because you are bought and paid

climate crisis

He's got ministers questioning the fundamental connection between humanity and climate change. These are questions that could be answered by any sixth-grader in any classroom around the country.

The Australian Human Rights Commission should take a leading role in the protection of freedom of religion, including through enhancing engagement, understanding and dialogue. This should occur within the existing commissioner model and not necessarily through the creation of a new position

New South Wales and South Australia should amend their anti-discrimination laws to render it unlawful to discriminate on the basis of a person’s ‘religious belief or activity’ including on the basis that a person does not hold any religious belief. In doing so, consideration should be given to providing for the appropriate exceptions and exemptions, including for religious bodies, religious schools and charities

The Commonwealth should amend the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, or enact a Religious Discrimination Act, to render it unlawful to discriminate on the basis of a person’s ‘religious belief or activity’, including on the basis that a person does not hold any religious belief. In doing so, consideration should be given to providing for appropriate exceptions and exemptions, including for religious bodies, religious schools and charities.

The Commonwealth should progress legislative amendments to make it clear that religious schools are not required to make available their facilities, or to provide goods or services, for any marriage, provided that the refusal:(a) conforms to the doctrines, tenets or beliefs of the religion of the body, or(b) is necessary to avoid injury to the religious susceptibilities of adherents of that religion.

The Commonwealth Attorney-General should consider the guidance material on the Attorney-General’s Department’s website relating to authorised celebrants to ensure that it uses plain English to explain clearly and precisely the operation of the Marriage Act 1961. The updated guidance should include:(a) a clear description of the religious protections available to differentclasses of authorised celebrants, and (b) advice that the term ‘minister of religion’ is used to cover authorised celebrants from religious bodies which would not ordinarily use the term ‘minister’, including non-Christian religions.

State and Territory education departments should maintain clear policies as to when and how a parent or guardian may request that a child be removed from a class that contains instruction on religious or moral matters and ensure that these policies are applied consistently. These policies should:(a) include a requirement to provide sufficient, relevant information about such classes to enable parents or guardians to consider whether their content may be inconsistent with the parents’ or guardians’ religious beliefs, and(b) give due consideration to the rights of the child, including to receive information about sexual health, and their progressive capacity to make decisions for themselves.

Jurisdictions should abolish any exceptions to anti-discrimination laws that provide for discrimination by religious schools with respect to students on the basis of race, disability, pregnancy or intersex status.

The Commonwealth should amend the Sex Discrimination Act to provide that religious schools may discriminate in relation to students on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or relationship status provided that:(a) the discrimination is founded in the precepts of the religion(b) the school has a publicly available policy outlining its position in relation to the matter(c)the school provides a copy of the policy in writing to prospective students and their parents at the time of enrolment and to existing students and their parents at any time the policy is updated, and(d)the school has regard to the best interests of the child as the primary consideration in its conduct.Recommendation6Jurisdictions should abolish any exceptions to anti-discrimination laws that provide for discrimination by religious schools in employment on the basis of race, disability, pregnancy or intersex status. Further, jurisdictions should ensure that any exceptions for religious schools do not permit discrimination against an existing employee solely on the basis that the employee has entered into a marriage.

Jurisdictions should abolish any exceptions to anti-discrimination laws that provide for discrimination by religious schools in employment on the basis of race, disability, pregnancy or intersex status. Further, jurisdictions should ensure that any exceptions for religious schools do not permit discrimination against an existing employee solely on the basis that the employee has entered into a marriage.

The Commonwealth should amend section11 of the Charities Act 2013to clarify that advocacy of a ‘traditional’ view of marriage would not, of itself, amount to a ‘disqualifying purpose’.

Commonwealth, State and Territory governments should consider the use of objects, purposes or other interpretive clauses in anti-discrimination legislation to reflect the equal status in international law of all human rights, including freedom of religion.

Commonwealth, State and Territory governments should have regard to the Siracusa Principles on the Limitation and Derogation Provisions in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights when drafting laws that would limit the right to freedom of religion

Those jurisdictions that retain exceptions or exemptions in their anti-discrimination laws for religious bodies with respect to race, disability, pregnancy or intersex status should review them, having regard to community expectations.

and 38 governments.

A radiative forcing is something that can usually not be observed, but provides a simple quantitative basis for comparing the response in global mean temperature to different imposed agents.

However, many of us are not fully aware of our values, and as a result can at times think, say and do things that are not in alignment.

there's no right or wrong set of values,

The bill also contains appropriate confidentiality and privacy controls to prevent unreasonable disclosure of this information.

rule based system

I might add that I also think of religion as a rule based system of groupthink that produces strong convictions in the absence of strong evidence.

The Family First Party

church leaders are often in the company of prominent Liberal Party

capitalism

Human responsibility for ecological issues does not enter into their interpretation of how best to care for God’s creation.

they appear to support the view that God will take care of the climate.

Lucas Jacometti,

while the river metaphor implies that environmental phenomena exist as all-encompassing reminders of God’s love for his people.

Pringle implies that humans are the pinnacle of God’s creation

Pentecostals and Protestants from the smallest Protestant denominations and independent churches who stand out as being least likely to hold the view that climate change is anthropogenic.

These Christian churches emphasise receipt of spiritual gifts as evidence of salvation

As one of the fastest growing Christian denominations on the globe, Pentecostal and Charismatic churches are now formulating theological positions on anthropogenic climate change. Australian neo-Pentecostal churches

evident

By Mairead Shanahan

neo-Pentecostal

“Wanting students to be able to ‘analyse, synthesise and evaluate’ information sounds like a reasonable goal,” writes Daniel Willingham, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia. “But analysis, synthesis, and evaluation mean different things in different disciplines.”

need for more experienced teachers to take on more of these temporary positions.

"It's just an atrocious way for people to start their career. It's a discouraging position that gives them incentive to hide the problems they're having rather than seek support, because they think it will risk their chances of getting hired."

"That means we've got our most vulnerable teachers teaching our most vulnerable students. What does that say about our education system?" she said.

If you're not supporting beginning teachers and helping them to develop well over their first few years, they're less likely to become quality teachers,"

At least 72 per cent of new teachers are beginning their careers in temporary positions in Australia, a trend that will significantly affect the quality of the teaching workforce.

casualisation of teachers rises

'Impending crisis': 72 per cent of new teachers are in insecure roles

2. Everyone charged with a criminal offence shall have the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law.

Everyone lawfully within the territory of a State shall, within that territory, have the right to liberty of movement and freedom to choose his residence.

shall not be carried out on pregnant women.

Every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life

individualism versus collectivism

David Livermore, Ph.D.

This is no longer true.

Read a transcript of His Honour's sentencing remarks.

Nor can it be doubted that some complainants in cases involving sexual abuse, including of children, have fabricated their allegations. Just within the past few weeks, a major scandal involving false allegations of that kind has erupted in England, and received enormous publicity.

Judges often, in their charges to juries, warn of the dangers of giving too much weight to this factor, and certainly more weight than it should properly bear.

based upon matters which include, for example, demeanour

896 The starting point in applying the M test, in this case, must be an independent assessment of the complainant’s credibility and reliability.

890

That at least established that he had been present at the Cathedral on the date nominated.

However, none of these so called ‘obstacles’ to conviction were intended to be considered entirely in isolation.

That description was said to be consistent with the complainant’s overall version of events.

MR RICHTER: Or trying to overtake other clerics and altar servers and pushing his way into the throng — or a throng of choristers?

Mr Gibson proffered yet another alternative theory. He submitted that the applicant’s practice of standing on the steps of the Cathedral immediately after Sunday solemn Mass might not have commenced in December 1996, but might have begun much later, in 1997. 702 In support of that particular variant of the prosecution case, Mr Gibson reminded the jury that Portelli had acknowledged that early on in the applicant’s tenure, ‘there were a number of bugs in the system that needed ironing out.’ He invited them to treat that answer as supporting his submission that the practice of remaining on the steps did not begin until significantly later in the applicant’s tenure as Archbishop.

686 It was submitted before this Court that, where the defence puts forward an alibi, or its equivalent, it is not for the jury to ask themselves whether they accept that alibi to be true. The law requires that they must acquit unless satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the alibi has been entirely disproved.[193] The onus rests upon the prosecution wholly to negate the alibi. In order to do so, the prosecution must eliminate even the ‘reasonable possibility’ that the alibi might be true.

Connor’s diary suddenly became available

There are a number of instances, to which reference has been made, where notwithstanding the apparent credibility of a complainant in relation to an allegation of sexual abuse, the countervailing circumstances, including any defence evidence, have led the High Court to quash the conviction, and enter a verdict of acquittal.

If the evidence, upon the record itself, contains discrepancies, displays inadequacies, is tainted or otherwise lacks probative force in such a way as to lead the court of criminal appeal to conclude that, even making full allowance for the advantages enjoyed by the jury, there is a significant possibility that an innocent person has been convicted, then the court is bound to act and to set aside a verdict based upon that evidence.

In most cases a doubt experienced by an appellate court will be a doubt which a jury ought also to have experienced.

590 The test to be applied when dealing with this ground was set out by the High Court in M v The Queen (‘M’).[147]

584 It can be seen from this summary of the evidence given at trial that, as I have now said a number of times, the prosecution case was based entirely upon the complainant’s evidence. Despite the fact that there was no independent support for the complainant’s account, the prosecution relied upon his credibility and reliability in order to satisfy the jury, beyond reasonable doubt, of the applicant’s guilt.

543 When asked whether it was possible for a couple of choristers to separate, unnoticed from the procession, he said ‘not with 10 or so adults at the back, observing, being able to see in front of them.’ He remarked upon the distinctive choir dress worn by the boys. When Mr Gibson asked him whether he allowed for the possibility that two boys might break away, unnoticed, he said that he did not think that could happen. It had never occurred, so far as he was aware.

538 He was asked whether he had ever seen the applicant robed without being in the company of Portelli. His recollection was that they were always together. He described Portelli as the applicant’s ‘bodyguard’, ‘shadowing’ him at every turn. He recalled the applicant stopping at the front steps to the Cathedral after Mass, and then not seeing him again as the procession kept going around the corner, along the south side of the Cathedral. He also recalled seeing the applicant still robed, standing at the front steps, and talking to parishioners, after he himself had de-vested. That would have been 10 or 15 minutes after Mass.

M. v THE QUEEN [1994] HCA 63; (1994) 181 CLR 487, (1994) 126 ALR 325, (1994) 69 ALJR 83

A’s knowledge of such details is said to confirm the truth of his statement that he was there when the alleged offending took place

step back for a moment and simply think about the overall impression that you were left with by [A’s] evidence when it finished ...

As A was walking between the entry to the Priests’ Sacristy and the Archbishop’s Sacristy, Cardinal  Pell  pushed himself up against A on a wall

He saw that B’s face looked terrified.

He was struggling. A could see Cardinal  Pell ’s hands around the back of B’s head

A had no recollection of ever being in this room before

jury has had the benefit of having seen and heard the witnesses

struggling,

However, he reaffirmed that the second incident had taken place before Christmas of that year.

He acknowledged that evidence of that nature might be difficult to reconcile with the complainant’s account of how the applicant had managed to ‘manoeuvre’ those robes, so as to expose his penis.

At a point somewhere between the doorway to the Priests’ Sacristy and the doorway to the Archbishop’s Sacristy, the applicant suddenly rushed at the complainant, and pushed him forcefully against the wall.

The complainant would say that the applicant approached the boys and then ‘proceeded to manoeuvre his robes so as to pull out his penis.’

the applicant entered

Accordingly, he was forced to vest and de-vest in the Priests’ Sacristy.

They slipped away from the procession, once it became clear that the choir were no longer in the public gaze.

language policy is exclusive

The International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), for example, campaigns against blasphemy laws

‘A just society is a society that if you knew everything about it, you’d be willing to enter it in a random place.’

it is a reason only for someone who accepts this specific religious belief.

Typically, humanists believe we should consider the potential consequences of our actions. They won’t simply take a rule or commandment for granted, particularly if it appears to lead to potential harm. Lying, for example, is generally to be disapproved of. However, it may, in some circumstances, be acceptable if one is doing it to protect somebody (or perhaps if an honest opinion of your friend’s cooking might hurt their feelings).

Like most people, humanists recognise the law and think it should be obeyed.

Despite the many differences between people, there is still considerable agreement about what human beings value.

There is a great deal of evidence that many of our values and needs are shared with other human beings around the world.

‘When the trustful child becomes a critical adolescent. He may then cast off all his religious beliefs; and, if his moral training has been closely tied up with religion, it is more than possible that the moral beliefs will go too…’

locked up

We have seen

A final defence is to say that god does not just command what is good and what is not, but simply ‘is good’. God is the moral yardstick himself. If one is here defining ‘god’ as ‘the good’, as some objective moral standard, then, if we accept there is such a standard, we are obliged to admit this ‘god’ exists. However, there is little here to persuade the atheist that this ‘god’ is anything other than an alternative word for what he or she might simply call ‘good’ (and certainly little to persuade them that this ‘god’ has any of the other features often attributed to it by religious believers).

If (2) is true, that god commands certain things because they are good, then we appear to have accepted that there are standards or right and wrong which are independent of god’s will. God is just following these standards when he commands us what to do. We therefore have an independent moral yardstick that means morality can exist without the need for a god.

If (1) is true, that things are good because god says that they are good, then morality would still appear to be arbitrary. If god had commanded something different, such as murdering the innocent, then murdering the innocent would be good. This does not appear satisfactory. There is surely something wrong about murdering the innocent, regardless of whether god says we should do so or not.

and that even the values of non-religious people have been absorbed from the religious history around them

if the members are friendly and co-operative than if they are hostile and resentful

The reward system in the brain can be triggered by the anticipation of all kinds of rewards, from points or praise.

An approach response is necessary for learning and continues to be important throughout the process of learning.

The history of the scientific discovery of climate change began in the early 19th century when ice ages and other natural changes in paleoclimate were first suspected and the natural greenhouse effect first identified. In the late 19th century, scientists first argued that human emissions of greenhouse gases could change the climate. Many other theories of climate change were advanced, involving forces from volcanism to solar variation. In the 1960s, the warming effect of carbon dioxide gas became increasingly convincing. Some scientists also pointed out that human activities that generated atmospheric aerosols (e.g., "pollution") could have cooling effects as well. During the 1970s, scientific opinion increasingly favored the warming viewpoint. By the 1990s, as a result of improving fidelity of computer models and observational work confirming the Milankovitch theory of the ice ages, a consensus position formed: greenhouse gases were deeply involved in most climate changes and human-caused emissions were bringing discernible global warming. Since the 1990s, scientific research on climate change has included multiple disciplines and has expanded. Research has expanded our understanding of causal relations, links with historic data and ability to model climate change numerically. Research during this period has been summarized in the Assessment Reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions, or in the distribution of weather around the average conditions (such as more or fewer extreme weather events). Climate change is caused by factors that include oceanic processes (such as oceanic circulation), biotic processes (e.g., plants), variations in solar radiation received by Earth, plate tectonics and volcanic eruptions, and human-induced alterations of the natural world. The latter effect is currently causing global warming, and "climate change" is often used to describe human-specific impacts.

Climate change

far-right figures

she came down to hear views that were not being heard in the mainstream media.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott condemned abortion as “death on demand” as he addressed the crowd at the controversial Conservative Political Action Conference in Sydney today, warning of “morally shocking” developments in Western society.