DO UNTO OTHERS - BEFORE THEY DO UNTO YOU!
Dr Paul Vout, a Melbourne barrister and theatre producer, recently made the following comments in newMatilda (www.newmatilda.com/home/default.asp). I believe they are worth repeating because they state clearly and unambiguously the type of prejudice and narrow-mindedness that too often passes for Christianity.
Brigadier Jim Wallace AM is executive chairman of an organisation called the Australian Christian Lobby. The moniker 'Christian soldier' seems to aptly describe him. Brigadier Wallace was active in the recent campaign to ensure that the Marriage Act 1958 was amended - not only to expressly define 'marriage' as being between a man and a woman, but to dictate that marriages of same-sex couples under the laws of countries such as Canada and the Netherlands must not be recognised under Australian law. Brigadier Wallace said, inter alia:
I'm sure you will be aware of the push by the homosexual lobby for marriage. We had hoped this would be thwarted by an amendment to the Marriage Act that would have, as much as is legislatively possible, defined marriage as being between a man and a woman.
However as we always knew, this group was not just after equality in social benefits and entitlements, they are without doubt aiming to remove every vestige of our Christian heritage which they find so offensive.
We cannot sit by this time on an issue as crucial as marriage and live to regret our inactivity later.
We have the leverage now, in the lead up to an inevitably close Federal Election, to force the parties to come clean on their intentions for marriage and so make it an election issue. If we do we can draw the line in the sand that will stop the encroachment of the homosexual lobby on Christian values.
A large minority of Australians will continue to be denied access to one of the fundamental legal institutions in our society. Marriage is certainly a religious institution (one central to Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and many faiths other than Christianity). But is also arguably as important a legal institution as constitutional democracy, liberty, due process, and rights over property. Should one person's religious beliefs be the basis upon which another should be excluded from such an important bundle of legal rights and obligations?
In short, a second class of citizenry has been clearly delineated, the separation of church and state has been blurred, and the due process of law has been interfered with. Something to be proud of, Brigadier. But was this a war worth fighting?
Absolutely not. Brigadier Wallace, 'They' were not just after equality in social benefit and entitlements. 'They' were after equality before the law. You were also wrong, Brigadier. 'They' were not 'aiming to remove every vestige' of your Christian heritage. 'They' were aiming to remove every vestige of legal discrimination. 'They' do not find your 'Christian heritage' offensive - only those who claim to march behind Christ, yet ignore his instruction to treat others as they would wish to be treated themselves.
All the Christian soldiers who fought alongside Brigadier Wallace to achieve this particular 'victory' should go back to their Bibles, and read well the accounts of Christ's teachings given to us by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They will find no references whatsoever to homosexuality or same-sex relationships. They will, however, find a powerful message of love, respect and dignity for all of God's children, by all of God's children.
As I see it, those who fight for anything else are not Christians worthy of the name.
Absolutely. I feel sad and frustrated that people can display such bigotry in the name of Christianity. True Christian values are those expressed in the parable of the good Samaritan or Chapter 13 of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians and have nothing to do with exclusion on the grounds of some perceived lack of qualification. The idea of Christianity is inclusive, and Jesus didn’t say that you will be saved if you believe in me, unless you are gay or …… . I fail to understand the need to treat some groups and individuals as second rate, as undesirable or as less than deserving of God’s grace.
G K Chesterton said, “It is not that the Christian ideal has been tried and found wanting; it is that the Christian ideal has been found too hard and not tried.” This is exactly the point. Start with the “Golden Rule” repeated as nauseam, but seldom lived. But you can bet your bottom dollar that if members of the so‑called Australian Christian Lobby were to be treated by others in the way that they want to treat homosexuals, they would be the first to complain. Do unto others as you would have them do to you. Don’t just say it, live it.
Dr Paul Vout, a Melbourne barrister and theatre producer, recently made the following comments in newMatilda (www.newmatilda.com/home/default.asp). I believe they are worth repeating because they state clearly and unambiguously the type of prejudice and narrow-mindedness that too often passes for Christianity.
Brigadier Jim Wallace AM is executive chairman of an organisation called the Australian Christian Lobby. The moniker 'Christian soldier' seems to aptly describe him. Brigadier Wallace was active in the recent campaign to ensure that the Marriage Act 1958 was amended - not only to expressly define 'marriage' as being between a man and a woman, but to dictate that marriages of same-sex couples under the laws of countries such as Canada and the Netherlands must not be recognised under Australian law. Brigadier Wallace said, inter alia:
I'm sure you will be aware of the push by the homosexual lobby for marriage. We had hoped this would be thwarted by an amendment to the Marriage Act that would have, as much as is legislatively possible, defined marriage as being between a man and a woman.
However as we always knew, this group was not just after equality in social benefits and entitlements, they are without doubt aiming to remove every vestige of our Christian heritage which they find so offensive.
We cannot sit by this time on an issue as crucial as marriage and live to regret our inactivity later.
We have the leverage now, in the lead up to an inevitably close Federal Election, to force the parties to come clean on their intentions for marriage and so make it an election issue. If we do we can draw the line in the sand that will stop the encroachment of the homosexual lobby on Christian values.
A large minority of Australians will continue to be denied access to one of the fundamental legal institutions in our society. Marriage is certainly a religious institution (one central to Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and many faiths other than Christianity). But is also arguably as important a legal institution as constitutional democracy, liberty, due process, and rights over property. Should one person's religious beliefs be the basis upon which another should be excluded from such an important bundle of legal rights and obligations?
In short, a second class of citizenry has been clearly delineated, the separation of church and state has been blurred, and the due process of law has been interfered with. Something to be proud of, Brigadier. But was this a war worth fighting?
Absolutely not. Brigadier Wallace, 'They' were not just after equality in social benefit and entitlements. 'They' were after equality before the law. You were also wrong, Brigadier. 'They' were not 'aiming to remove every vestige' of your Christian heritage. 'They' were aiming to remove every vestige of legal discrimination. 'They' do not find your 'Christian heritage' offensive - only those who claim to march behind Christ, yet ignore his instruction to treat others as they would wish to be treated themselves.
All the Christian soldiers who fought alongside Brigadier Wallace to achieve this particular 'victory' should go back to their Bibles, and read well the accounts of Christ's teachings given to us by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They will find no references whatsoever to homosexuality or same-sex relationships. They will, however, find a powerful message of love, respect and dignity for all of God's children, by all of God's children.
As I see it, those who fight for anything else are not Christians worthy of the name.
Absolutely. I feel sad and frustrated that people can display such bigotry in the name of Christianity. True Christian values are those expressed in the parable of the good Samaritan or Chapter 13 of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians and have nothing to do with exclusion on the grounds of some perceived lack of qualification. The idea of Christianity is inclusive, and Jesus didn’t say that you will be saved if you believe in me, unless you are gay or …… . I fail to understand the need to treat some groups and individuals as second rate, as undesirable or as less than deserving of God’s grace.
G K Chesterton said, “It is not that the Christian ideal has been tried and found wanting; it is that the Christian ideal has been found too hard and not tried.” This is exactly the point. Start with the “Golden Rule” repeated as nauseam, but seldom lived. But you can bet your bottom dollar that if members of the so‑called Australian Christian Lobby were to be treated by others in the way that they want to treat homosexuals, they would be the first to complain. Do unto others as you would have them do to you. Don’t just say it, live it.
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