TRUE BLUE AUSSIE
Two issues have been very prominent in discussions in the media in the past week, and both have been seen to relate to the question of what it means to be truly Australian. On the one hand there was the 60th Anniversary of the end of WW II, with the painful reminder of the thousands of Australians who gave their lives. This caused a number of commentators to revisit the question of just what they were fighting for. What were the ideals and values that were so precious that so many lives were sacrificed to protect?
The general consensus seemed to be that there was a singular lack of clarity in defining just what it meant to be an Australian. However, values of Freedom from Tyranny, Democratic Government, Freedom of Speech, and Freedom of Religion were generally considered to be paramount.
Although it was not mentioned, my own recollection was that there was a general concern in Australia for the maintenance of a Christian ethos, under threat from the “pagan” Japanese. Certainly, Christian Services, with the singing of Christian hymns, were a normal part of life for the Armed Forces, and remain a part of RSL gatherings even today. While there have always been a small number in our Armed Forces from other religions, the great majority saw themselves as “Christian”, at least in character, if not in commitment.
In the early years following the War, the “White Australia Policy” meant that the great majority of the New Australians came from countries that were nominally Christian. Although many were from a Catholic tradition, the moral values that all Christians hold in common were still very much to the fore. The impact of the Church on society was considerable and the Billy Graham Crusades in 1959 went very close to being a full-scale revival. Australia at this time saw itself as a Christian Nation.
The second issue that dominated people’s attention was a program on Channel 7 that featured several young Muslim men, who openly spoke of their allegiance to Islam as being the most important thing in their lives, and disparaged much of ordinary Australian life. There were many on talk-back radio who were infuriated by the attitude of these young men. Certainly, many of the things they said jarred against the common sense of what it means to be an Aussie. Some suggested they should be deported, but they were born here and are Australian citizens.
There have been Muslims in Australia for over a hundred and fifty years, but they were a tolerated minority who followed their own ways and did not rock the Aussie boat. It is only over the past few decades that the Muslim community has grown to be a significant group that is posing a challenge to our social fabric. This has coincided with the rise of Islamic Fundamentalism around the world, and significant acts of terrorism, and elements of this have penetrated our own society.
The summit meeting with a number of Muslim leaders that the Prime Minister has called this week is an indication of the concern about these issues at the highest level. I cannot ever recall a similar meeting with Church leaders.
I do not have space to discuss this matter al length, but we need to realise that there are major issues that cannot be solved just by discussion. We are witnessing the clash, not just of two different religions, but of two different ethical systems. Numerous writers have demonstrated, for example, that in Islam it is perfectly acceptable to lie to an “Infidel”. It has already been shown that what some of the Muslim leaders have said in public is very different to what they have said to their own people.
Many Muslims that I have met are lovely people, who have adapted to our Aussie standards and may be very little different to the average pagan Australian. However, they belong to a religion that is not, and never will be in step with those Christian values that are intrinsic to Australia.
Having said this, I believe our God has allowed this situation to develop to stir up the indifferent, pagan Australian to rethink what being an Aussie is all about. In particular, it is a challenge to Christians to stand up for those truths that have been at the foundation of our Nation. It is also a challenge to us to be active in the proclamation of the Gospel.
God has brought the mission field to our door. It is only the gospel of Jesus’ love that will defuse the threat of Islam. That challenge is ours.
John Davies