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Christianity 'more violent than Koran'
Bible bashed for its 'terror'
by BEN SHARKLEY and agencies
THE Bible contains just as much justification for violence as the Koran, a Sydney MP claimed yesterday.
At a time when issues of terrorism and religious tolerance are being treated with extreme sensitvity by most in the public eye, Labor's Julia Irwin went gunning for Christianity.
She told Federal Parliament Muslims have been distressed by the Government's anti-terror raids on Sydney and Melbourne homes.
While admitting Islam may not be the target of the terror laws, Ms Irwin said muslims had become targets of a divisive campaign of whispers.
But fundamentalist Christians, she said, have escaped similar treatment. She then claimed that Christianity preaches violence.
"Autralian Muslims are certainly the target of unwarranted and divisive campaigns of whispers, smears and insults and could be excused of thinking that they are the target for proposed laws," Ms Irwin said. "But when it comes to good old fashioned violence, the Judeo-Christian god is hard to beat."
The member for Fowler described fundamentalist Christians as people who believe the Bible was the literal historical record and the authority on matters of moral and faith. She quoted bloodthirsty passages from the Old Testament and said that if they were taken as written, fundamentalist Christians could easily be associated with a dangerous mindset.
"But we are more likely to associate them with psalm singers and happy clappers," she added.
She said people like the Prime Minister used terms like fundamentalist when they really meant violent extremist.
Anglican Minister at Woollahra David West last night said fundamentalist Christians were an extreme minority and such an interpretation in no way reflected the views of the majority.
"It is easy to characterise people by the actions of minority groups. Christian fundamentalism is a minority in its extreme and does not represent mainstream Christian thinking," he said.
"For Christians the Old Testament is not something we live by literally but points to God's eternal purpose beingfulfilled in Christ. For example sacrificing animals is not something we would do today but something that points to God's sacrifice of his son.
"The New Testament provides the contours for living for Christians. There is no skerrick of violence in the New Testament except for what is done to Christ."
Bible bashed for its 'terror'
by BEN SHARKLEY and agencies
THE Bible contains just as much justification for violence as the Koran, a Sydney MP claimed yesterday.
At a time when issues of terrorism and religious tolerance are being treated with extreme sensitvity by most in the public eye, Labor's Julia Irwin went gunning for Christianity.
She told Federal Parliament Muslims have been distressed by the Government's anti-terror raids on Sydney and Melbourne homes.
While admitting Islam may not be the target of the terror laws, Ms Irwin said muslims had become targets of a divisive campaign of whispers.
But fundamentalist Christians, she said, have escaped similar treatment. She then claimed that Christianity preaches violence.
"Autralian Muslims are certainly the target of unwarranted and divisive campaigns of whispers, smears and insults and could be excused of thinking that they are the target for proposed laws," Ms Irwin said. "But when it comes to good old fashioned violence, the Judeo-Christian god is hard to beat."
The member for Fowler described fundamentalist Christians as people who believe the Bible was the literal historical record and the authority on matters of moral and faith. She quoted bloodthirsty passages from the Old Testament and said that if they were taken as written, fundamentalist Christians could easily be associated with a dangerous mindset.
"But we are more likely to associate them with psalm singers and happy clappers," she added.
She said people like the Prime Minister used terms like fundamentalist when they really meant violent extremist.
Anglican Minister at Woollahra David West last night said fundamentalist Christians were an extreme minority and such an interpretation in no way reflected the views of the majority.
"It is easy to characterise people by the actions of minority groups. Christian fundamentalism is a minority in its extreme and does not represent mainstream Christian thinking," he said.
"For Christians the Old Testament is not something we live by literally but points to God's eternal purpose beingfulfilled in Christ. For example sacrificing animals is not something we would do today but something that points to God's sacrifice of his son.
"The New Testament provides the contours for living for Christians. There is no skerrick of violence in the New Testament except for what is done to Christ."