Ethics & Religion
Pentecostalism: New, old and unchanging
The “new face of Pentecostalism in Australia” was joyfully proclaimed in a recent edition of the Weekend Australian newspaper. “Rock …
Inside the indoctrinated mind
Earlier this year, I wrote here about radicalisation, white Christian nationalism and how the far and extreme right-wing interface. In …
Why the Army’s choice to serve God comes at a cost to the nation
On 8 July 2023, the Australian Army, specifically the 1st Armoured Regiment, had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to march through the …
Peter FitzSimons: ‘Religion and charity’ report will help inform debate
This foreword appears in the newly published Religiosity in Australia: Religion and charity. It is the hoariest chestnut of the …
Greg Sheridan’s uncritical supernaturalism
On Easter Saturday, The Australian was to run a 1200-word piece of mine about Mathias Cormann being a safe pair …
Radicalisation and white Christian nationalism
Last year, I had a quick conversation with another writer about the difference between the ‘far right’ and ‘extreme right’ …
Supernatural beliefs exist to explain natural phenomena
Religion is a human universal. For thousands of years, humans have held religious beliefs and participated in religious rituals. Throughout …
The day I stood up to bullshit
The first time I was suspended from school came in Year 8. To some, that might seem a little early …
Euthanasia through the ages
Are our moral judgements about euthanasia a product of our time? If we came from a different culture, might our …
How I dropped the dogma and took control of my own destiny
I was about six years old when the parish priest walked into the room. His vestments swirled around him as …
The faithless in foxholes
There is an old saying – there are no atheists in foxholes. In reality, modern soldiers are unlikely to be …
George Brandis and the Christian persecution complex
Attending the Religious Freedom roundtable in November 2015 on behalf of the Rationalist Society of Australia, I was bemused by …