Julia Gillard won't bow to Christian vote

[Hayley]

JULIA Gillard says she has great respect for religion, even though she is a non-believer.

The new Prime Minister, who has described herself as a non-practicing Baptist, told ABC Radio today she was not worried about losing the Christian vote drawn by her predecessors Kevin Rudd and John Howard.

Ms Gillard explained she was raised in the Baptist tradition - even winning prizes for remembering Bible verses - but as an adult she had formed different views.

"I'm not going to pretend a faith I don't feel," she said.

"For people of faith I think the greatest compliment I could pay to them is to respect their genuinely held beliefs and not to engage in some pretense about mine."

Ms Gillard said she never thought it was the right thing for her to go through religious rituals for the sake of appearance.

"I am what I am, and people will judge that."


Article here: http://www.news.com.au/features/federal-election/gillard-has-great-respect-for-religion/story-e6frfllr-1225885569440#ixzz0sDvyKGJC

[RickT]

Anybody in Australia bothered by her being foreign born?  I suspect many Canadians would be bugged by that.

Our 1st (and only) female PM came into the job when PM Mulroney stepped down in 1993... in the following election, the (then known as) Progressive Conservatives went from a majority government of 151 seats, to just 2 and split the conservative vote into smaller voting blocks... guaranteeing the Liberal Party majority governments for the next 10 years and 1 minority government.  We've had minority governments since 2004.  A Liberal lead government which lasted  years.  Since 2006 we've had 2 elections, both leading to Conservative lead but minority governments.

Kim Campbell went down as a political joke (unfortunately) and lead to Liberal dominance for 3 consecutive massive majorities, because of vote splitting amongst 1 left (Liberals), 2 right of center, 1 far left party and a separatist Quebec party.  With the Liberal Party keeping most of it's traditional left support.

It'll be interesting to see what happens down there.

[agentbluescreen]

"As the union between spiritual freedom and political liberty seems nearly inseparable, it is our duty to defend both. And defence in the first instance is best."

~ Thomas Paine, Thoughts on Defensive War - 1775


The disestablishment of corporate religionism (fascism) is both the cornerstone and the wellspring of all Republican Liberty.

It is well, good and wonderful that Ms Gillard is not a hateful antidisestablishmentarian fascist.

[Hayley]

Anybody in Australia bothered by her being foreign born?  I suspect many Canadians would be bugged by that.

Yes, I am somewhat, but in the knowledge that she will only have a few months in her role, and the fact that anyone would have been better than Rudd at this point in time...
I like her gutsy-ness to be able to get up and take the role, (or did she have no choice...) then immediately declare that she does not believe in a God. I really admire that in her, but then again, I do have to shamefully admit that there were qualities in Krudd that I liked too... That all quickly changed when he brought in work choices and screwed us all.
I am going to do my very best to go into this next election full bottle on the who's who.

[mr anderson]

Anybody in Australia bothered by her being foreign born?  I suspect many Canadians would be bugged by that.

Our 1st (and only) female PM came into the job when PM Mulroney stepped down in 1993... in the following election, the (then known as) Progressive Conservatives went from a majority government of 151 seats, to just 2 and split the conservative vote into smaller voting blocks... guaranteeing the Liberal Party majority governments for the next 10 years and 1 minority government.  We've had minority governments since 2004.  A Liberal lead government which lasted  years.  Since 2006 we've had 2 elections, both leading to Conservative lead but minority governments.

Kim Campbell went down as a political joke (unfortunately) and lead to Liberal dominance for 3 consecutive massive majorities, because of vote splitting amongst 1 left (Liberals), 2 right of center, 1 far left party and a separatist Quebec party.  With the Liberal Party keeping most of it's traditional left support.

It'll be interesting to see what happens down there.

When they are working towards a new world order, your place of birth is almost irrelevant.

There would be however plenty of natural born citizens willing to do just the same.

[Brocke]

Ms Gillard explained she was raised in the Baptist tradition - even winning prizes for remembering Bible verses - but as an adult she had formed different views.

No sh*t, she is a Fabian Socialist!

[agentbluescreen]

No sh*t, she is a Fabian Socialist!

Pardon me hun, but you say that as if it were a dirty word.

All "government" in all forms, by any definition is a manifestation of group "socialism". Any time anyone else tells you what you can or cannot do, own, have, use or think, believe or say, or erects barriers, detains or imprisons or bestows privileges upon anyone for reasons of their own, that is communal socialism.

There are many forms of establishmentarian-socialist groupings; nobles, corporations, associations, workers, cultists, criminals etc. The issue is ALWAYS the emplacement of (establishing) group-entity (societal) rights ahead of the collective and/or independent enforcement of inalienable individual human rights.

Libertarian-"socialism" (disestablishmentarian Republican Liberty or libertarianism) is unique among and transcendent above all others, because ONLY it alone is "Freedom".

Among "socialisms" it alone is the only "established order" that is and can be so.

[Brocke]

Pardon me hun, but you say that as if it were a dirty word.

All "government" in all forms, by any definition is a manifestation of group "socialism". Any time anyone else tells you what you can or cannot do, own, have, use or think, believe or say, or erects barriers, detains or imprisons or bestows privileges upon anyone for reasons of their own, that is communal socialism.

There are many forms of establishmentarian-socialist groupings; nobles, corporations, associations, workers, cultists, criminals etc. The issue is ALWAYS the emplacement of (establishing) group-entity (societal) rights ahead of the collective and/or independent enforcement of inalienable individual human rights.

Libertarian-"socialism" (disestablishmentarian Republican Liberty or libertarianism) is unique among and transcendent above all others, because ONLY it alone is "Freedom".

Among "socialisms" it alone is the only "established order" that is and can be so.

It may not be dirty, it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. To me it is repugnant.

[mr anderson]

It's not what it is, it's how they use it... and in turn giving it a bad name.