australian prime minister outs herself atheist

if she were running for president, they'd never get to her faith, she'd be disqualified before she started

Julia Gillard, 48, was born in Barry, near Cardiff but moved to Australia when she was five.

not born in the country

1 Reply

@djjd62,

For real?

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I believe the American Constitution says that only one born in America can run for President.

Although here in Oz it is a Westminster System and we don't have a president, so the comparison is not strictly accurate

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@dlowan,

have to be born in the country to run for president

that's been the whole controversy with obama's birth certificate, is he a natural citizen

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@jeeprs,

i wasn't trying to make a comparison, i was simply stating that someone who was not born in america wouldn't have to worry about a lack of faith lack of faith, they couldn't run for leader

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One more comment I am old enough to remember polls and similar statements to the one here that claimed that a Roman Catholic could never be elected President at least until the election of President Kennedy prove such polls was nonsense.

We already have had non and in fact anti-Christian Presidents at the very beginning of our country and that fact also weakness the idea that an out and out atheist could not in fact be president now.

1 Reply

@BillRM,

So the Presidental Oath is meaningless ?

1 Reply

@Pepijn Sweep,

Quote:

So the Presidental Oath is meaningless ?

So the following oath is a block to an atheist becoming President?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of
President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve,
protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It surely did not block Jefferson who was anti-Christian and had no known beliefs in a personal god from taking the oath and becoming the third President of the US.

In any case what part of Article 6 of the US Constitution do you not understand?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of
the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or
Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be
required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United
States.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 Reply

@BillRM,

So did Obama affirm ? I think he swore (twice). On what God if he is anti-christian ? Laughing

First time I read your Constitution, I tried to down-load it a while ago. Would U know where I could get an integral version ? Thusfar it's good to understand more about it.

1 Reply

@Pepijn Sweep,

Obama claimed to be a Christian and is one as far as I know.

A fast google under the search words US constitution should result in a few hundreds sites containing it.

Let me see try this site http://www.usconstitution.net/

1 Reply

@BillRM,

It is a good site. I'll try to make a print. I asked at the White House a copy but got on their mailing list. I get informed about everything now...

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@msolga,

Bloody embarrassment and she is only an import GOD SAVE AUSTRALIA

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@msolga,

And just WHY NOT are gay people different from you gillard you are o
living with a guy for christ sake thes people actually love each other !!! and want to tie the knot

1 Reply

@BillRM,

BillRM wrote:

Quote:
this is a first in western english speaking society

Jefferson the third President of the US and the main author of our Declaration of Independent wrote the followings.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And the day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerve in the brain of Jupiter. But may we hope that the dawn of reason and freedom of thought in these United States will do away with this artificial scaffolding, and restore to us the primitive and genuine doctrines of this most venerated reformer of human errors.
-Thomas Jefferson, Letter to John Adams, April 11, 1823

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance of which their civil as well as religious leaders will always avail themselves for their own purposes.
-Thomas Jefferson to Alexander von Humboldt, Dec. 6, 1813.

In every country and in every age, the priest has been hostile to liberty. He is always in alliance with the despot, abetting his abuses in return for protection to his own.
-Thomas Jefferson, letter to Horatio G. Spafford, March 17, 1814

Priests...dread the advance of science as witches do the approach of daylight and scowl on the fatal harbinger announcing the subversions of the duperies on which they live.
-Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Correa de Serra, April 11, 1820

very good , All Americans should be aware of this

about witches though , they are just knowledgable women

there are good and bad , witches

just as there are wizards and sorcery

the good and bad of the male equivalent , of witches

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@bettyfrances,

lols

You all forgot the carbon tax, there will be no carbon tax whilst I am leader, pftttttt yeah right...

I don't like anyone who "lies" she won't last I don't think I won't be voting for her for several reasons including that she doesn't believe in gay marriage rights, as people are people and deserve to be treated equally.

Mind you, on another note, Keating was probably my favourite of all time, I am sure he took a leaf from America, the rest have been pretty wimpish, boring and not much value to us here in my opinion, in Australia....

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@FOUND SOUL,

FOUND SOUL wrote:

You all forgot the carbon tax, there will be no carbon tax whilst I am leader, pftttttt yeah right...

I don't like anyone who "lies" she won't last I don't think

John Howard was re-elected leader of the Liberal party in 1995, and pledged "never, ever" to introduce the GST
Another liar?
Rock solid, iron clad guarantee by Tony Abbott about the Medicare safety net ...
Another liar?
But maybe they were "NON CORE" promises.

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@FOUND SOUL,

I suspect she does believe in gay marriage rights.....she's just not prepared to run with it when Labor are in so much trouble.

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Is "gay marriage" a sufficiently volatile issue in Australia as to threaten Labor's electoral prospects?

1 Reply

@Setanta,

ANYTHING could get Labor losing the next election!

I think most people are ok with it......but most politicians who approve or don't really care are too scared of the kind of stink the right and the Christian conservatives can kick up.......and they can kick up a stink.

Historically, the Labor party has hd a lot of Catholic members, and this has made life difficult.....including a major split in the fifties that kept Labor out of power for 23 years.

Federally, Labor is consistently running well behind the more conservative party in the polls. And having got through a couple of major pieces of legislation in the face of what is basically a hung Parliament while being very unpopular, I imagine Gillard won't be taking on another deeply divisive issue.

It's getting tough, since the left of the Party is running a good argument and two of her cabinet are openly gay and pushing the issue.

I think it's the kind of issue that won't be taken up as a strong party push until more older people die! Not unless they're in an unloseable electoral position.....and we've seen lots of parties lose in those circumstances.

It isn't the kind of touchstone drama it is in the US....but your right wing evangelist type Christian soldiers have a a much bigger mirror group here than I realized until a few years ago.

I think the issue just has too many downsides still for ruling pollies.

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australian prime minister outs herself atheist

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