God and politics

I have been thinking a bit about Julia Gillard's statement that she is not a believer in God, and some of the responses I've heard to that statement. This was sparked mostly by the 7PM Project on Monday night - you can read the discussion here. 

Steve Price suggested that it would cost Gillard votes that she is not a person of faith. The overwhelming response on the discussion board seems to be that it won't, that people are more concerned with the integrity she showed by being honest and up front about her position rather than lying to appease one group in society or offering some sort of wishy washy compromise of a non-answer. And that's my feeling too. I am a person of Christian spirituality, and I am comfortable with a PM who can say - no, I don't believe in God, with a gentle confidence. 

Now, on the comments on the discussion board, I'd want to respond to some by that people open to God or Spirit or the Divine or even to spirituality generally are not in the low numbers some of the commenters suggest. I would also want to ask people to be less derogatory in their painting of people of faith as having an imaginary friend, being superstitious or worthy of disdain to such extent. 

I would also agree with the many commenters who suggest that Steve Price is mistaken to suggest that Julia Gillard is anti children because she has none of her own, or anti family because her family looks different from a norm that is actually now more the exception than the rule (husband, wife, 2.3 kids). 

I would refer these people to Hugh Mackay's excellent work, Advance Australia ... Where? so that they might offer more informed contributions to the conversation. And I thank Steve Taylor for guiding our Sociology for Ministry class (at Uniting College for Leadership and Theology / Adelaide College of Divinity) last semester, because now I feel more equipped for engaging in such conversations.