Religious Freedom Threatened in Australia

News out indicates that the Australian state of Victoria is to consider erasing religious exemptions to the Equal Opportunity Act. That would mean, I guess, that faith-based charities, religious schools, and churches would no longer be able to not employ someone because their beliefs or life-style choice conflicts with a religious body's statement of faith. Read more about it in the Age. Call me cynical, but I bet you all a coke that the headshed of the Uniting Church of Australia will support it! Good to see the Victorian Presbytians taking a stand and they win my vote for the "testicular fortitude and chutzpah award" for the year so far.

Burkhas and Religious Freedom

CNN reports that the French Parliament is debating a ban on Burkas. I'm ambivalent about this one. The main argument appears to be that Burkas function to demean women and restrict their freedom. On the one hand, if a woman is forced to wear a Burka and barred from all contact with the outside world, that is obviously not good for women. My (admittedly limited) understanding is that Burkas are not in fact a prescribed piece of religious apparel, but are a cultural expression of a woman's modesty in Arab culture that was origianlly inherited from Byzantine culture! So there should be no offence to Muslims if Burkas are banned. Even so, should the state be allowed to prescribe dress and clothing for people? If a woman consents to wear a Burka, for cultural or religious reasons, who has the right to stop her? Isn't this a matter of religious and personal freedom? Moreover, what about those churches that mandate that women must wear hats in public worship (Closed Brethren, Free Presbyterian, Free Church Continuing, and some Free Church) as a symbol of their submission to their family head? Could they end up being banned too?