Another week of election news dominating the headlines has not been exactly enthralling.

1. Efforts by the media to draw religious leaders into a debate on the Prime Minister’s living arrangements (only to berate them later) has not been very successful. “On PM’s personal values, religious leaders keep respectful distance” was the story in the SMH. It correctly points out that Archbishop Jensen’s views on marriage are well known but that he’s not going to step in and berate the Prime Minister.

2. Anglicare attempted to put the focus back on issues in a week of leaks and stunts (one of the stunts by a minor party against some Christian candidates I won’t even dignify by mentioning). Peter Kell launched a report titled “The Depth and Diversity of Social Exclusion” which details the chronic condition of the marginalised in society while Anglicare says the election concentrates on middle Australia. His commentary is here while the report is here.

3. Christians are writing and blogging about the election in the mainstream media, apart from Peter Kell’s contribution to ABC’s The Drum, there’s Greg Clarke and John Dickson Oh, and there’s Kamal Weerakoon, who will probably get more hits than all of them writing about “The good book’s guide to great sex”.

4. Away from election news, there is a storm of controversy in the US over a Christian, who as a college student, refused to believe what he counselling course taught about homosexuality. To disagree, it seems, means no degree.

5. Some news from Jordan and Israel this week. First, some amazing pictures from Jordan, where Archaeologists believe they have found the first Christian church in the world. The River Jordan, meanwhile, isn’t fit to baptise anyone these days. Israel’s ministry of health says there are dangerous levels of pollutants.

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