The Catholic Church has caused more than enough blood being shed by the victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy.

Many victims have taken their own lives, and countless others have suffered a lifetime of pain and shame.

As for the proposal that Catholic clergy be obliged to report their knowledge of crimes against children raising "serious issues of conscience for Catholic clergy", where was the conscience of those who committed these abominable acts and of those who protected the criminals in their midst?

Dealing with this issue will be a test for all our governments, although it shouldn't be. How can the wilful concealment of serious crimes against children ever be justified in a humane, democratic, secular society, particularly when the right to do so is based solely on such an anachronistic, control-centred practice as the Catholic confessional?

I believe the confessional is all about power - if you have sinned, go to your priest and he is the only one who has the authority to absolve you on God's behalf, no matter how egregious your sin or who you might have harmed. And the best bit? Your priest won't tell anybody. Only he will know your secret.

SINCE the beginnings of civilisation, the compact between religion and government has almost always been strong. States have governed our bodies, religions our minds. Together they make an almost uncrackable force. Governments can see only what we say and do. God can read our minds.

So sin is a vital component in ruling, because religion can take up where government cannot go in its efforts to keep the people quiet. Deviation is discouraged. God can see you.

We are experiencing a fight-back by religion to regain its lost power ("Folau has a right to be dopey, says Barnaby", Newcastle Herald 9/7) and to retain what power it still has ("Religious rights and responsibilities", Opinion 9/7).

See how fast religious people poured money over Israel Folau, hoping to reinstall religion as a meaningful part of our power structures. They have great hopes for their man in Canberra, Scott "I will burn for you" Morrison. They scent the blood of their enemies, and they aim squarely at deviations from the perceived norm. They don't want boat-rockers like gay people. They want quiet, "decent" Australians.

Israel Folau had quite a list of people headed for hell - including liars. But conservative politicians and their religious associates have been conspicuously uninterested in that one.

I DON'T see the virtues of Trumpism like Scott Hilliard (Letters, 8/7) does. I believe the only gains have gone to the top 10 per cent and while more jobs have been created, wages are at historic lows like here.

The increased oil production is a result of policies of the previous administration and has come with massive environmental degradation. The tax cuts have gone only to the rich, and now only workers pay tax. As a result, the national debt has multiplied and has been mainly taken up by China. As a result, in my opinion the future will mean huge cuts in services to the poor and hospitals and health so ordinary workers die because they can't afford to go to hospitals.

If you want this here in our country, just keep voting Coalition for government and I believe you will be happy.

I HAVE just received a letter from Jodie Harrison MP for Charlestown which attached a petition to be signed advising that Keolis Downer have dramatically reduced our Newcastle public buses on routes 41, 43 and 48, which reportedly affects residents of 16 suburbs.

Two years ago, not only did a huge number of bus routes change in my opinion for the worse, but the services were also reduced under Keolis Downer's contract with apparently no regard for the many thousands of people who now take double or triple the time to get from A to B to C.

In my case, the 322 service ran hourly for decades on a route via Dudley to Charlestown Square, Westfield Kotara, Hamilton and Newcastle CBD.

That was until Keolis Downer totally changed this convenient route to a useless new route, number 48, which on reaching Charlestown Square turned to go to Warners Bay in a totally opposite direction.

I believe this means fewer people catch bus 48 and now, adding insult to injury, Keolis Downer has bus 48 running every two hours. Plus, the new timetabling means have to catch four buses to and from Westfield as no other buses service us.

In my opinion NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance should be sacked given the quality of public transport we now have to contend with in Newcastle, let alone when you add in the huge million-dollar blowouts in costs and compensation on the Sydney transport system as well.

LAST Saturday's Newcastle Herald feature ('Discover the Blue Mountains', Newcastle Herald 6/7) triggered my memory.

In 1954 my fiancé and I spent a very pleasant few days at Jenolan Caves House in the Blue Mountains.

After negotiating the tortuous road down to our destination below, we arrived at Caves House. I remember that there were a lot of little wallabies close by.

Once inside we were ushered to our room. Once we were settled we spent a delightful time wandering around the grounds, especially the Blue Lake with its intriguing colour and I just had to put my hand in the water, as no doubt everyone probably did, to see the result.

We rounded up our holiday by visiting the renowned Jenolan Caves and were not disappointed, especially by the magnificent Lucas Cave.

Our last night was spent in the dining room and we were entertained by a pair of elegant ladies with a piano and violin, and we danced to the pleasant music.

The next morning as we drove away, we agreed that we had experienced old-world charm and promised ourselves a return trip in the future. We did just that. We returned to Jenolan Caves House and spent our honeymoon there.