Sea of Faith in Australia
North Brisbane Group

MAY 2011 NOTES

Openly exploring issues of religion and faith.

Meeting of 23 May 2011: ‘When good ethical principles clash’

We often find ourselves in situations where we must decide between two courses of action each of which seems to be based on sound ethical principles. Do we tell a lie to save a relative or friend some pain – a so-called white lie? (‘No your clothes don’t make you look like mutton dressed as lamb’. ‘No I don’t think your husband/wife is having an affair’.) More seriously legislators sometimes have to weigh up the relative merits of competing ethical principles when framing laws. The solution may seem obvious when the principles are derived from different ethical traditions such as the religious and the secular but conflict may occur even within the one faith or philosophical tradition. Current or recent controversies in various countries have included: ‘The banning of Burqas in public’ ‘Genital mutilation’ ‘Voluntary euthanasia’ ‘Religious education in public schools’ ‘Flag burning’ ‘Same-sex marriage’ ‘the Assassination/Execution of Osama Bin Laden’. While each of these issues may have begun as a clash between religious and non-religious viewpoints even people from the same background may hold opposing views. (See two contrastive Burqa quotes below.)

Notices

· Meeting of 27 June ‘Altruism’

In the debates between Christian apologists and the ‘New Atheists’ one of the issues that has arisen is how evolutionists can explain the existence of altruism – ‘the practice of unselfish concern for the welfare of others’. If Natural Selection is true the Christians argue there is no accounting for this phenomenon since it does not seem to advantage the altruistic human and in extreme cases can lead to their death. In this session we shall be led in our discussion by our member Robyn Murray who is a clinical psychologist.

· SoFiA Conference 9 – 11 September 2011: ‘Head Heart Body and Soul: Religion Spirituality and the Arts’

This year’s conference focusing on Spirituality and the Arts will be held in Brisbane in a number of venues but mainly at Mercy Place Simpson’s Road Bardon. The two keynote speakers will be Rev Dr Rod Pattenden and Ms Elizabeth Morgan. There will be two additional plenary sessions the evening function exploring Latvian arts and culture and a pilgrimage tour of several inner city sacred sites both secular and religious. Please copy the Conference Overview which we attach again and pass it on to anyone you think might be interested in attending or giving a workshop. A brochure promoting the Conference will be available soon.

The Convenors thank those members of the North Brisbane Group who have suggested workshop topics or presenters or who have agreed themselves to assist with the organisation and conduct of the Conference.

· Film: ‘Mrs Carey’s Concert’ (Bob Connolly and Sophie Raymond)

Music lovers should see this excellent Australian documentary now showing at the Centro in the Valley. It is a fly-on-the-wall account of the 2009 Biennial Concert of Methodist Ladies College Sydney at the Opera House. Any exploration of the arts or of arts education is relevant to our Conference theme and one issue raised explicitly in this film is whether or not it is desirable or even possible to describe a work of art in words. This parallels another relevant issue – whether a ‘spiritual’ experience is enhanced or diminished by explanation. Can intellect and emotion enhance each other or are they in opposition?

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On banning/not banning the Burqa:

I dream of a day where every single woman in this world has exactly the same rights as I do. I don’t like the burqa what it represents and the idea of a woman being forced to wear one. However I will unconditionally defend the right of a woman to wear one if she wishes to and passionately argue against the idea of the government banning them.

Jessica Musulin

In my mind the burqa has no place in Australian society. I would go as far as to say it is un-Australian. To me the burqa represents the repressive domination of men over women which has no place in our society and compromises some of the most important aspects of human communication.
Senator Cory Bernardi

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Our meetings are held at 7.30 pm on the fourth Monday of the month.

All interested people are invited to join us for this month’s meeting at:

All Saints Anglican Church
Cobbity Crescent Arana Hills
at
7.30 pm
on
Monday 23 May 2011.

Contacts: John Carr Group Convenor (3354 3579) and Scott McKenzie (3300 2423)