Let us by all means make the "Ground Zero" debate a test of tolerance. But this will be a one-way street unless it is to be a test of Muslim tolerance as well.

It turns out that two Irish bishops implicated in that country's sexual abuse crisis, Dublin auxiliaries Eamonn Walsh and Raymond Field, won't be resigning after all, because Pope Benedict XVI wants them to stay on.

The Marriage Ideal

Ross Douthat, NYT

So what are gay marriage's opponents really defending, if not some universal, biologically inevitable institution? It's a particular vision of marriage, rooted in a particular tradition, that establishes a particular sexual ideal.

Best of ABC

Le papillon

Inspired by a recent trip to Paris, Emmanuel Mollois creates a rich and decadent multi-layered cake.

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Editor's Choice

Pakistanis affected by the floods walk through floodwaters in Thatta

The Pakistan floods and the mystery of suffering

By Richard Shumack | 02 Sep 10

The disastrous flooding in Pakistan is overwhelming in so many ways. It is a human tragedy on a scale difficult to comprehend. It represents a massive logistical problem, a looming health crisis, and a potential political time-bomb.More

One often hears that because New Zealand and Australia do not have an "established church" that

Religion, government and free speech: The case of New Zealand

By Max Wallace | 01 Sep 10

A man holds a sign during a rally held to oppose a proposed Muslim cultural centre and mosque

Revisiting Ground Zero

By Jonathan Lusthaus | 31 Aug 10

Blog

Children hold up signs saying 'We Love You Kevin'

Guest Blog: The Bonhoeffer Effect

John Harrison | 31 Aug 2010

When one looks at the swathe of seats in regional Queensland lost by Labor in the federal election, there is clearly a 'state of origin' factor in play. Queenslanders are a parochial lot, as the enduring interstate rugby league contest attests - globalization and the diminution of distance by technology notwithstanding.More

Comment:

In looking toward principle and moral courage we at least have a little hope that things might change. And hope is an organisable force. Bob Katter looks good as someone who stands for something - even if we don't agree with everything he stands for.

Opinion

Christopher Hitchens and the myth of religious violence

By William Cavanaugh | 24 Aug 10

Pope Benedict XVI visits the King Hussein bin Talal Mosque in Amman, Jordan.

Christianity, the Enlightenment and Islam

By John Milbank | 24 Aug 10

News

Andrew Wilkie says a future Gillard government will have his vote on matters of supply.

Wilkie backs Gillard government

News Online | 02 Sep 10

Greens and rural independents could be new 'odd couple'

ABC Unleashed | 02 Sep 10

Why NSW must allow same-sex adoption

News Online | 02 Sep 10

Labor's desperate Greens alliance

ABC Unleashed | 02 Sep 10

Features

The threat to marriage comes not from the same-sex partners who seek to uphold its values but from

Beyond equality: the deeper case for allowing same-sex couples to marry

By Rodney Croome | 30 Aug 10

Close-up TV still of of Scales of Justice statue outside Brisbane CBD Law Courts complex

Forgiveness and the justice of God

By Samuel Wells | 27 Aug 10

Without wisdom, the Buddha argues, bearing the final fruit of ethical perfection, awakening and

The place of ethics in Buddhism

By Sonam Thakchoe | 27 Aug 10

The term "religion" now delimits a particular, limited sphere of activity, a form of life like golf

Impotent religions and the violence of the state

By Paul Griffiths | 24 Aug 10

Audio

Nationals say don't forget us

National Party MPs will gather in Canberra today for their first party-room meeting since the federal election. With all the focus on the independents and efforts to attract their support, one National Party Senator says Tony Abbott needs to offer the same sweeteners to keep the ...

AM | 30 Aug 10

Spoilt for choice or spoilt by choice? Renata Salecl

Now that Australia has made its choice - sort of - The Philosopher's Zone looks as the very idea of choice. Much more than previous generations, we can pick and choose where we live, how many children we have or don't have, what type of bread we would like to eat and even what ou ...

Philosophers Zone | 24 Aug 10

The flash crash

A few months ago the US share market plunged l000 points in a few minutes, and trillions were traded both up and down. What caused it, and can it happen again. Tiny high frequency computer algorithms - or algos - roam the markets, buying and selling in a parallel universe more or ...

Background Briefing | 01 Sep 10

The Origin of the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution

The Amercian Bill of Rights Bill of Rights are the first ten ammendments of the United States Constitution. How did they come into being and are there any lessons for us in Australia as we continue to debate the need for a national Bill of Rights here? Afterall the bonds between ...

Big Idea | 26 Aug 10

Meditation: Falling Awake

If the aftermath of the Federal election has made you edgy you might need a good dose of medically-prescribed meditation. Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Coming to Our Senses and Letting Everything Become Your Teacher is Professor emeritus of Medicine at the University of Massachuse ...

The Spirit of Things | 25 Aug 10

Contemplation and Action

"Don't just do something: sit there". In a world where urgent social and environmental issues call us to action, can we afford the luxury of contemplation? What is the relationship between doing and sitting? Laurence Freeman, Director of the World Community for Christian Meditati ...

Encounter | 30 Aug 10