RSA Weekly Sunday 8 February 2026 Hi , You might remember that a couple of weeks ago The Guardian reported that science teachers from a network of Queensland Christian schools had been encouraged to teach students
about “vegetarian dinosaurs on Noah’s Ark”. Well, the RSA has done some digging into what schools in that network teach in their science classes. And, yes, we found evidence of them teaching religious myths as science (see the top article). If you'd like to share your thoughts about articles in the RSA Weekly, email me via:
sigladman@rationalist.com.au. Si Gladman Executive Director, Rationalist Society of Australia |
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| RSA Christian schools teaching "God’s great creation" and "Noah’s
flood" as part of science classes8 Feb: Queensland-based Christian schools receiving millions of dollars from taxpayers are teaching religious myths, including "God’s great creation" and "Noah’s flood", as part of science classes, it can be revealed. The RSA has discovered that at least two schools from the Open Brethren’s Christian Community Ministries network are teaching religious stories in science classes, based on subject handbooks
published on their websites. Read the full article |
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| RSA Pressed on prayers issue, NSW faith advisory body to weigh up
rights for non-religious people4 Feb: A controversial advisory body of religious clerics appointed by the NSW government will this week decide whether to speak up for the fundamental rights of non-religious people to freedom of thought, conscience and religion in responding to community concerns about the imposition of prayers in local governments. The chair of the NSW Faith Affairs Council has confirmed that, at its meeting tomorrow, the
body intended to discuss the case of non-religious councillors facing religious-based discrimination at Oberon Council. Read the full article |
| THE GUARDIAN Minns invokes special powers for NSW police to restrict protests during Israeli president’s visit 7 Feb: The NSW government has invoked
special powers ahead of the Israeli president’s visit next week with the premier, Chris Minns, warning would-be protesters that police will not allow “conflict on Sydney streets”. Several MPs have indicated they will join protesters in the march. Read the full article |
| ABC Ex-Shincheonji members accuse church of pressure to make large donations 7 Feb: Former Shincheonji members have told the ABC they were pressured into
making significant financial contributions to the church to secure their place in Heaven. Shincheonji's Melbourne branch receives tax advantages as a registered charity. Read the full article |
| CHRISTIAN POST Complaint against Bethel Sydney cites safety concerns over ties to embattled parent church 7 Feb: A formal complaint has been filed with the
Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission, raising concern about the ongoing ties between the new Bethel Sydney campus and Bill Johnson’s Bethel Church in California, where leaders have admitted to mishandling allegations of data harvesting to generate fake prophecies and sexual misconduct. Read the full article |
| THE GUARDIAN (UK) NHS doctor struck off over botched circumcision still performing operation 7 Feb: A doctor who was struck off over a “reckless”
circumcision that risked killing a toddler is still performing the procedure as a layperson, the Guardian can reveal. Campaigners say Zuber Bux’s private circumcision business highlights a “catastrophic failure of safeguarding”, as alarm grows about the absence of regulation of the procedure. Read the full article |
| ABC Premier Chris Minns says Newcastle Writers Festival 'crazy' to invite author Randa Abdel-Fattah6 Feb: New South Wales Premier Chris Minns says the Newcastle Writers Festival is
"crazy" to invite Palestinian-Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah to speak, after she was removed from a similar event in Adelaide. Mr Minns said on Friday he did not agree with the Newcastle Writers Festival's decision to book the author, but he would not intervene. Read the full article |
| THE AUSTRALIAN Katter reignites debate on abortion6 Feb: When Queensland Parliament resumes, Premier David Crisafulli will be tested on whether he leads a democratic parliament or
enforces silence when debate becomes politically inconvenient. KAP Leader Robbie Katter will move a motion without notice to lift the LNP’s gag on debating abortion laws. Labor and independents have already said they will support the right to debate. Read the full article |
| ABC ACNC investigates 'apocalyptic Christian cult' Shincheonji 5 Feb: The national charities regulator, the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits
Commission (ACNC), has announced it is investigating the fringe Christian group Shincheonji. In a statement, ACNC Commissioner Sue Woodward AM said she had authorised the disclosure of the investigation under the ACNC's revised secrecy provisions. Read the full
article |
| THE GUARDIAN Townsville hospital investigates after anti-abortion activist posts image of aborted foetus5 Feb: Townsville hospital is investigating an alleged privacy breach after
anti-abortion activist Joanna Howe said a “whistleblower” had sent her an image containing distressing and sensitive abortion content. Howe posted a video on social media that included a picture of a 16-week-old foetus that she said was taken inside the hospital’s Butterfly Room. Read the full article |
| CATHOLIC WEEKLY Red Mass celebrates ‘judiciary meeting the church’ 3 Feb: St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney has hosted the 95th Red Mass commemorating the beginning of
the law term, with law students, politicians, and members of the legal fraternity in attendance. The event reminded lawyers of the “values which underpin domestic and international law”. Read the full article |
| SYDNEY MORNING HERALD Exclusive Brethren members, Gina Rinehart donate to right-wing group Advance 2 Feb: Right-wing lobby group Advance collected $655,000 from
members of secretive Christian sect the Exclusive Brethren and almost $900,000 from mining magnate Gina Rinehart in the last election year. Read the full article |
| ABC Ex-Shincheonji member says he was part of special team focused on recruiting pastors 2 Feb: A South Korean fringe religious organisation, accused of
brainwashing members, is targeting pastors in order to recruit entire Australian congregations, a former member says. Matthew, whose name has been changed to protect his identity, said the organisation was targeting the pastors of other churches in an effort to recruit entire existing congregations. Read the full article |
In a speech in the Senate this week, Nick McKim called on the Albanese government to deliver on its promise to remove religious exemptions from federal anti-discrimination laws. The Greens senator argued that Australians were “ready to move on from outdated carve-outs” that allow discrimination on the basis of religion in faith-based institutions. What do
you think? Email your comments to: editor@rationalist.com.au |
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| RATIONALE Letters to the Editor: Being child-free is not
selfish Joseph Ting: Choosing not to have children is not selfish — it may be responsible. Choosing not to have children is often framed as selfish or socially disengaged. Yet, in a world confronting climate breakdown, biodiversity loss and resource depletion, remaining childfree can be an ethical and environmentally responsible choice. Read the full article |
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| RATIONALE Marketing science Beth DuFault: Scientific rhetoric can easily be co-opted. Think of wellness influencers using 'quantum' jargon to sell supplements; AI companies invoking neuroscience to legitimatise untested technologies; charlatans mimicking the language of peer review to sow doubt. But awareness is a form of protection. When you recognise that scientific authority can be built through persuasion, you become more discerning consumers of it. Read the full article |
| THE AGE Brethren boss says reputation ‘basically worthless’
Regular readers of this column will remember how, a year ago, our friends at the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church
started a PR campaign in response to “misinformation in the media”. Making this church look good was always going to be a big ask. Well, over the summer recess, there have been a few updates to the PR push. Read the full article |
| THE AGE He didn’t hold a hose, but Morrison’s still happy to fan the flames
Jacqueline Maley: The former Liberal member for Cook also believes Muslim preachings should be
translated into English (by whom, and how, it is not specified), which sounds a lot like the government would be undertaking surveillance of religious preaching. This, from a former PM who tried (and failed) to push through religious discrimination legislation. Read the full article |
| ABC Scott Morrison, Islam and the question of religious authority
Milad Milani: If there is a lesson in the Morrison controversy, it is this: Australia has not yet worked
out how Islamic authority fits into its public institutions. Until it does, debates about Islam will continue to oscillate between denial and suspicion, neither of which serves anyone well. Read the full article |
| CATHOLIC WEEKLY Archbishop Fisher homily: We must remain faithful in prayer
Archbishop Anthony Fisher: Our moral-spiritual culture is also troubled, with secularisation
leaving us without a unifying vision, and with deep divisions over human life and love, race and religion, and other matters. All of which contributes to ambivalence, even embarrassment, in many quarters about Australia Day. Read the full article |
| ABC RADIO How to reconcile a fractious Anglican Church
The world’s 85 million Anglicans have a new spiritual leader, as Dame Sarah Mullally officially begins her term as
Archbishop of Canterbury. Her historic appointment has highlighted divisions in the Anglican world, including in Australia, where some conservatives have rejected her leadership. Listen to the full episode |
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