However, I would extrapolate the “change of government” to “a benign dictator”.

Someone who would be in charge for 10 to 20 years would not be concerned about being re-elected and would carefully and considerately look after the best interests of the citizens and the country.

Well, unfortunately, since there’s not too many politicians we can seriously trust, and Solomon is dead, and I’m tired, is there any other suitably qualified citizen out there who would be prepared to take on this challenging job?

Politicians in this country never seem to be out of the news and it’s not usually for the best of reasons. It’s been a long time since we had any true statesmen in our state or federal parliaments.

To quote the erudite Michael Leunig from the Sydney Morning Herald in 2007: “You can fool some of the people all of the time, all of the people some of the time, but you only have to fool the majority of the people for one day, every few years and - voila! - you’ve got a democracy!”

So, good luck Australia.

I always enjoy reading Father Brendan Lee’s musings, especially his jokes, lame or not. The one he told recently about the dead rabbit had me laughing out loud. Father’s article in The Daily Advertiser on July 25 had me musing and wondering, because he stated we should pray for our deceased loved ones, with them, and through them to God. Father Lee quoted the Bible, encouraging grieving people to pray for the dead in 2 Maccabees 12 verses 41-45. This passage he mentioned is only found in Roman Catholic Bibles. These Bibles have Imprimatur printed on the first page, that is, “approved by the Pope”. Catholics are encouraged to obtain Bibles for study and general use that contain the deuterocanonical books, or Second Canon Books. 

These extra books, and there are seven of them, are only found in these “approved by the Pope” Bibles and claimed by the Catholic Church as to be divinely inspired. The Bible, I trust, tells me the Proverbs 30 verse 6 “Do not add to His (God’s) word lest he reprove you and you be found a liar.” Deuteronomy chapter 2 verse 2a also tells us “You shall not add to the word which I (God) command you, nor take anything from it.”

Communicating with or praying for the dead is a waste of time because they cannot hear us. Ecclesiastes 9 verse 5 says “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward for the memory of them is forgotten.” Of course, we all grieve and mourn when a loved one passes away and we will always remember them. We can talk to their memory for our own comfort, but we cannot pray to them, for them or through them to God. Their journey is finished for all eternity, good or bad, depending on God’s mercy. We can pray to God only through Jesus. 

Father Lee mentioned that some of his Bible-believing Christian friends do not have an answer regarding prayer for, to or with the dead. Well, I pray this letter will get them searching their Bibles for the truth of God’s word.