When Fereydoun Najafi Aria was 18, he was arrested, tortured and thrown in jail. Decades on, he feels lucky to have survived.
Category Archives: Religion and Beliefs
Pope’s historic visit to the United Arab Emirates
Why the Pope's visit to the UAE is significant and what's expected to come out of it.
Chinese fashion brand criticised for using ‘sacred’ traditional dancers in marketing campaign
Charges of cultural misappropriation are levelled against a Chinese fashion brand after it uses images of Papua New Guinea dancers wearing elaborate costumes in a new marketing campaign.
We’ve been taking ‘the pill’ in a risky way, thanks to the Pope
Pill-taking women have what seems like a "period" every month, but this "period" is far from necessary. It's a leftover from failed attempts to persuade the Vatican to accept the pill, writes Susan Walker.
‘Blessing in disguise’: Australian stranded in Syria says cancelled passport has helped him
Australian Oliver Bridgeman, whose passport was cancelled in 2016 as authorities accused him of going to Syria with a plan to engage in "hostile activities", now says it is a "blessing in disguise" in a video on social media, while also revealing he is now married.
Uniting Church to continue to allow same-sex marriages following SA’s deciding vote
The Uniting Church in Australia will continue to allow ministers the right to decide whether to marry same-sex couples following a vote in South Australia. Conservative church members say they will continue their campaign.
Christmas and the subtle art of giving a fork
Despite advice that in order to live you best life you should care less about trivial things, we really do give a f***. And this might just be a gift of Christianity to the Western soul, writes Justine Toh.
I’m the only millennial at church on Sunday. Here’s why I go
In a busy world, I found Mass therapeutic — a time without technology to quiet my mind. But if the Church wants Gen Y and even Gen Z, it'll have to change these six things first, writes Mikki Cusack.
Think that elf on the shelf is creepy? Imagine how your kids feel
We tell kids Santa’s real, and the elf on the shelf is watching, but what message does this send to kids about surveillance, punishment, reward? And what about it stranger danger?
Shadow Attorney Mark Drefyus: religious freedoms and anti-corruption
With Parliament safely risen for the year, Prime Minister Scott Morrison today delivered major announcements on religious freedoms and a federal anti-corruption body.