Comments on: Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car! http://thestringer.com.au/going-to-church-doesnt-make-you-a-christian-any-more-than-standing-in-a-garage-makes-you-a-car-10004 Independent news and award winning investigative journalism brought to you daily. Mon, 15 Jan 2018 09:23:32 +0000 hourly 1 By: Walter Russell http://thestringer.com.au/going-to-church-doesnt-make-you-a-christian-any-more-than-standing-in-a-garage-makes-you-a-car-10004/comment-page-1#comment-24643 Walter Russell Sat, 04 Apr 2015 09:45:40 +0000 http://thestringer.com.au/?p=10004#comment-24643 Hi Nick, Which speech was that? The quality of mercy or: BASSANIO ... it must appear That malice bears down truth. And I beseech you, Wrest once the law to your authority: To do a great right, do a little wrong, And curb this cruel devil of his will. PORTIA It must not be; there is no power in Venice Can alter a decree established: 'Twill be recorded for a precedent, And many an error by the same example Will rush into the state: it cannot be." Don't we also need to know whether this unfortunate man fulfilled the Convention criteria for refugee status? If he did not, is that "malice" bearing down the truth of his undoubted suffering? Walter Hi Nick,
Which speech was that? The quality of mercy or:
BASSANIO
… it must appear
That malice bears down truth. And I beseech you,
Wrest once the law to your authority:
To do a great right, do a little wrong,
And curb this cruel devil of his will.
PORTIA
It must not be; there is no power in Venice
Can alter a decree established:
‘Twill be recorded for a precedent,
And many an error by the same example
Will rush into the state: it cannot be.”
Don’t we also need to know whether this unfortunate man fulfilled the Convention criteria for refugee status? If he did not, is that “malice” bearing down the truth of his undoubted suffering?
Walter

]]> By: nick http://thestringer.com.au/going-to-church-doesnt-make-you-a-christian-any-more-than-standing-in-a-garage-makes-you-a-car-10004/comment-page-1#comment-24641 nick Sat, 04 Apr 2015 05:24:14 +0000 http://thestringer.com.au/?p=10004#comment-24641 Just a couple of comments: 1. As a practicing Catholic I seriously question the proposition that Christ instituted the ministerial priesthood at the Last Supper as it is practiced today within the Catholic hierarchical structure (this is supported strongly by one of Peters Epistles) - the present structure is an invention by a group of males that came into existence around the 3rd or 4th century and was imposed in a stricter manner on the laity after the Council of Trent. 2. Correction - there may be certain claims that we are a nation based on Judeo-Christian principles and values (principles of love,compassion and caring) but unfortunately this is not the case - we are a secular nation which does not recognise any religion. Parkes and all the Founding Fathers ensured that we were to be a non-religious secular nation. And this brings me to agree with your original premise - that individual spirituality and beliefs are the important principle by which we must exist and not the strict letter of laws enacted by humans to satisfy populist sentiments. Portia's speech in "The Merchant of Venice" sums this up beautifully. Nick Just a couple of comments:
1. As a practicing Catholic I seriously question the proposition that Christ instituted the ministerial priesthood at the Last Supper as it is practiced today within the Catholic hierarchical structure (this is supported strongly by one of Peters Epistles) – the present structure is an invention by a group of males that came into existence around the 3rd or 4th century and was imposed in a stricter manner on the laity after the Council of Trent.
2. Correction – there may be certain claims that we are a nation based on Judeo-Christian principles and values (principles of love,compassion and caring) but unfortunately this is not the case – we are a secular nation which does not recognise any religion. Parkes and all the Founding Fathers ensured that we were to be a non-religious secular nation.

And this brings me to agree with your original premise – that individual spirituality and beliefs are the important principle by which we must exist and not the strict letter of laws enacted by humans to satisfy populist sentiments.

Portia’s speech in “The Merchant of Venice” sums this up beautifully.

Nick

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