DISQUS

Zack · 11 months ago

Duncan, though i agree with your concern, but why only target christian churches, am sure there are other faith institutions as well in Australia, why haven't you checked some reports are there as well. Doing this you are giving a freaking clean chit and targeting just a section which is un called for.

Duncan Riley · 11 months ago

Zack,
this letter is in response to an article from the Australian Christian Lobby, as per the first line. Should other churches feel the same about protecting children online, I'll happily call on the Prime Minister to filter them as well.

Nick Hodge · 11 months ago

Epic Lulz.

Shame there is so much truth in this letter.

Samantha deWitt · 11 months ago

Good one Zach. That's the point Duncan is making about the Internet filter

Ben · 11 months ago

Go Duncan!

3wk · 11 months ago

as a parent I can't be held responsible for what my child is doing 24/7. thank jesus for the government helping to filter out all the potentially dangerous things in our lives.

a toll booth and a large amount of speed bumps may be expensive, but how can you put a price on your child's safety?

Duncan Riley · 11 months ago

I can: disabling my ability to make money seriously retards my ability to provide the best for my child, including safety. This is what will happen with internet censorship. No one argues against filtering child porn, which I'd note is the case in the UK and several other European countries. But be very clear here: this isn't what the Australian Government is proposing. Not a block on 1000-10,000 sites as is the case in the UK. What we are talking about is much bigger, and has a far more chilling effect on free speech. As I said in the post: on the same grounds the Australian Government is blocking the internet, so too should christian churches, because statistically they're actually more dangerous.

Jonathan Nguyen · 11 months ago

Dunc, love the angle. I need to write a letter to censor the works of Shakespeare, the poems of Wilfred Owen and we definitely need to do something about the ideology of Ned Kelly and Waltzing Matilda. Ned was bank robber who killed people and old Walt stole sheep and committed suicide.

Me · 11 months ago

Religion is dead its time people moved on!

paul watson · 11 months ago

Great letter someone had to say it!Its true the Catholic church is the most successful global network (ironically pre-www) of child molestation. Ive got three mates that suffered (deeply and for decades after) at the hands of this medieval, near 'protected' criminal species. If I have to be subjected to mindless censorship and dumb hypocrisy from midgets on moral molehills- the Christians can suffer a parallel dumb tech fate. Give the $44 million to the AFP to nail the crims & leave the rest of us alone!@terrortv

nomadiqueMC · 11 months ago

nicely played Duncan, nicely played....

Jon Seymour · 11 months ago

Duncan,

This is a keeper - very well done! I once made use of a similar analogy (mandatory ISP level filters/church choirs), but the thoroughness with which you have applied this analogy here is simply superb.

jon,

Violet Weed · 11 months ago

So in Australia, are you GUILTY until proven INNOCENT? You said that "4% of clerics were ACCUSED..." not "FOUND GUILTY".

Mister Prime Minister, think of the INNOCENT.
Sheesh! Thank gawd I live in the great USA and not in some country that forces me to prove my innocence. (No, I don't molest children... hmmm, well, I DO like to molest MEN, who are mostly childish... or there I go! guiltifying men without a trial.

Jon Seymour · 11 months ago

Violet, just in case this is not clear, Duncan's proposal is a parody which exploits the logic of the Australian Government's case for censoring the Internet to suggest that churches should themselves be "filtered" in order to prevent child abuse.

You are right to make the point about GUILTY until proven INNOCENT. Under the Government's proposal, all adults are considered to be potential child sex offenders who cannot be trusted to use the Internet responsibly.

Duncan Riley · 11 months ago

Violet, I totally agree, which is why the same rules the Australian Government proposed to the internet should be applied to churches. Indeed, statically, churches are a bigger risk. Won't someone think of the children!

igorthetroll · 11 months ago

Great petition. I second it. A must do protection from Evil Churches for children!

Noah David Simon · 11 months ago

Duncan the problem is not the church... it can happen in any institution... religious or not. people who work with children should always be suspect. I would be willing to bet if you put the 'TOYSRUS' corporation under the same scrutiny you would find likewise statistics. I'm tired of hearing the online AList (or shall I say ALust) objectifying religion in this manner. I wasn't raised in an orthodox religious home, but I have seen plenty of perverts. I am terrified that the world is beginning to treat Christians like they have treated Jews for 2000 years. The fact is that as our world globalizes faithful Christians are becoming a cultural minority. Let's not take part in this bigotry.

bushpig · 11 months ago

*facepalm*

Asmo · 11 months ago

For all the nimrods who a) don't get it and b) missed the comment already explaining it is a parody...

IT IS A PARODY.

It uses the same logic and laissez faire attitude to a "problem" that the government is using, and in both cases the problem (although serious) is vastly overstated and the traditional methods for dealing with it (ie. let the police do their job) is ignored in favour of punishing all for the sins of the few.

IT IS A PARODY

When the hell did people in this country get so thick? More importantly, those of you who are "outraged" about this proposal against Christians, ask yourself why you aren't more outraged against the proposal for internet filtering...

Noah David Simon · 11 months ago

I have a reputation for standing up for Censorship issues and helped organize the pro internet protests at Carnegie Mellon University in 1995. I don't see how singling out Christianity (which by the way is not my religion) is some kind of parody. and frankly from experience in organizing free speech issues I have found Christian Conservatives to be a lot more open minded then the Tipper Gore feminist left. the joke doesn't work... you just are a bunch of bigots

bushpig · 11 months ago

once again

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Noah David Simon · 11 months ago

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Noah David Simon · 11 months ago

this is Spock after getting hit in the face

Elias Bizannes · 11 months ago

That is gold!

Glancey · 11 months ago

while we're at it, how about we censor the bible so the kids dont get exposed to all the genocide, rape, mutilations and sexual depravity, incest etc ?

its not like we can trust adults to protect their kids from reading these passages; we need to censor the bible for every australian!! quick!!

CT · 11 months ago

that was awesome...

Andy Merrett · 11 months ago

Great parody and — whilst we're at it — let's hear it for ASCII art!!