This will hurt me...

Stability. Hobart, February 2021. Crimes of the Father by Thomas Keneally As a lifelong and devout atheist, I've always viewed the Catholic Church through a sceptical anthropological lens. Given the very many crimes and betrayals committed in her name since the very beginning, I am often paused for thought about why anyone might remain wedded to such an organisation. It's in this spirit that I approached Tom Keneally's  Crimes of the Father . This is a meaty book that explores faith, the church and conscience. The central character - Father Frank Docherty - remains a man of faith. Both a priest and practising psychologist, his professional areas of speciality are the abused and the abusers. Through a confluence of events, Docherty is drawn into the lives of several victims of abuse by an eminent Sydney cardinal, who himself sits on a commission investigating sexual abuse within the Church. In this milieu, Keneally delves into an exploration of faith, loyalty, identity, and...

Ezra is a Rat . Henry is a Dog . I am a Snake . Jen is a Dragon . Ezra is also a Crab . Henry is a Tampon Set of Scales . I am a Bull . Jennifer is a Bucket of Water .

It requires no profound insight to see that many people exhibit a tendency that confuses (or conflates) the concepts of morality and faith. Obviously, as a dude who is candid and impenitent about his atheistic outlook on life – yet still endeavours to conduct himself in a professional and (more importantly) ethical manner – it seems rather obvious to me that one does not need religious faith to lead a righteous and healthy life. Similarly, simply assuming religious faith on its own does in no way mean that someone is ethically sound (in fact, it often means quite the opposite). That said – and I’ll be frank with you (and howya goin’ Frank?) – I am aware that I can be a cold and callous bastard and have high demands on people, I know that. Sometimes it takes a nice bit of graffiti to soften my marble-like disposition . So, after seeing this amiable request (and I read it as a request) neatly drawn on the entrance to the ALP HQ on my way to work this morning, I vowed to try and ...