{"href":"http://player.captivate.fm/services/oembed?url=http%3A%2F%2Fplayer.captivate.fm%2Fepisode%2Ff6c98c33-ab9e-46cf-91e5-37dc98d7f91e","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Captivate.FM","provider_url":"https://www.captivate.fm","width":600,"height":200,"type":"rich","html":"","title":"Episode 221 \u2013 Religion, Free Speech and Greta Thunberg","description":"
\nIn this episode, we discuss religion, free speech and Greta Thunberg.
\n2:08 Morrison in America
\nFlexing
\n\u201cThe easiest thing for me to do is to say knock out 15 sites in Iran and that would be a very bad day for Iran,\u2019 he said.
\nMr Trump said the US had the best military in the world \u201cwe have the finest planes, ships and submarines\u201d.
\n\u201cWe have the best missiles and best rockets in the world,\u201d he said.
\n5:23 Brian Houston
\nFrom the Wall Street Journal
\nWeeks before Mr. Morrison\u2019s arrival in Washington, the standard advance-planning process hit a bump in the road.
\nMr. Morrison was determined to bring as part of his delegation Hillsong Church Pastor Brian Houston — the man he frequently refers to as his \u201cmentor\u201d — but the White House vetoed the idea, telling his office that Mr. Houston was not invited, according to a person familiar with the discussions.
\nBrian Houston in 2015 was censured by the Australian government\u2019s royal commission into child sexual abuse for failing to report his father, Frank Houston, to police for the alleged sexual abuse of children in his church. The highly publicized child abuse commission ran four years. Before his death in 2004 aged 82, Frank Houston confessed to sexually abusing a boy in New Zealand three decades earlier, and was immediately removed from ministry by his son.
\nBrian Houston defended his behavior at the time of his censure. He didn\u2019t respond to a request for comment for this article.
\nAfter several rounds of discussions across the 14 time zones between Washington and Canberra, Mr. Morrison agreed to leave the pastor at home, according to several people familiar with the matter.
\nFist: He wanted Houston because George Pell was unavailable.
\n7:16 Religious Discrimination Bill 2019
\nRegarding the Religious Discrimination Bill, you have to wonder whether there is any point in writing to the government.
\nThe government\u2019s own Ruddock report said there is no problem with religious freedom in Australia, but they have drafted a Bill anyway. The Ruddock Report also said there is no need for a Religious Freedom Commissioner but \u2026 they appointed one anyway. The government sat on the report for 15 months, then produced the legal equivalent of a dogs breakfast and now gives us just 5 weeks to comment. The child abuse commission censured Brian Houston for protecting a paedophile and we now know that Morrison tried to invite him to a fucking meeting with the President.
\n 
\nMorrison will do what he wants to privilege religion and won\u2019t give a shit what we say unless we highlight something that goes against his self-interest. Our only hope is if Labor can be convinced to side with the Greens.
\nWe need to tailor our letters depending on the audience. I\u2019ll be telling my listeners:
\nIf, despite my advice, you decide to write to a conservative then say
\n
\n* The Falou rule is just more red tape for business.
\n* The School Chaplaincy and Military Chaplaincy programs will be contaminated by secular chaplains.
\n* Rural voters with limited choice of doctors or pharmacies may find they can\u2019t get simple things like the pill because of conscientious objections. Rural women will not be happy.
\n* Morrison copped a lot of flak when ordinary Australians learned that gay teachers and students can legally be discriminated against. He will cop similar flak when they understand this Bill.
\n
\nIf writing to a Labor politician then argue
\n
\n* We need more time.
\n* This Bill encourages discrimination and abuse of LGBTIQ pe...","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/085762e2-797c-4ef4-9b10-434ecde61c07/logo2018v2.jpg"}