Why do overt expressions of faith spook us?

Having two daughters I had to endure the suffering that is watching the Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards, which was a mixture of prepubescent screaming, a cavalcade of suprisingly A-list Hollywood and music stars and an obsession with green slime.

I must admit when Miley Cyrus, daughter of Billy Ray and star of the show Hannah Montana came out to except an award I was reasonably pleased for her and impressed at the young teenager’s confidence and stage presence.

Then she dropped the C word - “… I’d like to thank my lord and saviour Jesus Christ!”

My shoulders dropped in shock, my eldest daughter did a slow backward moonwalk away from the television, as though careful not to startle it, and my youngest yelled out “Did she just thank Jesus?”.

We’re used to seeing rap and R&B artists and American sports starts thank their lord and saviour Jesus Christ, but there’s something, dare I say, unwholesome about it coming out of a youngster. It’s as though my concerns about my kids wanting Hannah Montana merchandise are misguided and that if I watch the show carefully I’ll actually see subliminal messages trying to convince the girls to don white robes and drink the special Miley Cyrus Grape Kool-Aid drink; the recipe of which you’ll find on her website - “Dad, do we have any c-y-a-n-ide?”

A strong committment to Christianity will probably do the girl’s already booming career a world of good in America, but how far would Delta Goodrem have got if she praised her lord and saviour Jesus Christ on national television - cancer or not?

A lot of people agreed that Guy Sebastian could sing, but everyone knew that his hopes of becoming a huge star in Australia were doomed because of his Bible-bashing background - not that he flaunts it.

And what about when Aaron Baddeley came from nowhere to in the Australian Open in 1999. Even as he putted the 18th to take the title, potential sponsors and sports agents where writing six-figure cheques and bigger contracts and Aussie golf fans hailed a new messiah, only to find he hailed his even more. You could hear contracts being torn and everyone wishing Adam Scott all the best for his future as soon as Baddelley thanked his lord and saviour Jesus Christ during the presentation.

Fore some reason being out there with your religious beleifs is not a quality that endears one one to Australians. We’re happy to accept the failings of many personalities, even those that include violence and drug abuse, yet we’re cool on anyone who prefers the Bible to booze. Why is that?

And why is it that you never see people blaming their lord and saviour Jesus Christ when they don’t win an award or sporting event?

“Aaron, you were leading by four shots until that triple bogey on the 15th. So what happened?”

“My fucking lord and saviour Jesus Christ, that’s what happened!”

 

The Warmening - now it’s serious!

Forget polar bears, more hurricanes and the melting of the polar ice caps, according to the Herald Sun, beer will be in short supply, more expensive and may taste different as climate change affects barley production, a scientist says.

Mother of God! I’m turning my computer off now.

Speak for yourself

I hate when a person or group says something that’s then taken as being the official word of an entire community. Like when we read ”parents are outrages at a new video game” only to find that some mother’s group with three members didn’t like the graphic nature of the violence.

Today Australia’s Greek community are apparently outraged that Kevin Rudd dared compare the Ashes Urn to the Parthenon (Elgin) Marbles. According to The Herald Sun  Mr Rudd has caused a stir among Australia’s Greek community after he told a packed lecture theatre in London’s West End, “The loss of the Ashes is as unjust as the loss of the Elgin Marbles.

To paraphrase Margaret Thatcher - which Greeks? Name one. The Herald Sun did: Steve Petrou from the National Centre for Hellenic Studies said Mr Rudd’s joke about the sacred Marbles was insensitive.

“I’m sure he will apologise but the damage has been done,” Mr Petrou said.

“If he says something like that in such a light-hearted style obviously he does not appreciate what Australia is all about.”

Actually I don’t think you do Mr Petrou.

So how is one humourless Greek boffin, who obviously feels strongly about the marbles, representitive of the entire Greek community?

Unfortunately such claims end up being self-fulfilling, as it makes those supposedly being represented feel duty bound to agree.

Hopefully, the Greek community won’t take an ovine approach on this and pause to realise that Australia’s new PM has actually identified with their cause.