Men without shorts

"God has no pleasure in the legs of a man:" The Sydney Morning Herald reveals that the Exclusive Brethren are not allowed to wear shorts. If this sounds like an un-Australian activity, you should read what else they have been doing. I thought they were banned from wearing ties but it looks as if they are alright for elders. As they say, "we are not luddites."

The SMH journalist had a meeting with Brethren elders, from which came this philosophical comment:

The tricky part of this meeting - conducted with gusto by these elders - was following the logic that says Brethren are forbidden by God to vote but it's fine for them to urge others to vote. How so? "For exactly this reason," said [Daniel] Hales. "I see it as a sin and you don't. So I'm very happy for you to vote because to you it's your obligation to the community. But to me, it's my conscience that doesn't allow me to vote."

For that reason, Mr Hales ought to be happy for gays to have sex together, since they do not see it as a sin; besides it might be an obligation to the Community. Sadly, Mr Hales pines for the days when homosexualists went to jail.

More interesting still, Senator Bob Brown is calling for an inquiry into the Brethren's "tax breaks, government funding for its schools, the impact on families of excommunications" and its political activities. Now, there's an idea whose time has come.

With thanks to NZ Party Babe