RSA Weekly For atheists, rationalists and secular humanists in Australia
Sunday 21 September 2025 Hi , It's been 16 months since the Productivity Commission handed its recommendations to the Albanese government, including a number of suggestions for reform of religious
charities, following the Commission's inquiry into philanthropy. Yet, there has been no response from the government. We're pleased to see at least one senator is now seeking answers on why it is taking so long. If you'd like to share your thoughts about articles in the RSA Weekly, email me on: sigladman@rationalist.com.au. Si Gladman Executive Director, Rationalist Society of
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| RSA Shoebridge questions government over delay in responding to
proposed charities reforms20 Sep: The Albanese government is facing questioning on why it is yet to respond to recommendations for reforms to the charities sector, including to religious charities, about 16 months after receiving them. Greens Senator David Shoebridge has placed questions on notice in parliament asking the government about when it intends to respond to the Productivity Commission’s report for its inquiry into philanthropy.
The Commission’s report recommended, among other things, removal of ‘Basic Religious Charities’. Read the full article |
| ABC Minister slams 'extremist' candidates nominating for WA council elections 21 Sep: A West Australian minister has condemned the emergence of "extremist"
candidates nominating for the state's forthcoming council elections, as the state premier backs compulsory voting reform. Read the full article |
| COURIER MAIL The staggering wealth of Queensland's richest churches 20 Sep: Billion dollar turnovers, multimillion dollar property portfolios and
education, child care, disability service and aged care empires – Queensland churches are financial powerhouses as much as they are houses of worship. A special investigation has uncovered the vast riches held by religious organisations. Read the full article |
| THE GUARDIAN Tony Abbott implores Cpac to give Liberals ‘one last chance’ 20 Sep: Tony Abbott has urged conservatives to give the Liberals “one last
chance” and apologised for the party’s 2025 election drubbing, joining a host of high-profile Coalition figures at a major political conference in imploring voters not to abandon the opposition for rightwing minor parties. Read the full article |
| THE AGE ‘Don’t mention Hitler and you’re sweet’: The great March for Australia deception 20 Sep: Anti-immigration rallies that have drawn out tens of
thousands of Australians in capital cities are being secretly controlled by neo-Nazis – part of a co-ordinated “fraud on the public” experts say could become even more violent when they march again next month. Read
the full article |
| OUT IN PERTH Surrogacy bill passes the Legislative Assembly 19 Sep: New laws which update Western Australia’s laws around surrogacy and assisted
reproductive technology have been passed by the Legislative Assembly. The laws were passed with the support of government members and a handful of Liberal and National MPs who also voiced support. The bill will now progress to the Legislative Council where it is expected to face significantly more opposition with key Liberal members, One Nation and the Australian Christians expected to oppose the changes. Read the full article |
| IN DAILY Sarah Game calls Liberal response on abortion ‘wussy’ 18 Sep: Legislative Councillor and Liberal party member Dennis Hood seconded the ex-One
Nation member’s bill on late-term abortion in parliament on Wednesday night. But while Game, now leader of the Fair Go for Australia Party, said she was “glad” Dennis Hood supported the bill, she would like to see a more “confident” position from his party leader. Read the full article |
| THE AGE MAGA dismisses claims Kirk assassin acted alone 18 Sep: Allies of Donald Trump have dismissed claims that Charlie Kirk was killed by a lone
assassin. Senior figures in the MAGA movement believe Tyler Robinson, the student charged with Kirk’s murder, is part of a wider conspiracy involving a left-wing terrorist network, and that authorities need to widen the scope of their investigation. Read the full article |
| THE GUARDIAN Progressive groups fear ‘McCarthy era’ attacks in wake of Charlie Kirk shooting 16 Sep: The president, vice-president and members of Congress
have begun calling for the government to investigate progressive organizations in the wake of the Charlie Kirk murder, in terms those targeted say are reminiscent of the House Un-American Activities Committee and the “red scare” of the 1950s. Read the full
article |
| ABC Plymouth Brethren attempted to silence alleged rape victim with a million dollars and a non-disclosure agreement 15 Sep: The controversial religious
group formerly known as the Exclusive Brethren has offered a man $1 million to stay silent about his allegations of being brutally raped as a child by three of its members. The obscure but wealthy group offered the million-dollar settlement to its former member, Mick Dover, last year, on the condition that he sign a non-disclosure agreement. Read the full article |
| IN DAILY Late-term abortion bill slammed as ‘conservative dog whistle’ 5 Sep: Fair Go leader Sarah Game is introducing a late-term abortion bill to SA
parliament in the last sitting days before next year’s election, drawing criticism for sowing division as the state election looms. Former Greens and now Independent MLC Tammy Franks has labelled the Upper House bill a “conservative dog whistle and a bid for votes”. Read the full article |
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| RATIONALE Political witch hunts and blacklists: The new era
of McCarthyism Shannon Brincat et al: A modern-day political inquisition is unfolding in ‘digital town squares’ across the United States. The slain far-right activist Charlie Kirk has become a focal point for a coordinated campaign of silencing critics that chillingly echoes one of the darkest chapters in American history. Read the full article |
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| RATIONALE Blainey’s ‘quiet classic’ on war and
peace Paul Monk: Blainey is our country’s finest historian emeritus. The reprinting and updating of one of his most striking books – The Causes of War (2025) – first published in 1973, then republished in 1977 and 1988, is timely. Its observations and lessons are richly illuminating in the current, disturbing international climate. Read the full article |
| PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA Lived experiences of cults and high‑control groups: Insights from the anonymous questionnaire As part of our inquiry into how
cults and high‑control groups are using harmful tactics to recruit and control their members, the Legislative Assembly’s Legal and Social Issues Committee asked people to share their lived experiences through an online questionnaire. The questionnaire responses demonstrated consistent patterns of harmful behaviours within cults and high‑control groups. Read the full article |
| ABC As white Christian nationalism grows more assertive, we must tell the truth about Australia’s religious diversity Cristina Rocha and Anna
Halafoff: Conservative Christians are losing power and influence, and consequently many confess to feeling persecuted. They feel that Judaeo-Christian values are being eroded and that they can no longer freely express their beliefs. “Judaeo-Christian values” is, of course, shorthand in many quarters for “Western civilisation”. This has led many Christian conservatives to intensify political campaigns to maintain their privileges. Read the full article |
| ABC These Plymouth Brethren members stepped out of line, then the threats and intimidation started Louise Milligan: David Wallace had been given
an order: track down a man. His target was Richard Marsh — a UK whistleblower, and member-turned-critic of the secretive Plymouth Brethren Christian Church. But Wallace was having second thoughts about the job. So he delivered a warning to Marsh: Run. Read the full article |
| THE CONVERSATION Jimmy Kimmel’s cancellation is the latest sign we’re witnessing the end of US democracy Emma Shortis: History’s path is never
linear. But its turns can be very sharp. It is rare to be able to identify the moment when we can say “this is the point at which everything changed”. So have we reached the point where we can say the United States is in a constitutional crisis? Read the full article |
| THE GUARDIAN For comedians around the world, the laughs often end as democracy fades Oliver Holmes: In his attacks on the most prominent of
American satirists, the US president has joined a cadre of illiberal and sensitive leaders around the world who will not tolerate a joke. The latest target of what critics say is a campaign to silence dissenting voices was Jimmy Kimmel, who had his late-night ABC talkshow suspended after government pressure. Read the full article |
| THE GUARDIAN How Charlie Kirk became a Christian nationalist martyr J Oliver Conroy: Christian nationalists in the US are positioning Charlie
Kirk as a martyr for their movement, one that has grown in popularity and whose rise was intertwined with Kirk’s own political ascent. While Erika Kirk’s private sorrow is no doubt very real, her public remarks are telling, said Jeff Sharlet, the author of several books on Christian nationalism and the far right. Read the full article |
| THE CONVERSATION Harvard, like all Americans, can’t be punished by the government for speaking freely Stephanie A. Martin: The principle at work
in the Harvard case is simple: Free speech protections don’t just apply to individuals in the town square or in places where public decisions are being made. First Amendment rights extend to private institutions, even when their views or policies contravene official government opinions, and even when they receive funding from the government. Read the full article |
| THE CONVERSATION How tradwife content fuses femininity with anti-feminist ideas Arie Perliger and Catherine Jarry: When people think about
online misogyny, they probably envision forums and video game chat rooms filled with young men using lewd language, promoting sexist stereotypes and longing for the good old days when women “knew” their place. Arguably the most popular anti-feminist content today, though, is produced by women: tradwives. Read the full article |
| THE FREETHINKER Christian nationalism threatens democracy. Secularism protects it. Stephen Evans: Is Britain on the brink of a spiritual
comeback? After decades of emptying pews and rising nonreligiosity, talk of a Christian revival is growing louder. But what’s emerging looks less like a genuine religious awakening and more like Christianity being used as a vehicle for political and cultural agendas. Read the full article |
| THE GUARDIAN The Guardian view on Christianity and the UK far right At last Saturday’s rally the striking proliferation of wooden crosses and flags
bearing Christian slogans suggest an ominous and rising influence on the British far right. From the speakers’ platform in Whitehall, crowds were led in chants of “Christ is King” and participated in public prayer recitals, while being urged to defend “God, faith, family, homeland”. Read the full article |
| THE GUARDIAN China’s ‘temple economy’ in the spotlight as scandals rock influential religious leaders Amy Hawkins: Shi’s downfall, for
accusations similar to those made – and survived – in 2015, was the most high profile in a series of scandals that have rocked China’s Buddhist temples in recent months. The controversies reveal the increasingly precarious position of influential religious leaders in China. Read the full article |
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