Sound familiar? You bet.

From the combox of this ABC story on Archbishop Bathersby’s decision to appoint a new administrator at St Mary’s South Brisbane:

My family where all practicing Catholics but now none of us (out of 7 children) including our parents declare ourselves as Catholic anymore.

Like you said I dont need some old fart to tell me about what he thinks God is about – most of the priests I had dealings with were very very far from Godly… The whole church heirachy is groaning from the weight of its own debauchery and I hope I live to see it collapse.

If Jesus were here today I think He would be banging on the doors of the Vatican just like He did with the money lenders at the temple. I dont think He would take their crap very well at all..

People seem to forget that Jesus was a rebel, and fought against the might and hypocrisy of the religious establishment, He spent time with the underpriveliged and the outcasts and turned His back on the powerful and exposed their moral vacuum..

Does this sound familiar?

Oh yes, very familiar. So familiar that it makes one wonder if there is some website somewhere with some sort of software-generator thingy that just churns this stuff out at a push of the button…

I thought this comment string from the same post was a worth a chuckle:

Commentator: The little noise you just heard was Jesus turning in his grave [in reaction to the Archbishop's decision].

Next Commentator: Hmmmm, not read your bible? He left his grave after three days for more appropriate lodgings.

Bushfire Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral Thursday 12th at 1pm

Archbishop Hart invites the community of Melbourne to join him on Thursday 12 February at 1.00pm for Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral (East Melbourne). The Mass will be offered for those who have lost their lives in the bushfires and for the spiritual support of those who have suffered through the fires.

Archbishop Hart said that the Church stands in solidarity with the community in this time of crisis and ‘this is a time in the history of our community, when we are seeing and will see in an extraordinary way the great generosity of the Australian community’. The Archbishop said that he has rarely witnessed the level of community anxiety and concern for people and communities through which the fires have passed or are still under threat.

In response to numerous requests from the Catholic community on how they can help victims of the bushfires, Archbishop Hart has launched a special appeal to raise funds to go to victims of the bushfires. The Archbishop said the funds collected will be used to assist victims of the bushfires. If you would like more information or to make a donation please visit http://www.cam.org.au/archbishop/bushfire-appeal.html.

The Bushfires: Blame or Judgement?

Until now I had heard it only in whispered conversations – spoken by people who knew what they were saying was not only politically incorrect but probably theologically incorrect too, and yet for whom the logic was so tight as to be convincing. [Update clarification: "convincing" to them, not to the author of this blog.]

Well now Victoria’s most “incendiary” preacher, Rev. Danny Nalliah, has said it loud and in public with a press release from the (ironically named) “Catch the Fire” Ministries.

Abortion laws to blame for bush fires?

[After condolences to the suffering and offers to help, the press release continues:]…CTFM leader, Pastor Danny Nalliah…said these bushfires have come as a result of the incendiary abortion laws which decimate life in the womb. Besides providing material assistance, CTFM will commence a seven day prayer and fasting campaign for the nation of Australia tomorrow Wednesday the 11th February.

CTFM has called upon all Australian Bible-believing God-fearing Christians to repent and call upon the Lord Jesus Christ for His mercy and protection over Australia once again.

“Yesterday (Monday 9th February 2009), the front page of the Herald Sun newspaper reported “The Darkest hour for Victoria”. A few months ago the news media should have reported “The darkest hour for the unborn” but unfortunately the “Decriminalization of Abortion bill” went through parliament and was passed, thus making many people call Victoria ‘the baby killing state of Australia,’” Mr Nalliah said.

He said on November 7 last year we had sent out an email to our national network…following a dream he had on the 21st of October 2008, which he shared with his team on 22nd October.

…“In my dream I saw fire everywhere with flames burning very high and uncontrollably. With this I woke up from my dream with the interpretation as the following words came to me in a flash from the Spirit of God. That His conditional protection has been removed from the nation of Australia, in particular Victoria, for approving the slaughter of innocent children in the womb.”

…”Australia is based on Judeo-Christian values. How far have we as a nation moved from these principles instilled in our nation’s inception. How much does it take for a nation to return to God? The Bible is very clear, if you walk out of God’s protection and turn your back on Him, you are an open target for the devil to destroy.

“Can we stop the fires? Yes we can! But it will take God’s children to rally together and repent and cry unto Him as in 2 Chronicles 7:14 (The Holy Bible).

…CTFM calls on all Australians to declare the 18th February as a National Day of Prayer, Repentance, and Mourning.

Whatever you make of the theology behind Pastor Danny’s statement, it has to be said that to the prophets of the Old Testament 2500 years ago – or even for the preachers of the Christian Church only 200 years ago – the connection between the passing of the abortion laws and the bushfire disaster would have been a no-brainer.

We today, of course, know better. We are confident that God is not like that. Yet what do we really know of God’s ways? Did his own prophets not tell us: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, saith the Lord” (Is 55:8). That, of course, cuts both ways. On the one hand Peter Costello is right when he says that “to link the death and the suffering of bushfire victims to other political events is appalling, heartless and wrong.” On the other hand, what do we really know of “God’s thoughts”? If we find the call to repentance whispering in our hearts and minds, then “for him with ears to hear”, let him heed that call.

Nevertheless, whatever we may say about divine judgement, there is no shortage of those who are ready to cast blame about. Everything from “climate change” to “tree-change” to the “stay or leave” policy has been blamed for the disaster. Pastor Danny just takes the “blame game” a step to far and with a great deal more certainty than he has a right to claim.