How do you evict God from the Lodge?

We were elated to see Crikey readers came out in force to respond to David Hardaker’s latest series God in the Lodge — a deep dive into the role evangelical Christianity has played in Scott Morrison’s time in and out of power.

The overwhelming view? It’s hard to believe there’s a true separation of church and state in Australia when the prime minister seems to believe he has a divine mandate. What does it mean for us, and what — if anything — can we do about it?

On God in the Lodge

David Chalmers writes: God’s caused enough trouble without having him in the Lodge. Furthermore, if ScoMo’s performance reflects what he and God have in store for us then God help us, as they say.

Jen Jeltes writes: Australia is a secular country by explicit architecture. Our constitution is patently clear that any use of religious contexts in Australia’s law making process is unconstitutional and thereby illegal under Australian law. Where does this leave our lawmakers, where does it go if laws passed by this government are challenged in the High Court? What happens to Australia when, not if, but when, a whole raft of legislation is invalidated by the courts as being unconstitutional? The duty falls on Australia’s governor-general, as the queen’s representative, to ensure that the constitution is upheld and not broken.

Leon Miller writes: I find Morrison’s inhumane treatment of refugees — locking them up indefinitely and denying safe haven for people who have been tortured, brutalised and oppressed — to be significantly at odds with the teachings of the Bible. 

Lois Randall writes: I am a liberal Christian who believes in caring for others. Will you please bring out a series — hopefully to make mainstream media listen — on Morrison’s anti-Christian deeds: “stopping the boats”, his lies (I know you’ve written extensively on them) with the emphasis on “do not bear false witness”, and Christ’s preaching’s contrasted with continued inhumanity to residents on Manus and the Biloela family.

Roger Druce writes: David Hardaker is exposing the truth about the Morrison approach to government where he is only answerable to God and not the Australian populace. We have heard endlessly from Morrison that the government has a “plan”.  A “plan” for this, a “plan” for that, he has always got a “plan”. It is never articulated in detail. At press conferences he uses the word “plan” disconnected from any descriptive words which relate it to any specific policy announcement that one might be able to drill into to find planning with depth, intellectual rigor, or a serious roadmap for the future. It is clear that Morrison, when he uses the word “plan”, is referring to God’s “plan”, whatever that is.

Neil Halliday writes: The PM’s faith certainly appears to have worked miracles in his own life; his remarkable self-confidence and ease of leadership is testament to that. For my part I think the problem for both Morrison and Albo — and hence all of us — is systemic: neither side can achieve much-needed change, given the nation’s slavish adherence to a failing economic orthodoxy.

Alan Murgatroyd writes: I couldn’t care less about the PM’s religious beliefs but the thing that gets me is how lovers of God such as the PM turn off all their Christian beliefs when compassion is required. I am of course referring specifically to people such as the Biloela family whose only desire is to continue to live and flourish in a small Queensland country town. His hypocrisy is disgusting…

Ivor Undara writes: I naively thought religion and state were better separated, same for judiciary and state. Seems not. Leading a country for the greater good of the country and its people without fear or favour, without being beholden to mates and lobbyists, without secrets and unreasonable power over citizens and all with a long term strategy would be a serious job. Seems not. I worry mostly about there being no serious opposition to our current God in the Lodge.