……….and on the subject of the good vicar, Pell, it’s all very well for him to have his own opinion, even to expressing the view of his church on the issue of stem cell research. In fact, on any issue.
Not that he doesn’t already express himself and his church’s views at every available opportunity. That’s a democratic right, however, that right would appear to be being abused in the extreme when ’his eminence’ draws a direct parallel between an elected official’s religiosity and that same official’s job of making decisions on behalf of the greater majority of those who elected him/her.
It’s call a separation of church and state and while not officially defined in legal or constitutional terms, the understanding in this country – which is not an essentially christian culture as I’ve read in other articles – is one of religion and law-making being maintained as entirely different and divided occupations and platforms. To my way of thinking, if stem cell research can aid the health and well-being of ill people, reinstate lost quality of life and ease the health burden on the rest of society, then stem cell research needs to be embraced by the community as a whole on that basis. What sky pilots and associated fundamentalist collectives may think does not and should not be allowed to enter into the discussion. If said fundamentalists don’t wish to have their life quality enhanced or have illness cured then they’re quite at liberty to sign out of the mainstream. It’s easy, people. Just say no. There’ll be more for the rest of us that way.
Anyway, what’s all the fuss about being excommunicated? So you miss having a stale pastry wafer stuck to the roof of your gob. Big deal. At least your Sunday’s would automatically become your own.
Stick to your knitting, George Pell. Preaching to the already converted is what you’re best at, isn’t it. The rest of we rational self-determining human beings can make up our own minds, thanks all the same. Still, as Adrian Piccoli suggested today, you could always run for Parliament?