letter from Australia
State-funded evil?
![David Robertson](/media/images/David_Robertson.2e16d0ba.fill-32x32.format-webp.webp)
David Robertson
Australia is a nation of states. And they are different states, with a different ethos. Although all seem to be heading in the same regressive/progressive direction, the state of Victoria seems to be leading the race to the bottom. Indicative of this is ‘Rising’, Melbourne’s third annual taxpayer-funded arts festival, held in June 2024.
Amongst the good arts projects, and the bad, there was also the downright ugly. For example, you could listen to ‘queer Filipino ghost stories’. Then there is Anito – a ‘megafauna dance deep time from Sydney’s underground quest and diasporic club scenes’. Or you could go to Crip Rave Theory, ‘a disability-led party and a political statement which draws on disabled/crip knowledge to create more intersectionally-accesible party spaces’. Crip stands for cripple. Until five minutes ago this would have been regarded as grossly politically incorrect, but apparently some academic in some humanities department, probably in the US, has decided to reclaim the language and so ‘cripple’ moves from being an insult to a political badge – doubtless soon to have its own flag!
letter from Australia
Politics – is this why we’re all disillusioned?
![David Robertson](/media/images/David_Robertson.2e16d0ba.fill-32x32.format-webp.webp)
David Robertson
Scott Morrison, former Prime Minister of Australia, retired from politics in February.
That in and of itself would not seem significant to much of the Australian press and political commentariat, never mind the UK. But it was a significant event for the culture and for the church. Morrison’s final speech to parliament was a revealing insight to the problems facing Western politics – and especially a Christian who gets involved.
letter from Australia
Year-long mission lifts off for 2024
![David Robertson](/media/images/David_Robertson.2e16d0ba.fill-32x32.format-webp.webp)
David Robertson
A national student mission in Australia is getting underway after more than 2,000 undergraduates attended a special conference in preparation.
The Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students (AFES) is the largest student campus ministry in Australia. At the end of 2023 over 2,000 students (across Australia and many parts of the world) were transformed by, trained in, and sent with the gospel of Jesus at the AFES National Training Event.