How To Get Christians Offside In One Easy Tweet

Peter Fitzsimons seems to have got his bandanna in a knot and is nonplussed by the comment of AML spokesperson Josh Manuatu that he, Josh, believes in the divinity of the sovereign as do many Christians (ARM Media Release 4/11/18 – copied below).

The Australian Monarchist League is comprised of people from many races, religions and social groups. All are entitled to the way in which they view our sovereign. Indeed, many indigenous Australians look upon the Queen as an elder. Are they also to be criticised for their beliefs and attitudes?

That the Queen is a Christian is undoubted. She has every right to be so just as Mr Fitzsimons has a right to be an atheist, although we do wonder whether he is actually a follower of the new religion Pastafarianism which worships the Flying Spaghetti Monster and which, we understand, encourages its followers to dress up as pirates.

Seriously though, The Queen’s personal faith in no way affects the freedom of religion in this country. It is enshrined in our constitution - the very one Mr Fitzsimons seeks to remove.

We have had Jewish Governors-General and I expect that we will have a Buddhist, a Hindu and a Muslim Governor-General in the future. Of course, if no one can openly practise their faith, which seems to be what Mr Fitzsimons is hinting at, we will only have atheists in office under a republic.

It is absurd to think, as Mr Fitzsimons indicates, that we are divided by an individual’s faith. We are not, and hopefully will never be.

For most Australians it is their allegiance to the sovereign and to Australia that unites us. As a republican I suppose Mr Fitzsimons considers it is this which divides us.

We must therefore hope that Australia never succumbs to the divisiveness that will most likely exist under a Fitzsimons atheistic republic.

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