Tony’s Golden Rule: When Trying To Be Inclusive, Quote The Bible

“Over time, I would hope to see a world where the golden ethical rule, “Do to others as you would have them do to you”, is better accepted. I would like to see, over time, an understanding by all people, and cultures, and religions, that there should be separation of church and state, that there is a sense of rendering unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”

Mm, so Mr Abbott quotes the Bible twice in closing this interview. Now, I can see him following the one about Caesar and God. (Yes, I know that some of you lefties on this site will say only if you replace Caesar with Gina and God with Rupert. I’d suggest that all capitalist believers like me recognise Rupert as God anyway.)

But let’s give him a clear tick for this one.  All his work to ensure that Church and State is separated can be seen with the way he’s ensured that the money meant for Chaplains doesn’t get mixed up with the State by allowing schools to give it to secular workers. Chaplaincy money needs to go to chaplains – the separation doesn’t get clearer than that.

As far as the golden, ethical rule goes, which was the new commandment that Jesus added to the ten (why couldn’t he have found an extra one to make it an even dozen?) – I find it strangely odd coming from our PM’s lips. Apart from the obvious problem that, while I consider “the golden ethical rule” a pretty reasonable sort of starting point for human interaction, suggesting that the problem with a group of radical Islamic Jihadists is that they’re not following the teachings of Christianity does strike me as rather like suggesting that Fred Nile would be a better person if he were to take part in the Mardi Gras parade wearing nothing but a g-string. Probably true, but it’s not going to happen and even suggesting it is likely to make ISIL/Fred even more angry and irrational.

Nevertheless, I too look forward to a world where we “do to others as we would like to have them do to us”. I can see that Abbott’s government is setting the agenda here.

I mean, Abbott’s descriptions of some of his candidates, clearly shows that he just wants to be called “feisty” and “sexy” and have all his other qualities ignored.

Although it does raise a few questions about some of his ministers.

For example, what makes Scott Morrison want to be kept in detention and told that he really doesn’t belong? Some sort of strange personal preference? Does Malcolm Turnbull actually want people to say that they really agree with him but they have to vote against him because all the people they hang out with do? Perhaps Joe Hockey believes that he really hasn’t earned his wealth, and wishes someone would make him appreciate how hard it is to struggle? But does Christopher Pyne really want people to call him names and stick out their tongue at him?

That is how they do unto others, so clearly that’s how they wish to be done unto! Mm, that’s so clumsy who uses a word like “unto” these days.

Oh that’s right, the PM did, when suggesting we should be “rendering unto Caesar what is Caesar’s”…

Rendering, that’s an interesting word…

It means to pay a tax or due. Apparently, the mining tax is not something that should be rendered to the government. Must be God’s.