give that don't make much sense to people. It doesn't matter if you are a progressive liberal or a fundamentalist. Sooner or latter we will be embarrassed by our responses. Maybe it is not embarrassment rather an uncertainty? That in uncertainty we need to be honest with our selves and therefore to God.

Richard Dawkins and Steven Fielding

ABC's Q&a had and interesting discusion. It revealed the conservative religious nature of Family First senator Steven Fielding.

I find it fascinating that a man who is has an engineering education could be swayed over politics and religion more so than the weight of evidence with science.

You can download the episode and see him in action here.

On a positive side I found it interesting that the majority of world religious believers, did believe in evolution. Ah, I'm in good company.

Libs bring out there environmental policy....

I was pleased to see that the liberal party unveiled their environmental policy the other day. From the Herald Sun::

Opposition's alternative proposes a slow and gradual rise in penalties for electricity generators to allow them time to adjust to cutting their greenhouse gases.

It would also reduce the "churn" effect in the Government's plan, which will raise tens of billions in pollution revenue from industry, but then have to compensate households for their higher electricity and gas bills.

The alternative scheme would save 26,000 jobs in regional Australia, according to the Opposition, including in the Latrobe Valley, Geelong and Portland, which are expected to be hit hard by the Government's scheme.

-The positives as far as I'm concerned is that both Labor and the Liberals are on the same page, that the environment is important. That the have do do somthing in regards to reducing our Carbon emissions. That emissions without offsets aren't good for the environment.

-It also sidelines Fielding more and more. He is now in the minority that believe that carbon emissions don't effect the environment. I don't actually think he needs his 'scientific' argument. Just that Its Gods creation. That humans shouldn't be pumping stuff into the air. God didn't create the earth with chimneys all over the place belching toxic fumes.

-both parties need to articulate a policy which is simple to understand. Both as far as I'm concerned, are to complex in there presentation.

Once again as a Christian, I think its upmost important that we are good stewards of the earth. That there is to much of a linkage between poverty, justice and environmental issues for Christians to ignore.