Oh yeah… and while I’m on the subject of Rudd bowing out of the Prime Ministership… I’ve said before that Rudd likes hitching his wagon to whatever engine is driving past at the time… but who did he think he was pleasing when he paused for his moment of theologising when he tacked “or her” on the end of thanking God… it was looking so good up until that moment – a loser thanking God, which helpfully combats every winning sporting superstar who claims God gave them victory as though he’s in their sports bag… bowing out with grace… but “or her”? What? How can “or her” be referred to as “our father”? Bonhoeffer would be rolling in his grave. Maybe he was caught up in the moment – seeing Gillard’s siezing the throne as divine. Maybe when he said “theology” he meant “self reflection” and his God complex was catching up with his loss of power? I don’t know. But it was dumb.
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i think you are being hard on him here.
I’d say hyperbolic, but not unjustly.
Yes, i thought it was pretty weird as well, but thought it may have been a parting jibe at Gillard, as in I thank him (God) or her (gillard).
That’s the only way i can justify it, other than that, from a professing christian it was a bit weird.
I agree Nathan – at best, this is extreme PC. Was this his way of offending the least amount of people on the way out? And who was he trying to please? Feminists? Liberal Christians? New Agers? I don’t think any of these groups would be particularly impressed. If he wanted to please everyone, he should have thanked ‘that gender-neutral deity or deities who may or may not be almighty, loving, have any interest in humankind or exist.’ It’s almost as bad as my old history teacher, who once remarked that the word ‘person’ should become ‘perone’ because it’s less gender specific. Give me a break.
I was a bit taken a back at first but have given him the credit of just being a bit sexist. ‘If the PM can be a female, what next? God?’
It was his parting speech, I would expect him to pull some punches.
Extreme PC like this makes my eyes explode in a shower of putrescent radiance