Rod Bower is the minister at the Gosford Anglican Church, which is famous for the thoughtful statements placed on its noticeboard out the front of the church1. He has just announced that he will be running as an independent for the senate in the federal election next year. He made the announcement while addressing a refugee rally in Sydney on Saturday2.
It may sound surprising that I, as an atheist and firm believer in keeping religion well clear of politics, would vote for someone like Rod Bower, given that he is an Anglican priest. However, he is the sort of person who adheres to the supposed teachings of Jesus Christ which, given that he is a Christian, should not be surprising. Unlike Rod Bower, many modern Christians are the sort of people who, if Jesus rolled up at their happy-clappy church, they would have him hauled away by the police or, if he didn’t have a valid visa, by Border Force and incarcerated on Nauru or Manus for years. Based on what I have seen of Rod Bower, he is the sort of person who loves his fellow man, no matter whether they are gay, intersex or brown, unlike those Christians who would discriminate against them just because of their difference; he is the sort of man who has compassion, unlike those Christians who have none and fight in the courts to prevent little children being brought to Australia for urgent medical and psychological treatment.
The reason that I would vote for Rod Bower is because he is unlike so many in federal parliament; he is a decent man.
Sources
- http://www.blotreport.com/society/christian-dichotomy-australia/
- https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/oct/28/outspoken-anglican-rector-rod-bower-announces-bid-for-senate-seat?CMP=share_btn_tw
