Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

St Mary’s and St Michael’s

By Alan Austin - posted Monday, 9 March 2009


Brisbane's Catholic Archbishop John Bathersby and Victoria’s Uniting Church Moderator Jason Kioa are facing strikingly similar challenges. Their responses could hardly be more different.

As has been reported, St Mary's Catholic Church, South Brisbane, has broken from Catholic tradition with irregular liturgical practices and defiance of church authority.

Senior minister at St Michael’s Uniting Church in Melbourne’s CBD Francis Macnab last year launched a media campaign to promote an unorthodox “new faith”.

Advertisement

Among the dot points in Dr Macnab’s September 16 media release were:

  • “If we reinterpret the Scriptures properly, the physical resurrection of Jesus is something that was concocted years after the event;” and
  • “Most [churches] are still propagating a fiction [that] the Christmas and Easter stories are literally true, which they are not”.

Dr Macnab’s campaign included huge banners along Melbourne freeways declaring “The Ten Commandments. The most negative document ever written.”

He stated publicly that “Abraham is probably a concoction, Moses was a mass murderer and Jesus just a Jewish peasant who certainly was not God.”

Several Uniting Church members complained to the Moderator about the heresy. Others were upset that the $120,000 media campaign was launched without telling anyone in the synod.

These churches - St Mary’s in Brisbane and St Michael’s in Melbourne - have much in common. Both have Sunday gatherings well-attended by people of all faiths and none. Both engage in effective social action.

Advertisement

Both use innovative liturgies drawing on eastern mysticism, new age and other philosophies.

Both have critics who can point to official statements of faith and practice which are being ignored. Both attract spies who report back to the hierarchy.

Both are media and tech savvy and interact via websites with passionate supporters and detractors.

  1. Pages:
  2. Page 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. All


Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

84 posts so far.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Alan Austin is an Australian freelance journalist currently based in Nîmes in the South of France. His special interests are overseas development, Indigenous affairs and the interface between the religious communities and secular government. As a freelance writer, Alan has worked for many media outlets over the years and been published in most Australian newspapers. He worked for eight years with ABC Radio and Television’s religious broadcasts unit and seven years with World Vision. His most recent part-time appointment was with the Uniting Church magazine Crosslight.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by Alan Austin

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Photo of Alan Austin
Article Tools
Comment 84 comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy