Opinion / Analysis

In 2024, the Rationale magazine had another big year of publishing high-quality articles on a wide range of important topics, while reaching thousands of readers across Australia and the world. So let’s take a look at the 10 articles that resonated most with our readers – according to our readership data. Read the full article

Brian McKinlay: One of the most remarkable and persistent features of American life is that, alone amongst the economically advanced countries, its political life and civil society in general are overshadowed and greatly affected by the power and influence of religious groups. Read the full article

Peter Ellerton: One of the main tenets of effective argumentation is the principle of charity, which states that we should present the views of our opponents in the most rational, cohesive and charitable light possible. It should be done in such a manner, as they themselves would wish that they had said it so well. Read the full article

Hassan Vally: Finding out what causes a particular outcome is often the primary goal of scientific research, especially in studies relating to our health. We want to know if a certain factor – say, drinking wine or eating chocolate – will lead to better or worse health outcomes. That way, we can make more informed decisions about our health. But how do scientists actually get those answers? Read the full article

Thomas Mayo: The Liberals and Nationals have become bereft of true centrists, lurching ever further to the far right under Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. Indigenous Australians, who overwhelmingly voted “Yes” in the referendum, can attest to their cruelty. Now Dutton disrespects the Aboriginal flag, saying that if he is prime minister, he will not stand to have it displayed behind him. Such is the nature of right-wing political players. They claim to be conservatives, but their politics is radical and reactionary. Read the full article

Adis Duderija: The exodus of Muslims from Islam, particularly in Western societies, has sparked alarm and debate within the Muslim world. While some dismiss this phenomenon as a product of Western influence or a lack of genuine faith, such explanations fail to address the complex and often deeply personal reasons driving individuals away from Islam. Read the full article

Khadija Khan: Apostasy is the decision to renounce a faith and/or convert to another religion. Along with other unalienable human rights, freedom of and from religion is considered a fundamental right in free Western democratic cultures. However, according to Islamic law, apostasy is a sin that carries a death sentence. Read the full article

Benjamin Jones: I try to carefully ration my invocations of 1984. Working at the Free Speech Union, where we routinely see people hounded out of their jobs for wrongthink—or, increasingly, imprisoned for social media posts—in a country where the police keep hundreds of thousands of records of ‘non-crime hate incidents’, it’s getting quite difficult. It’s hard not to see shades of Orwell’s nightmare everywhere you look. Read the full article

Lori Amber Roessner: “I am a farmer, an engineer, a businessman, a planner, a scientist, a governor, and a Christian,” Jimmy Carter said while introducing himself to national political reporters when he announced his campaign to be the 39th president of the United States in December 1974. Based upon this experience, one observation is certain – Carter was a man of faith committed to a vision of the nation that aligned with his views of Jesus’ teachings. Read the full article

Michelle Berkon: The inclusion of anti-Israel and anti-Zionist actions and speech in the definition of antisemitism is a gross infringement on freedom of expression in this country, the group Jews Against the Occupation ’48 says in a submission to a government inquiry into antisemitism at Australian universities. Read the full article

Siobhan Marin and Jack Schmidt: According to Anne Pattel-Gray, a Bidjara/Kari Kari woman, theologian and author, Christianity has been used as justification for theft, even though it contradicts the biblical commandment "Thou shalt not steal". She draws a connection between colonial ideology and the Book of Joshua. Read the full article

Heidi Matisonn: I’m not suggesting that the goal is to raise argumentative children. Rather, as philosopher, strategic thinker and author Peter Facione explains, it is to nurture inquisitive minds that can interpret, analyse, evaluate and infer from information. In other words, parents should raise their children to be curious, critical thinkers who question everything, even if this means they question us in the process. Read the full article

Siobhan Marin: Globally, there are around 600,000 "women religious" — Catholic sisters and nuns — but the group is seeing a sharp decline. Australia is home to 3,500 sisters who belong to a diverse number of congregations. This is a drop from the peak of 14,000 in 1966. The Vatican statistics office has called the overall decline "worrying". Read the full article