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Weekly feature
Michelangelo and my kids will haunt me
by Bronwyn Lay
 As Copenhagen looms on the horizon like a giant apocalyptic festival, Ican’t get Michelangelo and my kids out of my mind. The image of the Pietá, the mother holding her dead son, keeps appearing.
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From the vault
Popular
Boobs, booze and Muslim feminists
Ellena Savage 03-Nov-2009
 She'd rather be wearing jeans, but is compelled to dress like a Christmas tree for
the Spring Racing Carnival. Her desire to be desired for the depth of her
cleavage is nominated by the designs of men in her society. No wonder some Muslim women feel the hijab subverts patriarchy.
Pope skips language of love in Anglicans manifesto
Charles Sherlock 20-Nov-2009
 Pope Benedict XVI's recent Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus (‘Groups of Anglicans’) moves the pastoral openness of Vatican II
towards a ‘Rome is right’ mentality. This is disturbing and dangerous,
not only for Anglicans, but for Roman Catholics themselves.
The sexualisation of boys and girls
Jen Vuk 13-Nov-2009
 The pro-rape website set up by students of a Sydney college may be attributed to a culture that peddles sexualised images to both boys and girls from an increasingly young age. When a young girl's body is stripped of its innocence, we all lose out.
Why Australia needs the Vatican
John Warhurst 04-Nov-2009
 Tim Fischer, Australian Ambassador to the Vatican, has a vital role in a state he calls a hub of power and intelligence. One can't help but wonder if Cardinal George Pell thinks he, rather than Fischer, should be Rudd's man in the Vatican.
Sexy vegetarianism could save the world
Sarah McKenzie 09-Nov-2009
 Vegetarians are still seen as antagonistic and
self-centred, as if they'd made a selfish decision purely to sabotage dinner parties. Vegetarians have been too polite, and too careful not to offend carnivores, for too long.
Rudd faces ugly story of abused innocence
John Honner 17-Nov-2009
 The Prime Minister offered his apology to those who spent their childhood in care, via a carefully crafted speech. He said it is an 'ugly story' that must be told without fear or favour. Some who worked in or were associated with these children's homes may not like this judgement.
Bishop sex scandal can't keep a good reformer down
Hugh O'Shaughnessy 27-Oct-2009
 Fernando Lugo, President of Paraguay, made headlines at Easter when he revealed that, as a bishop, he had fathered a child. He is
good at politics and his skills as a reformer keep him popular in
a poverty-stricken country where marriage often loses out to
co-habitation.
Dark day for solar
Greg Foyster 28-Oct-2009
 This Friday, proponents of clean renewable energy will gather to try to rally government support for Solar Systems, Australia's world-leading developer of solar energy technology, which went into receivership in September. They face an uphill battle.
Time to start worrying about fish
Sarah Burnside 29-Oct-2009
Australia's decision to reduce its intake of the endangered southern bluefin tuna has outraged the industry. The global fishing industry is unsustainable, and fishing is second only to climate change as
the greatest environmental threat to marine ecosystems.
'Indonesia solution' is immoral
Andrew Hamilton 02-Nov-2009
 The reception of asylum seekers is to be judged by the human
reality of those who seek asylum, not by convenience of
those on whom they make a claim.
It is morally unjustifiable for Australia to transfer its responsibilities to Indonesia.
Most Commented
Sexy vegetarianism could save the world
Sarah McKenzie 09-Nov-2009
Vegetarians are still seen as antagonistic and
self-centred, as if they'd made a selfish decision purely to sabotage dinner parties. Vegetarians have been too polite, and too careful not to offend carnivores, for too long.
Pope skips language of love in Anglicans manifesto
Charles Sherlock 20-Nov-2009
Pope Benedict XVI's recent Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus (‘Groups of Anglicans’) moves the pastoral openness of Vatican II
towards a ‘Rome is right’ mentality. This is disturbing and dangerous,
not only for Anglicans, but for Roman Catholics themselves.
Boobs, booze and Muslim feminists
Ellena Savage 03-Nov-2009
She'd rather be wearing jeans, but is compelled to dress like a Christmas tree for
the Spring Racing Carnival. Her desire to be desired for the depth of her
cleavage is nominated by the designs of men in her society. No wonder some Muslim women feel the hijab subverts patriarchy.
Rudd faces ugly story of abused innocence
John Honner 17-Nov-2009
The Prime Minister offered his apology to those who spent their childhood in care, via a carefully crafted speech. He said it is an 'ugly story' that must be told without fear or favour. Some who worked in or were associated with these children's homes may not like this judgement.
The sexualisation of boys and girls
Jen Vuk 13-Nov-2009
The pro-rape website set up by students of a Sydney college may be attributed to a culture that peddles sexualised images to both boys and girls from an increasingly young age. When a young girl's body is stripped of its innocence, we all lose out.
Another 'certain maritime incident'
Tony Kevin 05-Nov-2009
 Peter
Costello draws a long bow in presuming smugglers provided the boat that sank off the Cocos Islands this week. As with the sinking of the SIEV X, it is unfortunate that it takes a tragedy to remind us that at the heart of this issue are desperate human beings.
Why Australia needs the Vatican
John Warhurst 04-Nov-2009
Tim Fischer, Australian Ambassador to the Vatican, has a vital role in a state he calls a hub of power and intelligence. One can't help but wonder if Cardinal George Pell thinks he, rather than Fischer, should be Rudd's man in the Vatican.
Dark day for solar
Greg Foyster 28-Oct-2009
This Friday, proponents of clean renewable energy will gather to try to rally government support for Solar Systems, Australia's world-leading developer of solar energy technology, which went into receivership in September. They face an uphill battle.
Dogs at risk in Rudd's 'big Australia'
Michael Mullins 26-Oct-2009
Kevin Rudd last week talked up population growth, saying he 'believes in a big Australia'. But we are not well placed to deal with the environmental challenges of a population of 35 million. Road use and pet ownership are among the many aspects of our lifestyle that will need careful evaluation.
'Depraved' videogames get serious
Drew Taylor 25-Nov-2009
 The media has labelled them 'murder
simulators', linked them to depression and held them
accountable for childhood obesity. But there's another side to videogames that the mainstream media doesn't seem to want you to know about.
Retrospective
Pope skips language of love in Anglicans manifesto
Charles Sherlock 20-Nov-2009
Pope Benedict XVI's recent Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus (‘Groups of Anglicans’) moves the pastoral openness of Vatican II
towards a ‘Rome is right’ mentality. This is disturbing and dangerous,
not only for Anglicans, but for Roman Catholics themselves.
Rudd faces ugly story of abused innocence
John Honner 17-Nov-2009
The Prime Minister offered his apology to those who spent their childhood in care, via a carefully crafted speech. He said it is an 'ugly story' that must be told without fear or favour. Some who worked in or were associated with these children's homes may not like this judgement.
Bud Tingwell and I
Andrew Hamilton 20-May-2009
 I only met Bud Tingwell once. Like so many others, I went away the
better for the brief encounter. But the meeting also led me to ask
questions about what matters, and how we should nurture it in
Australian society.
East Timor's digger friend
Paul Cleary 09-Mar-2009
 When East Timor was struggling to get a fair deal in negotiations over Timor Sea oil, Kenneally rallied his mates to fight. Appearing on national television, he told Prime Minister Howard: 'I'd rather you did not come to my ANZAC Day parade.'
Obama's challenge to the Church
Andrew Hamilton 26-Feb-2009
 The standard by which the most vocal Catholic Bishops judged Obama was his position on abortion, same sex marriages, and on the use of embryos for
research.
Obama has done the churches a favour by stealing their clothing.
Who cares about students
Fatima Measham 10-Feb-2009
 Many of the things that impact upon a teacher's efficacy are beyond their control - the quality of a child's homelife, the politicisation of the curriculum. One thing they can control is much they care, though this may bring new teachers little comfort in the months ahead.
Humanity endures in bushfire tragedy
Andrew Hamilton 09-Feb-2009
During the financial turmoil this summer, images of fire have abounded.
The economy is 'going into meltdown'. Shareholdings 'turn to
ashes'. This weekend's bushfires make us ask instinctively what really matters.
My friend Justice Kirby
Frank Brennan 03-Feb-2009
 Prior to convening his own farewell ceremony yesterday, Kirby published his last dissenting judgment, stating Aborigines
should have their day in court over the Intervention. Though respecting tradition, Kirby has long thrived on conflict and change.
Glamour returns to post-war Australia
Madeleine Hamilton 09-Jan-2009
 This year marks the 60th anniversary of the first showing of Christian Dior's New Look fashion designs in Sydney. After years of wartime material restraints the New Look offered Australian women a fresh way of expressing their individuality and sensuality through fashion. (March 2008)
Life as a game show
Tim Kroenert 18-Dec-2008
 Having grown up an orphan in a Mumbai slum, Jamal is an unlikely candidate for Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. A sense of the divine pervades the film, but while Jamal seems destined for good fortune, his brother Salim diverges towards corruption.
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Today's lead
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
'Depraved' videogames get serious
Drew Taylor
The media has labelled them 'murder
simulators', linked them to depression and held them
accountable for childhood obesity. But there's another side to videogames that the mainstream media doesn't seem to want you to know about.
9 comment(s) about this article.
Recent leads
ENVIRONMENT
Stressed islands no longer pacific
Maryanne Loughry
 Visiting Kiribati and Tuvalu it is obvious that both populations are dealing
with overcrowding, unemployment, poverty, pollution, and modernisation.
Climate change is a driver for some of these stressors as well as a
multiplier of their effects.
5 comment(s) about this article.
RELIGION
Pope skips language of love in Anglicans manifesto
Charles Sherlock
Pope Benedict XVI's recent Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus (‘Groups of Anglicans’) moves the pastoral openness of Vatican II
towards a ‘Rome is right’ mentality. This is disturbing and dangerous,
not only for Anglicans, but for Roman Catholics themselves.
22 comment(s) about this article.
POLITICS
NSW political blood spilled
Tony Smith
 Premier Nathan Rees asked two ministers for their resignations, effectively sacking them. He will
have to hope that he has not thrown away Labor’s last chance to retain government.
2 comment(s) about this article.
EDUCATION
Why universities welcome theological colleges
Neil Ormerod
 The movement of existing theological schools into the university structure restores the ancient place of theology as a discipline within a university. But universities could be more interested in money than theology, with theological colleges bringing healthy student numbers and value for money research outputs.
6 comment(s) about this article.
COMMUNITY
Rudd faces ugly story of abused innocence
John Honner
The Prime Minister offered his apology to those who spent their childhood in care, via a carefully crafted speech. He said it is an 'ugly story' that must be told without fear or favour. Some who worked in or were associated with these children's homes may not like this judgement.
14 comment(s) about this article.
ENVIRONMENT
Climate conversion on the Camino road
Tony Kevin
 My conversion moment came while walking along a busy interstate highway in Spain, crowded with trucks that were passing me every second, blowing me off my feet and filling my lungs with their exhaust gases. I knew then that we cannot go on like this.
6 comment(s) about this article.
PARENTING
The sexualisation of boys and girls
Jen Vuk
The pro-rape website set up by students of a Sydney college may be attributed to a culture that peddles sexualised images to both boys and girls from an increasingly young age. When a young girl's body is stripped of its innocence, we all lose out.
12 comment(s) about this article.
THE MEDDLING PRIEST
Hillary comes to Pakistan with baggage
Frank Brennan
 Hillary Clinton worked hard on a three day charm offensive encouraging Pakistanis to engage in a new trusting relationship with the US. But Pakistanis cannot trust
themselves at the moment, let alone the world superpower which has
funded Taliban militants.
4 comment(s) about this article.
HISTORY
What I learned from El Salvador's Jesuit martyrs
Andrew Hamilton
í
16 November 1989. Bangkok. We looked forward to hearing from Jon Sobrino, the El Salvador Jesuit theologian, who had been speaking at another meeting. But at breakfast we heard the dreadful news.
9 comment(s) about this article.
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Today's extra
MULTICULTURALISM
Lessons in Greek prejudice
Gillian Bouras
 My generation of Australians grew up with bigotry: the cordial loathing between Catholics and Protestants has faded only recently.
But only when I married into a Greek family did I learn of the bitter and complicated antipathy of the Greeks for Albanians.
1 comment(s) about this article.
RECENT EXTRA
FEATURE LETTERS
Bringing theology home to the academy
Gerard Goldman and Terry Lovat
 It has been suggested,
but surely not seriously, that the public university’s prime motive in
including theology among its disciplines might be around financial
benefit.
POETRY
Odd puzzles about sexual practice
Chris Wallace-Crabbe
 Some kinds of issue offer themselves like particles becoming waves, where your elbows go in bed, acceleration into a curve, how to draw hands and especially feet, or who was up there before God.
3 comment(s) about this article.
EDITORIAL
Protecting children from bullies and bureaucrats
Michael Mullins
 A Wesley Mission survey
of 1200 adults found that being bullied as children caused 70 per cent
of them to suffer from low self-esteem and a lack of assertiveness
later in life. Federal Labor must explain what has become of its promise to appoint a
children's commissioner.
1 comment(s) about this article.
VIDEO
Doco asks what next for child migrants
Peter Kirkwood
 ABC1's The Long Journey Home is based on a book written by the best known alumnus of Fairbridge Farm, David Hill. After the heightened emotions surrounding Kevin Rudd’s apology to the Forgotten Australians, there is talk of forgiveness and compensation.
2 comment(s) about this article.
FILMS
No easy answers to stressed Jewishness
Anthony Morris
 For once in the Coens’ recent comedies not everyone here is an idiot. But not being an idiot doesn’t help serious man Gopnik much, as his world continues
to spiral out of control.
BY THE WAY
Forgotten Hack lacked killer colonial instinct
Brian Matthews
 John Barton Hack was one of the prominent Adelaide men with the task of assigning names to the main streets of the new city. While his colleagues managed to imprint their names on the main city streets, all Hack got was an insignificant laneway in North Adelaide.
1 comment(s) about this article.
POETRY
Opposing Islamic schools
P.S. Cottier
 They might not throw beer bottles and therefore shatter the tone of the area. Strip clubs might not reveal themselves to expose odd bumps hidden in the area.
1 comment(s) about this article.
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