chrysstevenson

[chrysstevenson]

Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots: Unmasking Australia’s Wizard of Oz

As Clive Palmer’s new Trumpet of Patriots party bombards the media and our phones with a barrage of advertising and text messages, Australians everywhere wonder why this would-be Wizard of Oz would repeatedly invest millions of dollars into political campaigns he has almost no hope of winning. Is he mad? Is he dumb? Does the man have more dollars than sense?  People everywhere are asking, “What…

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Trumpet of Patriots - Honour Among Thieves?

The motto of Clive Palmer’s new political party, Trumpet of Patriots, is Honor Omnia – Honour Above All. Yet, after a tsunami of stories about the shady backgrounds of some of the party’s candidates in the forthcoming Federal election, one has to wonder whether the motto should be changed to Honor Inter Fures – Honour Among Thieves.In the past few days, it’s come to light that at least three of…

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Who the Hell is Suellen Wrightson?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock these past few weeks, you will have been bombarded with ads from Clive Palmer’s new Trumpet of Patriots party, featuring party leader, Suellen Wrightson.No doubt, like me, you asked yourself: “Who the hell is Suellen Wrightson?” My first instinct was, “Don’t know, don’t care.” But, early last month, when Ms Wrightson did a train-wreck interview with Chris…

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Christian Dominionism: Follow the Money

This is the text of the speech I gave last weekend at the Secularism Australia Conference. Many thanks to the organisers for asking me to speak on this important subject. I believe urgent action needs to be taken to head off the Americanisation of Australian politics at the pass. I have spent 11 years following Christian dominionism and Christian nationalism, and the last 3 months undertaking…

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The Dominionists - Christofascism in Australia

I’ve been writing about the threat of Christian dominionism in Australia for over a decade now. Lately, there is quite a deal of ‘movement at the station’ and I think it’s time to renew my efforts. This is the first of what I hope will be a series of articles on the threat of Christofascism in Australia. This is long, so grab a cuppa and put your feet up. Dominion theology was popularised in the…

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Secular chaplains? Been there, done that …

Here is a link to my latest article on Medium for ⁦‪Humanists Australia. It‬⁩ reviews the history of school chaplaincy to explain why we shouldn’t be rejoicing about ⁦Education Minister Jason Clare’s announcement re secular well-being workers. We’ve been down this road before. When it comes to school chaplaincy, both the Coalition and the ALP have been too clever by half. I’m cynical. It sounds…

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Do religious services really honour the Anzac ethos?

My latest article for Humanists Australia has just been published on Medium. It asks – should ANZAC Day public commemorations be purely secular? Are the current Christian services divisive? And do they reflect the true Anzac ethos? View at Medium.com

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Morrison on Disability: He Meant What He Said

Let's be clear. The Prime Minister didn't 'mis-speak', he wasn't taken 'out of context', his words aren't being twisted by his opponents. In a rare moment of honesty Scott Morrison said exactly what he has been taught to think by his church ...

During the Sky News leaders’ debate last night (20/4/22), the mother of an autistic child asked Prime Minister Scott Morrison, why she should vote for his party, given that, following a review, her son’s NDIS had been slashed by 30 per cent. Morrison responded: “I’ve been blessed, we’ve got two children that don’t … haven’t had to go through that. And so for parents, with children who are…

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Katherine Deves - Worse Than Just a Transphobe

Katherine Deves – Worse Than Just a Transphobe

In the 2022 Federal election, Katherine Deves is Scott Morrison’s ‘captain’s pick’ for Warringah, the electorate formerly represented by Tony Abbott and, currently, by independent Zali Steggall. This week, social and mainstream media has erupted over the fact that Ms Deves is a notorious TERF – a trans-exclusionary radical feminist. This claim can be made with no fear of defamation. Ms Deves,…

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Children's Health Defense Anti-Vaxx Propaganda targets Australian Parents

There is a disinformation industry profiting from the distribution of anti-vaxx propaganda. Don't bet your child's life on them being right.

In August last year, I compiled an A-Z list of anti-vaxxers who had died of COVID-19. This wasn’t intended to mock them or to celebrate their deaths. My purpose was simply to pull together some of the many stories circulating on the internet to serve as a cautionary message to the ‘vaccine hesitant.’ People die when they are fooled by con-artists peddling false information. Since then, of…

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Building Bridges with Liberal Christians - Can Civil Communication Help Us Save the World Together?

Building Bridges with Liberal Christians – Can Civil Communication Help Us Save the World Together?

Pastor Sharad Yadav of the Bread and Wine Church Community in Oregon recently wrote the following Facebook post about the benefits of joining a church. His post was shared by one of my friends, a liberal Christian from Australia. After checking Pastor Yadav’s profile and church website, I noted that his religious views seem to be, similarly, liberal – he is not one of those purse-lipped…

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Faith and Power

Melbourne emergency doctor, Stephen Parnis, has become something of a social media celebrity during the COVID-19, pandemic. Tweeting about his direct experience with COVID patients and encouraging people to get vaccinated, Dr Parnis has emerged as the embodiment of the heroic medicos and nurses whose work deserves greater respect and recognition. I don’t want to take any of that away from…

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A Lack of Willingness to Endure - Dr Megan Best on Voluntary Assisted Dying

A Lack of Willingness to Endure – Dr Megan Best on Voluntary Assisted Dying

Life Summit is an event convened each year by Life Church, a pentecostal church in Brisbane. This month (September 2021) a guest speaker was Associate Professor Megan Best, a Research Associate with the Institute for Ethics and Society at the (Catholic) University of Notre Dame, Australia. Dr Best, a palliative care doctor and medical ethicist, spoke on the topic of voluntary assisted dying. Her…

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Heaven on their minds: Qld Pollies & the Assisted Dying Debate

Heaven on their minds: Qld Pollies & the Assisted Dying Debate

There are 5.2 million people in Queensland. They are people of different races, different religions (or no religion), different political views, different educational achievements,  professional skills, and different socio-economic status. But, we Queenslanders have one important thing in common: one day, each and every one of us 5.2 million people, is going to die.  And, of those Queenslanders…

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COVID-19 - An A-Z of Anti-Vaccine Deaths

COVID-19 – An A-Z of Anti-Vaccine Deaths

Since vaccinations for COVID-19 became widely available, there has been a flood of stories about anti-vaxxers and COVID conspiracy theorists dying of the disease they so passionately believed was a ‘hoax’. There is inevitably some degree of schadenfreude about these deaths, but it’s important to remember these are real people, with friends and family who love them. No matter how vehemently we…

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Lyle Shelton - With God on his Side?

Lyle Shelton – With God on his Side?

“Through many dark hourI’ve been thinkin’ about thisThat Jesus ChristWas betrayed by a kissBut I can’t think for youYou’ll have to decideWhether Judas IscariotHad God on his side.” – Bob Dylan, With God on Our Side Aspiring politician, religious lobbyist, and former managing director of the Australian Christian lobby, Lyle Shelton, has spent his life fighting for what he believes is right. In…

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New Statistical Report Challenges Contention Australia is a “Christian nation”

New Statistical Report Challenges Contention Australia is a “Christian nation”

Many years ago, on behalf of Atheist Nexus, I wrote a submission to the Australian Human Rights Commission on Freedom of Religion and Belief in Australia. Pulling together statistics on religiosity in Australia took months. The research was both scant and scattered. Now, my friend, Neil Francis, has filled the gap by writing a forensically researched report on Religiosity in Australia for the…