When you visit a St Vincent de Paul charity outlet, you don’t feel like you’ve entered an evil clandestine cabal of corruption.
The older ladies sorting donations out of the chipped blue donation bin don’t fanatically launch at customers reciting the bible.
Yet, some of the same people who love hunting for vintage Prada at Vinnies, a lay Catholic organisation that uses the money to help victims of domestic violence and the homeless, have pilloried our new premier for his belief in Catholicism.
What is Premier Dom Perrottet’s crime? He has too many children and a belief structure, an apparent insult to many who live by the harbour.
In a country that expects an old-age pension, they should be cheering for the family that gave them six future taxpayers.
Catholics do more for the destitute than the media influencers who once a year dress up in brand new North Face gear in their perfect Visy boxes and tweet on their fully charged smartphones about how cold it is while taking part in charity sleep-outs.
Catholics put more resources into a St Vincent’s initiative seeking to halve rough sleeping across NSW by 2025 than any level of government at inception.
Last year, the St Vincent de Paul Society helped 4800 women and children through 23 refuges, not to forget thousands of patients in its not-for-profit hospital and aged-care beds, or drug rehabilitation services for the people, many of whom are pouring bile on the Catholics, cross the street to avoid.
Should we really be ashamed our premier is a member of this supposed corrupt cult.
I’m proud of it – and I’m an atheist.
When JFK was elected, the fear was that the Vatican would rule the US. On the ABC this week, some commentators proved they haven’t moved on since 1960.
Catholics in public life who have not been pilloried for their faith include the new NSW Nationals leader and Deputy Premier Paul Toole, who was elected by his party room the day after Mr Perrottet.
As they crucified Mr Perrottet for his Catholicism, former Catholic schoolteacher Mr Toole’s faith was ignored.
Like Perrottet, he comes from a big family — nine kids, instead of 13.
I campaigned with Mr Toole’s Catholic mum Ellen, 75, in Bathurst — a force of nature who covered more territory than the fittest youngsters, with the might and militant organisational skills that only a mother of nine has from lived experience.
A brave and foolish person would take on Mrs Toole for having nine children and adhering to a Catholic belief structure.
If you think of the Catholic women like her, handwashing cloth nappies all day, cooking and cleaning on a remote property, and donating what little spare time she had to the community, you can only have respect.
We now have a different standard for people based on their faith and background – isn’t that discrimination?
We are a nation of people from every ethnicity, country and faith, and we should be more tolerant than blindly yelling bigot when we hear “Catholic with six kids”.
We are smart enough to understand a person’s religious convictions are theirs, not ours, and should not be a criterion for public office.
Faith must not be a weapon any more than skin colour, sex or sexuality. But bigotry is blind.
It would be best if you didn’t have children or believe in anything else but yourself.
You shouldn’t be male or white or have gone to certain schools.
What leader do you want?
A childless atheist? Because we had that once at a federal level, and, just as a reminder, she did not support same-sex marriage.
And it was atheist Mark Latham who was most potent in arguing amendments to NSW’s proposed late-term abortion laws — but that is selectively forgotten so as not to stray from the narrative that the new Premier will change all policy settings, some even out of the scope of the state, to suit his interpretation of his personal faith. He was forced to defend himself against overturning same-sex marriage, which was legislated by a Catholic Prime Minister in another level of government.
It’s appalling to suggest that community leaders will only make Catholic decisions because they are Catholic — following that argument to its logical conclusion is the assertion that without religion you cannot make decisions at all.
Many in the Labor Party respect Australia’s first Muslim MP elected to federal parliament, Ed Husic, because he has a belief structure and isn’t embarrassed.
Many Catholics believe he would be a brilliant Labor leader.
The real reason Mr Perrottet is a target is because people are making a connection between his children and the damage to the earth, from people who see children as a burden rather than an extension of love, and who won’t complain about their pension being paid by a tribe of Perrottet taxpayers.
Atheism is a belief in no god, just as strong as Catholicism’s belief in God.
And no one screams that atheists are going to burn down cathedrals, which is just as absurd as the accusations laid on Mr Perrottet.
Does this useless bint ever write anything that isn’t pure Liberal party petty politicking crap?
He will be judged by his actions.
Be interesting to see if he is owned by the CCP
Nah, I agree with CL, most of this is “lapsed protestant hillbilly’ bigotry bubbling back to the surface.
It gets a regular airing, see Tony Abbott, the Mad Monk and Cardinal Pell.
Catholics who repudiate core teachings, like MT and KKK get a pass.
And nominal Catholic tossers like Monty never miss an opportunity to demonstrate their coolkiddedness.
Perrotet is an amateur. Hasn’t even had any of his children appointed to senior advisory positions yet.
His eldest daughter, university graduate Bridgette Joyce, 23, has worked in Mr Barilaro’s office as a senior adviser since February.
He will be judged by his actions.
Be interesting to see if he is owned by the CCP
Exactly.
I agree with Arky. Tosh.
I could care less if Perrottet is a mormon so long as he opens up the state.
No, it’s chiefly about abotion and it stems from the feminists.
The lapsed Protestant hillbillies are either dead or in nursing homes and they certainly don’t shape the media narrative.
abortion
I don’t know Roger, I’ve encountered lots of casual anti Catholic bigotry from younger people over the years, both irl and on social media.
It’s apparently just an okay thing.
Dress it in whatever clothing you like, spray it with a fancy eau de toilette, pretend it has values; underneath it is the same maggot-infested political corpse.
Its sole ambition – day in, day out – is to survive. Beyond itself, other beings are acknowledged only as facilitators or preventers of its existence. Nothing more.
You can anthropomorphise it until it becomes your go-to fantasy, but when you reach out to touch … it will bite you. Every. Single. Time.
Nostalgia is a sedative.
Rosie, the Catholic Church’s unambiguous position on abortion is a lightning rod for the prog-left, which is where many young people sit politically. A woman’s right to abortion on demand is their chief dogma, opposition to which makes one a heretic. Of course this is all grounded in feminism, whose main goal has always been theological, as Betty Friedan stated back in 1963. It is nothing to do with any lingering sectarianism; most young people these days are second or third generation post-Christian.
Having said that, if Perrottet was a devout Sydney Anglican or an evangelical Baptist (they too often have large families) he’d still attract the ire of the squawking ninnies on social media etc. who would like to see any Christian who has not burned incense before the idols of liberalism banned from the public sphere.
Let’s see how Catholic he is, and pray that he is not a “Joe Biden Catholic”, that is in-name-only.
Will he start reversing abortion laws, permitting the murder of the innocent?
Will he open up churches to the unvaccinated so they can be saved?
Will bring back blasphemy laws?
Will he defund sodomy-affirming organizations and remove any gay-pride and diversity propoganda?
…time will tell, but remember just because you say you’re Catholic it doesn’t mean your thoughts, words and deeds are aligned to the path Christ laid before us.
Of course, if you’re a politician and a Muslim your religion is absolutely off-limits.
If the left didn’t have double standards they would have none at all.
Whilst I think it is good old fashioned anti-Catholic bigotry….the progressive left’s target is Christianity. They aim to destroy it. They don’t much care for Judaism either…….but they loathe Christianity.
Maybe Victoria is different Roger.
Abortion never gets a mention in the comments me and mine hear.
And parents can pass down their prejudices even if they no longer go to church.
Athiests are the most arrogant ignoramuses on earth.
But laid into big time for his refusal to wind back the fascist idiocy.
Gee thanks for that, Tommy. So I’m an arrogant ignoramus for refusing (since the age of eight) to even consider the existence of an almighty invisible deity? One that has never and will never reveal themselves to me or the 99.99% of humanity that isn’t prone to seeing things that aren’t there?
Yet you accuse collectivists of being superstitious.
I was born a Catholic, baptised, confirmed and out of there from very early on. Having the misfortune to be sent to Del Monte (brutal nuns that would put today’s fat lezzoes to shame) and then St Pedophiles did not help.
FFS, when it comes to judging people, you’re worse than I am – and that’s saying something.
And parents can pass down their prejudices even if they no longer go to church.
Correct.
The commenters above who are saying that this is mainly abortion combined with general anti-Christian viciousness are right.
Also, the assiduously pseudo-bog Irish lapsed Catholics of the ABC are among the most deranged of all Catholic haters.
But I’ve met a number of atheists or agnostics who grew up themselves in atheist/agnostic homes but come from protestant cultural backgrounds who are remarkably anti-Catholic specifically. It seems that when actual protestant Christian belief fades away, the residual suspicion of Catholicism expands to fill the vacuum.
“Also, the assiduously pseudo-bog Irish lapsed Catholics of the ABC are among the most deranged of all Catholic haters.”
Louse Nilligan.
Louse Nilligan.
The prime example.
Perrotet and Minns agreeing?https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-09/nsw-labor-chris-minns-says-axe-beaches-link-fund-western-sydney/100526808
Catholo-fascist conspiracy abetted by the CIA and Mossad: just wait for Four Corners to get onto it!
I enjoyed seeing Minns put that twat from the ABC into his place when invited to dump on Perrotet’s faith by pointing out that “I’m a practicing Catholic too”.
Keneally, like the Abscess:s other tame ‘Catholics’, is a lapsed Catholic who doesn’t want to admit it.
ABCess’s! Autocorrect again.
Why Mexico is a better country than Australia and America.
Perrottet needs to fire Elliot and Hazzard ASAP. They are simply awful.
Repeal the COVID health orders NOW.
Lou Nilligan obviously has serious daddy issues she projects on to the Church.
..
Why should he?
What makes you so flaming special that you deserve the attention?
And if he did present himself to humanity, what’s he supposed to do? Fix everyone’s problems? Apologise because creation isn’t precisely to your desires? Be your mommy?
If he did exist, which would you prefer, that he’s constantly poking his nose in your business, or that he stays in the background, drops a few vague hints that jibe with your existing nature and leave you 99% to figure it out yourself? What would you do? Be a bloody pest to those you created or be cool?
Or to put it another way, how annoying is it that almost everyone devalues God’s most important gift: free will. And they argue that if he exists he should destroy utterly that gift by involving himself in your mundane everyday life.
It is this lack of respect for free will and attitude that a diety should make himself a tyrant in order to be worthy of the name God that has led us to the shitful situation of everyone locked in their houses 23 hours a day by Daniel Andrews.
err, Arks, my comment was not aimed at your good self, Squire – and if you consider that a rebuttal then I can’t help you.
There is/are no god(s). I’ve known this since I was eight years old.
My comment was not some random discoursing about the existence of god. You’ve set up a false pretence (again).
FFS, I do not give a shit if god(s) exist. They mean nothing to me. They never have.
If they reveal themselves* to me before or after I depart this planet, then stiff shit. These things happen. I’ve always tried to live my life according to the only Christian code I’ve ever believed in. “Treat others as you would have them treat you”.
*Yes – using the plural, because according to my fellow humans, there are many gods, FFS 😕
God exists, and he loves you enough to leave you the hell alone, which is more than our present leaders have the wisdom to do.
Then long may he continue to do so. I’m ready for the reckoning, Arks, if that’s any consolation.
If god exists, he has bigger problems on this planet than my dissolute life – such as it is.
Satan, on the other hand, is always there prodding you to do dumb shit.
Anyone who hasn’t sensed the existence of that sardonic, evil spirit hasn’t lived at all.
It’s there, and if there wasn’t a counterbalancing force for good, then we’d all be in that scene from Event Horizon.
..
Stick around awhile. You want to see how all this insanity turns out, surely?
Arks – the reckoning comes when it comes. I’m not in any hurry to leave this planet, but age bestows some sort of (reluctant) acceptance of our fate.
As for seeing how all this insanity turns out, your god will no doubt gift it, whether I want to see it or not.
We have convinced ourselves that he does not exist, which is precisely what he wants.
The greatest trick ever.
So God “doesn’t exist”, but is Obsessed & Greatest Opponent does?
Let’s put it this way, USSR – I believe in hell. Because goodness knows there are enough arseholes existing on this planet who deserve to end up there for eternity.
I’m not a believer per se.
certainly don’t take bible stories as literal
but lately, when I watch so many punters bargaining with the devil and clamouring to get their “mark”,
I am reminded that although the stories may be metaphors, they are words to be heeded.
When I see a person whose faith is deep and unshakeable and a person that pays attention to what was meant rather than what was said, I recognize that we worship at the same church.
beware the post-modern
it is that red bastard whispering pretty lies in your ear
Gee thanks for that, Tommy. So I’m an arrogant ignoramus for refusing (since the age of eight) to even consider the existence of an almighty invisible deity? One that has never and will never reveal themselves to me or the 99.99% of humanity
What makes you so sure He hasn’t?
If an angel of the Lord appeared to you with a message from God Almighty Himself direct to you, what would you do? Go to church, or go to a psychiatrist to be treated for hallucinations? Answer honestly to yourself.
And if, as I suspect, the real answer is that you’d go to the psychiatrist, why do you expect to have noticed any lesser sign God gives you about His existence?
Err, Tim – perhaps he has and I was too busy existing to even notice. The bible is full of tales of humans interacting with god. In our beloved “post modern” age, not so much. The first world war, as Hitchens, C. observed, destroyed Christianity forever on the western side of the continent. What sort of god would condemn the best and brightest of his people to be slaughtered in some bizarre industrial mincing machine over a seemingly interminable period of four years? Only to be followed up by an even worse slaughter, twenty years later, that also nearly wiped out Jesus’ tribe.
OK – let’s put this to bed, once and for all – if there is a god, he has more profound issues to deal with than whether or not I believe in him. If that’s any consolation, for both of us.
Although, as JC so profoundly noted – the existence of beautiful young women on this planet could be interpreted as a sign that a God does actually exist.
There is a great deal of beauty in the world.
The bible is full of tales of humans interacting with god. In our beloved “post modern” age, not so much.
Precisely. Our “post modern” world is full of people like you who has been “refusing (since the age of eight) to even consider the existence of an almighty invisible deity”. How do you expect to see something which you would refuse to believe even if you did see it?
In any case, what exactly do you think God would need to do nowadays that requires the type of interaction He had in the past? He got Abraham to found his chosen people, Moses to lead them out of Egypt, Isaiah to persuade them not to surrender to the Assyrians, and so on, up till the time of Christ, because Christ’s earthly mission was to be performed in an earthly context (political, cultural, etc.) suitable for the founding of the Church, so God guided that context into existence. It’s a basic tenet of Christianity that once Jesus’ earthly life was over the world would never be the same again. There’s no Christian reason to expect that God’s plan for the post-Ascension world would involve the same kind of direct interventions by God that had occurred previously, and in fact there are good scriptural reasons for expecting that normally it wouldn’t.
The first world war, as Hitchens, C. observed, destroyed Christianity forever on the western side of the continent. What sort of god would condemn the best and brightest of his people to be slaughtered in some bizarre industrial mincing machine over a seemingly interminable period of four years? Only to be followed up by an even worse slaughter, twenty years later, that also nearly wiped out Jesus’ tribe.
Do you really think that earlier wars didn’t seem as horrific to those who actually experienced them? Why is the suffering of any person in a world war worse than the suffering of any person in any war, just because the stats were higher in the more recent ones?
In any case God didn’t “condemn” any war to happen at all, except the ones for very specific purposes described in the Old Testament. And those wars illustrate a very important thing. It’s a basic tenet of Christianity that, although we have moral duties as to how we behave in this physical world, physical things in themselves are very unimportant. (If God did intervene directly in your life, it would very probably not be to keep you physically safe – it might be in ways that you wouldn’t like at all, though certainly in ways that would be good for you.)
We either have a world of free will or we don’t. If we do, people will do bad things to each other. If we don’t, we don’t exist as beings capable of choosing eternal happiness in accordance with God’s will – we’d just be robots. Even more than that – a world of absolute karma in earthly existence would be a world in which genuine moral agency would be impossible, which again would mean we didn’t exist as beings capable of choosing eternal happiness in accordance with God’s will.
So expecting God to intervene to thwart any human action just because it is evil (or we perceive it to be evil) is inevitably based on a complete misunderstanding of what “God” actually means to Christians.
Tim, that’s a mighty reply. I’m not in any state to respond, but hopefully we will keep this discussion going. Need some time to consider the concepts you’ve raised.
I’m just a wally on this planet who’s had a fortunate life. This is not some sort of immutable sense of being. But yes, angels do exist.
I see a sign …
Of a lifetime …
Until I die …
Rewind the clip to the beginning …
Tim – seriously? The carnage in WW1 remains inconceivable. The industrialisation of death.
The Foul Tornado …
Why indeed. What monstrousness WW1 unleashed on this planet.