Bishop John

Singing the National Anthem with passion and taking the mickey out of our singing (or lack of singing it) brought joy to my Aussie spirit.

This new tune for our National Anthem and the freedom of the humour which presents it is a demonstration of the tune of freedom that we enjoy in Australia. Why a tune of freedom?

The fact that the singer is not standing blindfolded before a firing squad for committing sacrilege of national symbols is a tribute to who we are as Australians, to our Australian way of life, our culture. (And let’s not kid ourselves that the protection of national symbols and firing squads is not on in the world we live in.)

It’s another example of why we do not need a charter or bill of human rights. Human rights are held in a culture. We nurture a way of life and the freedoms within it, through nurturing a culture not by constructing legal statements which can be turned to erode the very culture they were established to protect. Legal mechanisms are a very blunt instrument. It’s the heart that counts.

What is the heart of Australia? Many elements: but arguably key is the Judeo-Christian legacy. For Australia to be who we are called to be, I pray for the Holy Spirit to work within us the upside down world, the ‘down under’ world of Jesus. In Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. (John 14:6)

My thanks to Adam Hills for this great Australia Day gift and nurturing of our culture. Happy Australia Day!

A new website all about “Christianity and Atheism” is up and running, created by the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne. On this website you can explore:

• articles
• read book summaries
• review questions and answers
• access related blogs all about Christianity and Atheism

Here is an excerpt from their website (http://www.melbourne.anglican.com.au/faith/christianity-and-atheism):

“The new atheists have recently gained a good deal of publicity around the world. Rather than lament this state of affairs, we can welcome this as a wake-up call to be better prepared to engage in debate and conversation with them. This brochure provides suggested responses to some of the issues atheists raise as objections to religion and faith in God.

“Our conversation with atheists should always be conducted with courtesy, recognizing that we are all men and women in the image of God. We need to listen with grace, humility and love and to respond to with the best arguments we can muster. However, we must be mindful that our faith is in Jesus Christ, not in a set of propositions!”– From the Christianity and Atheism Committee, August 2010.

The “Christians Answering Atheists” brochure gives Biblically sound answers to several common, yet difficult questions atheists ask:

• Can you prove God exists?
• Was the world created or did it evolve?
• Doesn’t Christianity cause violence and wars?
• How can you believe in a God who allows evil and suffering?

You can download the brochure or email bishop@anglicantas.org.au if you would like an order form for the “Christians Answering Atheists” brochure.

Conspiracy or administrative oversight?  Whatever the answer this failure to include a major religious group’s holidays, in this case Christian holidays, chips away at trust and social harmony.

The European Union has sent millions of diaries to schools which list the dates of Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish and Chinese festivals – but omit any mention of Christian celebrations.

In an extraordinary move, three million 2011 notebooks were printed at a cost of £4.4million to the taxpayer. Around 350,000 of the diaries have already been shipped to schools in the UK alone.

There is no record for Christmas, Easter or Lent – despite bureaucrats carefully listing the EU’s self-styled ‘Europe Day’ on May 9.

[h/t Sam Green] Read more, EU diaries miss Christmas Easter list Muslim Chinese Hindu holidays.

 The Department of Justice of Tasmania has released for comment A Charter of Rights and Responsibilities for Tasmania. See Charter information here.

While I am not in agreement with having a Charter or Bill of Human Rights and Responsibilities, I decided to make a brief submission highlighting the inadequacies of the religious freedoms provided by the proposed Charter and recommending the six areas which need to be included in any Charter of rights and responsibilities. I sent my submission yesterday:

To: Department of Justice, Tasmania

Submission to ‘A Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities for Tasmania’

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed Chart for Tasmania.

Consultation Point 3

It does seem at variance with logic that the word “Responsibilities” would be included in the title of the Charter but absent from its content! I acknowledge that there is a measure of logic in the claim that “recognition of rights implicitly involves recognition of responsibilities” but am not at all persuaded that this is sufficient. A sufficient entry to responsibilities must engage with the values of our society such as concern for the underdog, a fair go, generosity, compassion, graciousness and love.    

Consultation Point 18

Under the heading ‘General Political and Civil’ my over-riding concern is that the Charter does not deal sufficiently with the rights to religious freedom.

I strongly urge the adoption of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights rather than the proposed Charter.

This preference is evidenced in the absence of the freedom to change one’s religion from the proposed Charter.

In contrast The UNIVERSAL DECLARATION of HUMAN RIGHTS (UDHR) 1948 of the General Assembly of the United Nations includes the freedom of a person to change their religion:

 Article 18   Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

 It is important to note that the freedom of a person to change their religion should not be taken for granted  

The Islamic States refused to sign the Universal Declaration of Human Rights because of the inclusion of this right of a person to change their religion.  In 1990 the member states of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference made The Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam.  The freedom of a person to change their religion is not included in the Islamic response to the UDHR. In fact together certain Articles of the Islamic Declaration on Human Rights exercise force against a Muslim changing their religion. Articles 10 and 22: (Further info for comment, here): 

Article 10  Prohibited to exercise compulsion or exploit…to convert him (a Muslim) to another religion or atheism.

Article 22  Everyone shall have the right to express his opinion freely in such manner as would not be contrary to the principles of the Shariah.

For these reasons I believe that the freedom of a person to change their religion should be included in the Charter. 

Moreover, there are other religious freedoms that are not adequately safeguarded by the proposed Charter.

I therefore ask that the six freedoms in the statement on Freedom of Religion by the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia meeting in Melbourne last October be included in A Charter for Tasmania:   

Motion relating to Freedom of Religion

That this General Synod calls on the Commonwealth, State and Territory governments to reaffirm their commitment to religious freedom and to take all practical steps necessary to ensure that the following six freedoms are safeguarded in Australia within the constraints of the civil and criminal law generally applicable:

• – freedom to manifest a religion through religious observance and practice;
  – freedom to appoint people of faith to organisations run by faith communities;
  – freedom to teach and uphold moral standards within faith communities;
  – freedom of conscience to discriminate between right and wrong;
  – freedom to teach and propagate religion; and
  – freedom of a person to change their religion.

I ask that these six freedoms be included in any Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities for Tasmania.

I would be pleased to participate further in the consultation.

Yours sincerely,

See also, Freedom of Religion.

All things look to you, O Lord,

to give them their food in due season:

look in mercy on your people,

and hear our prayer for those whose lives and possessions

have tragically been destroyed by floods.

In your mercy restore your creation and heal our land.

So guide and bless your people,

That we may enjoy the fruits of the earth

and give you thanks with grateful hearts,

through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

 From the “A Prayer Book for Australia” Boughton Books, Alexandria NSW, 1995, p.205. 

How can I financially support flood relief?

[fri 07jan2011 rob] If you would like to financially support our brothers and sisters in Queensland, here are the details:

Or, by Electronic Transfer:
Account Name: Archbishop’s Emergency Relief Fund
Account BSB: 704-901
Account Number: 00014858