Islamophobia, social distance and fear of terrorism in Australia. A preliminary report from the University of South Australia

This report will provide interesting reading for Australia's inhabitants. It pinpoints how they feel about their Muslim neighbours.

For people of faith, or those interested in religion,  the statistics on attitudes among faith communities is enlightening but not surprising.

The Papal Encyclical : Pope Francis on care for our common home : the encyclical Laudato si'

What kind of world do we want to leave to our children

and future generations?

In my merry Popemobile - apologies to Gus Edwards and Vincent P Bryan

Posted by Rowland Croucher on Sunday, 27 September 2015

Religious literacy - much needed insight in dealing with and writing about world affairs

Originally posted on Beside The Creek. Re-posted here with permission.

What is Religious Literacy?

Get the gist of what Religious Literacy is all about

by exploring Lapidomedia.

LAPIDO MEANS TO SPEAK UP in the Acholi dialect of Northern Uganda.  Religiously literate media work helped to end a war there between 2003-5.  We were founded by journalists to advocate for greater awareness of the faith dimension in policy, governance, and conflict in the UK and abroad.

Many news stories do not make sense - whether to journalists or policy makers who feed off what they report - without understanding religion. Lapido Media is an internationally networked, British-based philanthro-media charity, founded in 2005, that seeks to increase understanding among journalists and opinion formers of the way religion shapes world affairs. 

It’s called religious literacy.  We run media briefings, publish research and essays and work with journalists around the world.  Our stringers practise on our website the kind of religiously literate journalism we wish to see, going deeper to the sources of social motivations, and providing a resource for other journalists.  And we work with civil society groups on campaigns and media strategy to improve the flow and quality of stories with a religion dimension. 

Lapido Media e-newsletter - View email in browser | Forward to a friend THE DAWKINS EFFECT ON RELIGIOUS DEBATE – AN APPRAISAL HAVE New Atheism and Richard Dawkins contributed to or hindered our understanding of modern faith? Read more here>> EGYPT EXPORTS INTERFAITH 'BRIDGE' AS IRAN comes in from the cold, Iranian-born artist highlighted among 47 Middle Eastern works coming to London. Read more here>> TOP PICKS FROM OUR WORLD MEDIA WATCH AS the 100th Armenian genocide anniversary approaches, initial delight in Turkey's AKP government among Christians sours amidst rising sectarianism (Al-Monitor). Meanwhile, the World Bank gets religion as its president declares 'we have to have the partnership of religious leaders' to end extreme poverty (Washington Post). Finally, to mark Holocaust Day last week, the story of a Muslim country–the only European nation to boast a larger Jewish population than it had before the war (Australian Broadcasting Corporation).

A just war? Please consider .... #War #Peace

War can provide a challenge for Christians.  History has proved that Christian monarchs and Christian democracies do take up arms and go to war.  The tendency of the Christian scriptures is to peace.  And then, in the early centuries of Christianity, came the Just War Theory.  An in-depth discussion on what constitutes a Just War is quite complex.  War is a complex issue and always has been.  Is there a difference in the way a democracy handles the war issue and a monarchy (or for that matter, a dictatorship) handles war?

There is much discussion in recent years about "proxy" wars.  The definition of a proxy war can vary. It may be a war in which the major protagonists do not fight each other directly on their own territories.  Instead they might fight on other territory on another pretext, perhaps using allies, when a closer study might reveal that it is, in reality, one power fighting another power in defence or furtherance of their own interests.

It is often suggested that many recent conflicts are really about resources - oil, uranium, food bowls.  If this view is borne out, where does that leave the Just War Theory?  What should be the stance of Christians?

There are Christians who have long since made up their minds on these issues.  These include the historic peace churches - Quakers, Mennonites, and the Church of the Brethren - as well as some other Christian traditions.

One thing is clear: the basic Christian response should be to consider - in the context of faith and discipleship - a call to arms by a governing authority.

The letter below appeared in the comment section of The Age newspaper of 7 October 2014. It is evidence that a Christian mind is being exercised.

I welcome the discussion on ''just war''. The planes, however, are already flying and, as usual, ethical thinking limps after events. Some politicians deny this is a religious war; Prime Minister Abbott denies it is war. But it is undeniable that the conflict between the so-called Christian West and Islamic communities has a religious character. Just war doctrine originated from the Roman Stoic Seneca (65AD) and was adapted by fourth-century Augustine of Hippo. The church was no longer a pacifist community. ''Christian'' leaders sought to balance political and spiritual demands.

 

John Howard Yoder, US Mennonite theologian, concludes that just war doctrine is so stringent it is almost impossible for war to be declared just. It all but prohibits war-making. US political analyst Noam Chomsky argues that national interest, not ethical concern, is served by war. If David Wroe sees permission to go to war (The Saturday Age, 4/10), the final clauses of the doctrine impose severe limits. Violence must be proportional to the injury suffered and the weapons used must discriminate between combatants and non-combatants. Civilians are never permissible targets and their deaths justified only if they are unavoidable victims of a deliberate attack on a military target. Certainly, we must find ways of protecting and liberating oppressed peoples. But don't contemporary military strikes from a distance disqualify modern war-making as ''just''? Wouldn't the requirement to protect non-combatants be sufficient to prohibit modern warfare?

Wes Campbell, retired Uniting Church minister

Advocacy Editor's note:

Rev Dr Wes Campbell studied arts and theology in Perth, Melbourne and Tübingen (Germany) where he studied under Jürgen Moltmann. He has ministered in congregations in Perth and Melbourne, and taught theology in Perth and Whitley College (Melbourne). He directed social justice policy and education in the Synod of Victoria, was convener of the Commission on Education for Ministry in Victoria and convened the Doctrine working group for seven years (2005 – 2012). He is currently chaplain at the University of Melbourne. He is also an artist.  

The above information is taken from this page.