christianity

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Links for 29 January 2009 through 30 January 2009

30 January 2009 in Daily Links by del.icio.us | No comments

Stilgherrian’s links for 29 January 2009 through 30 January 2009, gathered by a poisonous frog:

I always used to enjoy the wholesome food from the Common Ground Café at Sydney’s Royal Easter Show, the Newtown Festival and other events. There’s now a bad taste in my mouth now that I’ve discovered they’re owned by an isolationist cult with abusive child-discipline practices.

A former member says workers aren’t paid and there’s no workers compensation or insurance.

[Update 25 April 2012: I'm closing comments on this post now, for the reasons given in the final comment. If you want to tell me anything more about Twelve Tribes or Common Ground Cafe, please email me.]

24 March 2008 by Stilgherrian | 33 comments

St Kevin’s thoughts on religion in politics

22 December 2007 in Politics, Religion by Stilgherrian | No comments

Lots of Australian politicians claim to be Christians, but somehow the “What would Jesus do?” bit gets lost in the everyday business of arresting Indian doctors and sending refugees to concentration camps. Our new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says he’s a Christian too. What sort?

Two years ago, Chairman Rudd gave a lecture at the University of NSW’s New College on Religion, The State and Politics. Written in the days of WorkChoices and well before Rudd became ALP leader, it begins with the observation that “Christianity began its life as an oppressed minority,” and argues that one of the church’s important roles is to speak out against injustice.

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While exploring cyberhymnal.org — part of the explorations that’s following our conversation about the Latin Mass and church music — I was suddenly confronted by this Bible quote: “Behold, I come quickly. (Revelation 22:12)” I laughed out loud. How grubby.

18 July 2007 by Stilgherrian | 2 comments

The Return of the Latin Mass

17 July 2007 in Language, Religion by Stilgherrian | 11 comments

That wonderful chap Father Bob Maguire has written a piece on the return of the Latin Mass in Catholic churches. As usual, he’s saying things the Vatican probably won’t like. Excellent.

Church music became popularist [sic] in the 1960s [after Vatican II] because it had been exclusivist for centuries.

The “Masses” so often “oo’ed and ah’ed” over by concert-goers and listeners to the ABC FM stations were performance pieces for the ruling classes (including the senior clergy). The language was exclusivist, Latin, to remind lesser beings and nationalities that all roads lead to Rome.

Guess what? There’s a revisionist plot on, right now, to restore Latin on demand. A Brisbane priest was quoted last week as praising the move back because he felt much more comfortable and spiritually refreshed if he had his back to the congregation and was the only one knowing what was being said! (Read article here on Latin Mass)

The musical style of a Cathedral or posh church, supportable by heaps of money, comforts upwardly socially mobile church-goers.

Suburban and rural area churches make do with less. Which worship style creates/supports genuine parish centres, souls of their neighbourhoods, beacons of hope?

As I’ve said before, Father Bob is a Catholic priest who actually gives Christians a good name.