Last week, a Family Court judge (Justice Peter Murphy) stepped down from hearing a case, having been unable to get the parents to agree about anything. (Herald Sun, 4 February)

He described their disputing as “pathetic, stupid and relentless”.

The 12-year old daughter had had to call the police because the parents couldn’t agree on a drop-off point in a park.

* * *

In our culture, marriage has always been society’s attempt to provide the most stable environment for a child to be born into and reared in.

That’s why Matrimony is a Sacrament of the Church . . . .

Marriage is primarily about the welfare of children.

God’s children.

Parents join with God, cooperating in his role as creator — becoming co-creators with God.

Being a Sacrament, marriage brings with it real, objective, literal grace — the power to do God’s will in a way impossible without such grace . . . .

* * *

Not everything calling itself marriage is marriage.

Performances with no priest, but lay “celebrants” . . . .

Held at sites other than a church . . . .

The couple not having prepared themselves by going to Confession . . . .

Do we really expect any benefit from such happenings?

The occupants of Canberra’s Aboriginal “Tent Embassy” did their cause no good by terrorising our Prime Minister on Thursday.

That doesn’t mean that the Embassy should not exist.

Aboriginal culture includes the notion of their spirits belong to the land.

Not any land, but the land associated with one’s clan, totem or whatever.

Belonging to this particular land, you don’t feel the same about any other piece of land.

There’s little temptation to invade the land of the next-door tribe.

If Europeans felt that way, World War I and World War II may never have happened.

* * *

So January 26 (“Invasion Day”) is arguably a bad day.

How to make the invaders understand?

Give them a taste of their own medicine?

Invade/annexe a piece of land important to white Australian culture and see how they like it?

The choice of the “Embassy” site makes sense.

* * *

In fact both we and the land belong to God, Father of all races.

Saint Mary MacKillop said, “In the trials, annoyances and anxieties we daily experience, may we ever recognise that loving Fatherly Hand . . . .”

At present, neither Australia’s blacks nor whites seem to quite get it.

Let us pray that we soon will.

School chaplains have been around for a long time.

Somebody students could turn to for advice who is not part of the machine.

Historically chaplains also educated students in the reality of the spiritual world – less so in recent years.

The Australian Government’s Chaplaincy Program was revised last year allowing schools which preferred could get rid of their chaplain and have a “secular welfare worker” instead.

Of 2500-odd schools involved, over 90 percent have opted to continue having a chaplain.

But the enemies of religion have further cards up their sleeve — a High Court challenge to the system is pending.

* * *

Is a student basically a kind of robot whose actions are governed by a brain which is purely a bunch of chemicals in a bony box?

The government thinks so — which would make the difference between a chaplain and a secular worker irrelevant.

The government also believes that children ultimately belong to the government.

There is a cultural war-to-the-death going on in our society.

* * *

Those who believe that children ultimately belong to God have a fight on their hands.

The present government will observe no rules in its attempt to exterminate religion from the thoughts permitted within government schools.

December 26 is listed as a “Christmas Day Holiday” in Hong Kong, Singapore and Indonesia.

Nations which have 4%, 10% and 2% Catholic populations.

What is the point of them having such a rash of Christian observances . . . ?

It’s good to see, anyway.

* * *

What about Australia, with its nominally majority Christian population?

Here December 26 is famous for:

(1) Boxing Day Sales.

Shops selling off failed Christmas present-style goodies at “bargain” prices.

Already-fleeced punters all turn up yet again to be re-fleeced.

(2) The Boxing Day Test.

Australia’s cricket team plays a visiting team at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Cricket enthusiasts drink diluted ethanol either from eskies at the MCG or in front of the TV until comatose.

Or have eskies been banned? I can’t remember.

* * *

Traditionally December 26 is/was the Feast day of Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr.

A few weeks after Jesus was crucified and resurrected, Stephen preaching in Jerusalem challenging the people to become Christians . . . .

Hauled before a kangaroo court, he delivered a sermon to his accusers and judges about how they, too, should become believers.

They were peeved.

As recorded in the Bible, in the Book of Acts:

“He said, ‘Behold I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’

But they stopped their ears and rushed at him.

They cast him out of the city and stoned him . . . and as they were stoning him, he prayed, ‘LORD, DO NOT LAY THIS SIN TO THEIR CHARGE.’”

Jesus Christ taught about marriage.

He said, “From the beginning of creation, God created male and female. This is why a man must leave father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh . . . .” (Saint Mark’s gospel, chapter 10, verse 7)

Christ’s church has always taught that the primary purpose of marriage is the generation and bringing-up of children.

Marriage, therefore, by definition, excludes homosexual and other unnatural behaviour.

* * *

For Catholics, the Church has always defined, as per the old Code of Canon Law, that “the primary end of marriage is the procreation and education of children”.

Having children, where it is possible, is essential to the nature of marriage itself — a participation in the creative work of God.

Marriage is a Sacrament of the Church. God is a participant in the marriage.

And as Jesus taught, “What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.” (Saint Mark’s gospel, chapter 10, verse 9)

* * *

In practice, it is found that the safest place for a child — least likely to suffer child abuse — is to be raised is in a family situation with his/her biological mother and father, married and living together.

The governor of Wisconsin state, USA, recently made an announcement that “the Christmas Tree displayed in our state Capitol will have homemade ornaments . . . . etc.”

Horrified responses followed

“Freedom From Religion Foundation” (FFRF) called his words “rude and insensitive . . . a snub to non-Christians.”

Legal moves will possibly come next.

* * *

The FFRF refers to itself as a group of “freethinkers”

They believe in your “freedom” never to say the word Christmas in public.

Since the 1980’s, those Americans who hate the idea of “government endorsement of religion” have witch-hunted anybody saying Christmas tree . . . .

Instead of “Holiday tree” which is a permissible phrase.

So much for the status of belief in the USA.

What about Australia?

* * *

Researchers claim that only 40 percent of Australians now identify as Christians.

About 10 percent identify themselves with other religions.

The rest don’t believe in anything much.

20 percent call themselves “spiritual” but not “religious”.

We mostly want to feel good and — to some that way inclined — religion and/or spirituality can be a convenient feelgood.

Are we all — both religious and un-religious – alike primarily committed to self-fulfilment, self-esteem and self-worship?

Only the colour of the tinsel varying?

(stats from: OliveTree Media Research, 22 November 2011)