11^th December 2010

 

The Canberra declaration makes the point that when Christian values are respected and allow freedom of expression then society is richer and healthier. After highlighting the erosion of key values such as Religious freedom, Marriage and Family and the sacredness of human life, the Declaration notes that these are some of the values that have provided the foundations enabling Western democratic societies to flourish.
The question then that persists and that will not go away is simply, "Why are most people in the Uniting Church unaware of the Canberra Declaration?" Why does the National Assembly and the Uniting Church media remain silent on these issues? Does fostering the image of being a progressive, culturally relevant church now mean we are prepared to sacrifice important values and anything that looks like a defence of the past?

There was time when as the descendants of Protestant dissenters we were prepared to unashamedly stand against things we could not accept. Even if the wording of the Declaration was found to be less than perfect shouldn't its necessity and concern be enough to move our leaders to rethink the significance of our Christian heritage?
I have supported the Canberra Declaration for the following reasons.

Religious Freedom

Today we regularly hear objections to Government funding of Christian Schools and Hospitals simply because they are Christian. Sadly many Christian Agencies have become "secular institutions" because with Government money comes pressure to stop evangelising. With a general decline in Christian education and influence that once encouraged what could be described as a "self regulated morality," another sort of threat to Christian freedom has emerged through a secular morality that now comes via the law and Government legislation. Anti-discrimination laws grew from a desire to prevent ethnic and race discrimination but it didn't stop there. Over time personal "rights" became more important than community freedom so anti-discrimination laws grew to cover life-style choices and religion. While these trends may have been well intended and exemptions were initially made for the church, recently the removal of existing exemptions has been debated in Victoria and it is clear that there is a growing anti-religious/Christian agenda. This attitude is serious and it threatens our future Christian freedom.

Marriage and Family

Research has shown that Christian marriage still has a higher than average rate of success and stability than any other form of arranged relationship.
Our Prime Minister wants to take Australia forward on "values that Australians share" but sadly it is self-evident that for her the sanctity of marriage is no longer one of those important shared values. Generally the church's view of marriage has changed along with those of the community. While more compassion and flexibility shown towards divorce and troubled relationships has been necessary, sadly the concept of marriage being an exclusive and permanent relationship has been damaged. While the Uniting Church has some sound statements about marriage, as Peter Bentley has pointed out (Catalyst Oct 2010) the UC has already changed its position on marriage. The general acceptance of practising homosexual relationships and the condoning sexual relations outside marriage has far reaching ramifications. "If practising homosexual relationships are now allowed, why cannot ministers be in a de-facto relationship?"
This debate is not about holding out against equality or peoples right to form relationships or to have access to social benefits and supports, it's about a re-definition of the essential nature of Christian marriage that has it's roots in our culture and Australian way of life. The State may recognize a Civil Union but no amount of pressure or arrogance on the part of protesters can lay claim to make marriage something that it is not.

Human Life

The recently released 2007 Annual Report of the Consultative Council on Obstetric and Paediatric Mortality and Morbidity showed that 54 out of 181 late term foetuses in Victoria survived abortion and died "post natally." On 28 July, 2010 Peter Kavanagh DLP called for "the Family and Community Development Committee to consider the report. The motion was defeated following a debate that observers described as "vicious" and "brutal". Only 8 other MP's voted for the proposal.
Sadly when, a part time nurse recently told me that aborted babies were left to die in the hospital pan room I was shocked and angry. I was even more surprised when I learnt that State Parliament had refused to investigate what now seems to be a general practice.
The shame I have felt about this has since prompted me to ponder the implications of the current euthanasia debate. I am convinced that Christians more than ever need to uphold others in their weakness and vulnerability. "Life is God's gift and our task is to protect, nurture and sustain life to the best of our ability" in the same way the early Christians of Rome did.

For these reasons, I have used my democratic privilege for what I believe to be the common good. I signed the Canberra Declaration.

Rev Ted (E.A) Curnow
Nov 2010