Mrs Amanda J. Tan, Doonside NSW, letter in Good Report, May/July 2007, 17:

Unless [Genesis] creation is taught in Australian schools, Australia will become more and more atheistic, truth will be only relative, and this will lead to the further decline in ethical values in Australia, and the further chaos and breakdown of our functioning society … The teaching of creation will help restore ethical values and decency and blessing in Australia.

[Amanda, why would the abandonment of science lead to anything other than a new Dark Age?]

Julie Jordan ‘The ABCs for a Lasting Marriage’, ibid., 20:

You might say that you don’t hear [God] speaking to you, but may I ask you: Have you done what He told you to do the last time you spent time with Him? Did He convict you about some sin that you are unwilling to give up? It could be gossiping, greed, malice, evil desires, envy, laziness, pride, arrogance, unwillingness to forgive, idolatry, hatred, to name a few.

['A few'! Kind of makes you wonder why a 'good' god would permit the existence of such a degraded creation. Must be one of those 'mysteries' that Christian theologians are so fond of running up against.]

Julie again, regarding what to do in a ‘marriage emergency’:

Appreciate what you have. Instead of focusing on what is not right, consider what you do have and be thankful for that. Your spouse must have some good qualities since you married that person in the first place. Dwell on the good qualities …

[Yes, so maybe while he's whacking you in the chops you could be meditating on the lovely Easter egg he bought you last April. 'Christian marriage' advice of this kind generally boils down to one thing: you're a doormat now, lady, so be happy about it.]

Garry Le Duff, Association of Independent Schools of SA executive director, quoted in Laura Anderson ‘Cancer drug leads to sex, say schools’, Advertiser, 23 May 2007, regarding the cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil:

… Garry Le Duff said [that] two [South Australian] Christian schools were not offering the vaccination programs on-site because of their beliefs … [He] said there were a small number of schools which ‘have concerns because they believe it enhances promiscuity’.

['Enhances promiscuity', eh? Nice turn of phrase there, Garry. You'll bear watching, I can see.]

Creation Ministries International, ‘Dr Jonathan Sarfati is visiting Melbourne’, email to supporters, 23 May 2007:

Without doubt, Jonathan … is one of the foremost defenders of the [Christian] faith in the world today.

[Well, God help the faith then. In terms of Christian apologetics, it would be kindest to describe Jonathan as 'a struggler'.]

Graeme Furlong, Daisy Hill Qld., letter in New Life, 26 Apr. 2007:

An open letter to Richard Dawkins. You are a man with brilliant intellectual achievements and a very daring and brave man as well. To write a book refuting the existence of an Intelligent Designer indicates you must have an incredible belief in the alternative. While my knowledge of history is limited, my personal experience and my acquaintance with a vast number of people from many countries, language groups and heritage, clearly indicate you have been deceived. God is.

[Richard Dawkins, take note. Graeme has spoken.]

Bill Muehlenberg, Nothing New About “The Secret” (comments), 23 May 2007:

While many religions may be largely untestable, the Christian religion is the most testable … [T]he reliability of the Gospels and the historicity of Jesus are all issues that can be closely examined and tested.

[Yes, tested ... and found wanting. No point in mindlessly repeating old mantras, Bill. Why not do some reading instead? And I don't mean reading the American neo-conservative hacks who seem to comprise your main bill of fare.]

Jonathan Sarfati, Creation Ministries International, CultureWatch discussion, 30 Mar. 2007, regarding God instructing Israel to massacre the Canaanites:

As for the Canaanites, not only were they given centuries of fair warning, they practised: child sacrifice …, incest, bestiality, homo-sex, [and] cultic prostitution, both male and female. We know this from the biblical eye-witness data which is supported by ample extra-biblical evidence …

[Jonathan, even granting your absurd premisses, you're defending mass murder here. Are you so sunk in your blind fundamentalism that you can't see this any more?]

Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch, 19 Mar. 2007:

Fortunately for this nation most of our intellectualoids [sic] only pen silly columns, and don’t govern our people or make our laws. If they did we would all be up the creek. Our libertarian gurus would likely have us all enjoying snuff films beamed into our homes 24/7; there would be heroin sold in Kmarts, child porn delivered with the junk mail, and terrorist manuals available in our school libraries.

[That's what the man said, folks!]

Jenny Stokes, Salt Shakers, email to supporters, 16 Mar. 2007:

The Community Services Committee of the Melbourne City Council voted on Tuesday night 13 March to endorse the proposed Relationships Declaration Program to register same-sex and heterosexual relationships … ACTION: PLEASE write POLITELY to each of the Councillors [opposing this move] …

[Leaders of Religious Right groups regularly implore their supporters to be 'polite'. Why is it necessary to remind 'true Christians' of this?]

Chris Meney, director of the Sydney (Catholic) Archdiocesan Marriage and Family Office, quoted in
Australian Christian Lobby, 28 Mar. 2007 regarding vaccination of girls against Human Papillomavirus (HPV):

NSW Health … plan to introduce a change to the process for withdrawal of parental/legal guardian consent for both the NSW Adolescent-based Vaccination Program and the National HPV Vaccination program. This is of real concern. I find it extraordinary that bureaucracies would be making decisions that are properly the domain of parents.

[Funny how nervous George Pell and his mates become when the proposed medical treatments for young people have anything to do with sexuality. But do you see Catholic leaders sticking up for Jehovah's Witness parents when they refuse blood transfusions for their children? That's different, no sex involved.]

Ex-Senator Santo Santoro, former federal Minister for Ageing, quoted in Annabel Stafford, ‘Santoro keeps the faith in final Senate speech’, Melbourne Age, 29 Mar. 2007:

The former minister for ageing used his final speech to promote the conservative values that have led him to oppose abortion pill RU486 and therapeutic cloning. His voice sometimes wavering with emotion, he argued against abortion and gay marriage, saying Australia’s success was built on the values of the Judaeo-Christian faith. Having been forced out as minister, he quit the Senate over his failure to declare 72 share transactions.

[Start polishing up the 'Don't do as I do, do as I say' trophy.]

Australian Christian Lobby, ACL Monthly, Apr. 2007, 2:

While it is important to combat bullying in schools, ACL is committed to make sure that this is not used as an excuse to actively promote homosexual lifestyles to impressionable young people.

[Teacher: 'So, Johnny, don't keep trying to bash that gay student's head in. Just keep telling him Jesus would love him even more if he was straight.']

Filed in: Their Own Mouths