From a netfriend (about an article critical of Hillsong in the Weekend Magazine of the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age). My reaction on reading this: Now why didn't I say that? Rowland.

I read that article, it was very shallow. A sneering attempt to do a character assassination on Hillsong. Quoting the minister's wife verbatim to make her look like an airhead, insinuating financial impropriety, ridiculing the words of the pastor. The journalist would not dare write such an attack on a prominent Mosque in Sydney, or a prominent Buddhist temple. They know that they would incur swift retribution for it. So the cowardly alternative is to attack the Christian church who turn the other cheek. The old double standard of Australian newspapers, respect alternative religions, attack Christianity with impunity.

Hillsong is not at all to my liking, their songs are like cold porridge, and I am uncomfortable with prosperity teaching, but it is extremely shallow to presume that the whole thriving Christian community of 12,000 are false Christians because the church has an annual offertory of 10 million per annum. Divided amongst their 12,000 members, that is equivalent to about $40,000 per annum for a normal sized church of 50 members. So, where is the graft and corruption there? Only in the bias of the journalist.

Hillsong are ministering to 12,000 people. Maybe some people such as the journalist are jealous that the pastor of Hillsong and his wife have a stable marriage, an effective spiritual partnership, remain attractive in their 40's, and have a large congregation. I say well done and keep up the good work. 12,000 Christians depend on you. I might not be one of them, I may not agree with all that they do, but that does not mean I will choose to hold a sour grapes attitude towards them.

STOP PRESS

Here it is again. This morning the Sydney Morning Herald is attacking the Catholic Church in a 1 page expose in the News Review Section. The same jaundiced view of Christianity again spilling sneeringly into the text.

Perhaps we should call it the Sneering Morning Herald.