As I sit every day scanning the media for Sydney Anglicans breaking news links, there are some things that just make you shake your head in disbelief and others that make you stand up and cheer. Numbers 4 and 5 did that for me this week.

1. Obama and abortion continues to make international headlines. His visit to a Catholic university caused a furore but behind the scenes there were two other developments. One was a survey showing 51% identify as ‘pro-life’ in U.S.. That’s an increase that some have put down to the President’s stand hardening some attitudes. Others say the support was always there, it just depends on how you ask the question.

2. To put credibility into the ‘abortion is a slippery slope’ argument, there’s a little reported story from Stockholm this week that Swedish women will be permitted to abort their children based on the sex of the fetus.

3.  Speaking of slippery slopes, I continue to be amazed by the stories out of Britain showing freedom for Christians being eroded. At issue at the moment is the right to criticise homosexual practice. Religious Intelligence has more detail on a law with frightening implications for freedom of speech which as one Anglican bishop put it, could "restrict legitimate discussion and expression of opinion about sexual ethics and behaviour" .  This week in Australia, the Australian Christian Lobby opened a website, makeastand.org.au to allow Christians a voice against moves being considered here which may impinge on free speech.

4. Not the best start to the week to hear on Monday that one of the biggest Cathedrals in England used its bells to play the atheist anthem ‘Imagine’. In what one blogger described as a bizarre piece of reverse pyschology, a spokesman said “The cathedral feel this performance has inspired many to think about their relationship with God in their lives”.

5. An antidote to that was a piece in the LA Times headlined “Atheists: No God, no reason, just whining”. This opinion piece, written by Charlotte Allen, may be seen by some as a bit too strong. I think it’s the kind of push back we need. I spoke to one atheist this week who was totally convinced his was the only ‘neutral’ position and that everyone else had been brainwashed as kids. In the article, the example is given of atheist Daniel Dennett who the author says likes to call atheists “the Brights,” in contrast to everybody else, she says, who obviously aren’t so bright. Against such nonsense we need a bit of straight talking.

So that’s the week that was, as they say. Some ups, some downs. But never dull.