Christian Right groups throughout Australia are usually very vocal about anything concerning the overlap between religion and politics. Abortion, therapeutic cloning, IVF, homosexual rights, censorship, euthanasia - you name it, they’re all over it.

So why are they all so quiet about recent revelations - Separate Lives, ABC Four Corners, 25 Sep 2006 - involving the Exclusive Brethren (EB)? I mean, here you have this nice, quiet Christian church, very ‘pro-family values’, anti-abortion (even anti-contraception!), outspokenly opposed to queer rights, perhaps just a little weak on the grog question, but running a beaut patriarchal show and being appallingly persecuted by those awful pagan Greens.

What’s not to like?

OK, I’ll have a shot at this. Groups like the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL), the Australian Family Association and the Festival of Light/Christian Democratic Party nexus can’t go in to bat for the EBs because the sect leaders are a mob of deadset family splitters. They have decades of form in this respect and, like Melbourne’s ‘Fellowship’ group, you can’t claim to be ‘pro-family’ and then go around splitting up your own families.

But the Christian Right groups can’t publicly attack the EBs either - at least, not seriously. This is mainly because the Exclusives are ideologically on side with the ACL and the other groups in so many significant ways. Anti-abortion, anti-homosexual organisations pouring a bucket on other anti-abortion, anti-homosexual organisations? Not a good look.

Perhaps just as importantly, the EBs are a wealthy sect and are known to fund Christian causes. Expensive causes pursued by Christian Right groups.

Fill in the blanks.

Filed in: Christian Right, Politics