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Submission on Victorian Equal Opportunity BillRev. Dr. Mark Durie' |
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It will take years of litigation to determine which of the existing selection
practices of religious groups are to be considered lawful. Until that process is concluded a
great uncertainty will exist for people of faith in Victoria...Read More
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Presbyterian Church Submission to EO Inquiry |
The Commission gives every appearance of not understanding Australia’s obligations to promote and protect freedom of conscience, thought and religion.
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Victorian Equal Opportunity Bill 2010 (176 pages) | |
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SARC Report ambivalent concerning religious freedomReview from free2believe |
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Although there were some positive conclusions in the SARC committee’s Final Report, a key recommendation [3], if adopted, would see uncertainty and erosion of religious freedom in Victoria because it would mean that employment by religious bodies and schools would be subjected to an inherent requirement test. Read More
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Minority Report - Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations CommitteeExceptions and Excemptions to the Equal Opportunity Act 1995 |
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The decision of the Attorney-General to act without reference to the Committee’s
Report calls into question the significant time and cost of conducting the Inquiry,
including the time and effort of those who made written submissions and/or
presented evidence to the Committee. Read More
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Rights threat to religious toleranceChris Merritt and Nicola Berkovic |
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Australians who wear a crucifix to work or offer to pray for a patient in hospital could run foul of a charter of rights, according to a British legal expert who says its introduction in this country would trigger an attack on religious expression. Read more
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Attack continues on religious freedom in Victoria!Patrick J Byrne reviews religious freedom after recent proposals. |
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Mr Hulls' proposal reverses the onus of proof under the law. Historically under Australian law, the onus of proof lies with the prosecution. Now it will rely on the defendant. In other words, in matters of employment, heads of faith-based institutions will be considered guilty until they can prove their innocence. (Read More).
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New Free2Believe Flyer |
A religious school may be coerced to employ a teacher or principal who is an atheist. A college of theology could be pressured to employ a satanist. Discrimination against such applicants would leave an employer open to prosecution under the Act.
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Final Report - Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations CommitteeExceptions and Excemptions to the Equal Opportunity Act 1995 |
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The Committee considers that religious organisations should generally be allowed to act according to
their own beliefs, especially where there are alternatives to the activities that they undertake.
Therefore the Committee does not recommend that the test in Charter section 7(2) should be
explicitly adopted in sections 75 and 76. (Report p.61) Read More
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Hulls and Brumby antagonise swinging voters.Christopher Pearson |
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Hulls and the Brumby government have a real fight on their hands, a problem all of their own making. There are few gestures likelier to antagonise swinging voters than an attack on religious liberty. Then again, there is the cost to taxpayers if some of the faith bodies were to decide to vacate the field in some areas of service. (Read More).
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The Presbyterian Church warns the Victorian Parliament.Barney Zwartz |
THE Presbyterian Church in Victoria will defy the law and take the consequences if Parliament removes
religious exemptions to the Equal Opportunity Act, warned Reverend David Palmer, head of the church’s
ethics committee. He said the church would use all means at its disposal to challenge changes, including
the courts and civil disobedience.
(read more)
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Pursuing the churches over human rights is contradictoryPeter Costello |
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Parents who choose to send their children to a Christian school have a reasonable expectation that the child will get a Christian education. How could the school fulfil its obligation to the parents if it is required by law to employ non-Christian or anti-Christian teachers to provide it? (read more)
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Options paper will penalise public manifestation of religion.Rev. Dr. Mark Durie' |
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There are serious difficulties with demanding that religious groups justify to secular judges what constitutes ‘reasonable’ religious practices... to do so would require Tribunals and Courts to make wide-reaching and complex determinations on which religious beliefs and practices are reasonable or authorized by the state.Read More
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Anti-discrimination laws make some people more 'equal' than others.Bill Muehlenberg |
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Indeed, all this rhetoric about inequality and discrimination has simply been a smokescreen, designed to get our eyes off of the real agenda: the complete normalisation and acceptance of homosexuality, whether we like it or not. Indeed, this is nothing but coerced acceptance. (read more)
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A Pastoral Letter from the Catholic Bishops of Victoria. |
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The likely effect of these proposals would be profound
because it would go to the heart of the religious motivation that leads people to be
involved in ownership, governance and employment, as well as through volunteerism.Read More
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WARNING VICTORIA: Discrimination laws unfairly target UK ChristiansMelanie Phillips |
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But what about the unfair treatment of traditional Christians and other faith
groups? The doctrine of equality means they have no right
at all to uphold their belief that certain types of sexual
behaviour are wrong. This is simply trumped by gay rights,
which allows them no space at all to uphold their religious
beliefs. Read
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The Options Paper (200 pages) | |
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The Inquiry Website(SARC- Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations
Committee) | |
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