Australia Day

Many people become new Australians on Australia Day. Australia had been my home for some fifteen years before I became an Australian citizen (or should that be ‘subject’?) Yes, Australia’s system of democracy is a Constitutional Monarchy. At this time of the year it is common to hear that some wish Australia to become some sort of a republic. I suppose I wouldn’t mind so long as an Australian republic was the same as that which America’s founding fathers had in mind, i.e., a Christian republic, i.e., founded on the rule of law as per the Bible. However, I fear that some sort of anti-Christian republic model would be foisted on us, like, for example, the one envisioned by the revisionists in America. These either ignore or reinterpret their Constitution and all mention of God and Christ is blotted out from and forbidden in the public arena in their effort to separate God and State. So, best let sleeping dogs lie, I say, lest we end up a Secularist (read Atheist) Australia. Well, Secularists are trying to distance Australia from its Christian heritage, aren’t they? Some even want to change the Australian flag. ‘Why give Britain (read ‘England’) free advertising?’ So, they wish to remove the picture of the Union flag from the top left of our Australian flag. I reckon the Australian flag would look great with just the white stars on the blue background. I love that Southern Cross! However, some people want to change these colours and put weird-shaped kangaroos and all sorts of critters and things on the flag. So, best let sleeping dogs lie, I say, lest we remove the reminder of our Christian heritage from our flag. And those crosses in the Union flag, they are Christian symbols, aren’t they?

Before becoming an Australian citizen I began to contemplate what Australia is as a nation and who the Australian people are. What is the glue that holds Australians together? Down Under it is called ‘mateship’. What is mateship? It is doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. Mateship is to love your neighbour as yourself. If the Secularists have their way will mateship still be the rule of life in their Godless republic? So, best let sleeping dogs lie, I say, lest we end up following the ‘survival of the fittest’ philosophy or some other anti-Christian rule of life.

Where did Australian mateship come from? In other words, what philosophy has impacted Australian life so much so that the whole nation as a nation has adopted it? Well, I’ve already mentioned the Golden Rule. The Golden Rule of what? Islam? Buddhism? Secularism? Humanism? Socialism? Communism? Atheism? Jedi Knightism? Which of these has most influenced the Australian way of life? None of them! Where do we find the Golden Rule? It’s found in the Book our Constitutional Monarchy is based upon – the Holy Bible: ‘As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise’ Luke 6:31. This rule is not about sitting on your comfy couch and watching the news. It is about actually ‘doing’ something. It is about actively loving your neighbour as yourself (Matthew 19:19; 22:39; Mark 12:31). The Jesus who spoke those words is the same Jehovah who said (way back in Leviticus 19:18), ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.’ Thus Jehovah-Jesus.

It is great that Australia has adopted the teaching of Christianity, the belief system she inherited from Great Britain. Australian Law goes all the way back to the Bible from Sir William Blackstone (1723-80) through King Alfred the Great (871-99) who codified large portions of the Bible as Common Law. It is great those times when Australia puts the spirit of the law into practice! By way of example, during the Queensland floods of 2010 (in which at least 35 people lost their lives), Australians demonstrated true love for neighbour. Whole houses with people’s belongings were washed away. Cars were piled on top of each other by the power of rushing water. In Brisbane City whole suburbs were awash. I heard someone on the radio say that when the floods hit New Orleans all the city’s roads were blocked with people trying to leave the city. But when the floods hit Brisbane all the city’s roads were blocked, not with people trying to leave, but with people trying to get into the city to lend a hand! Television pictures of thousands of volunteers lining up to help brought tears to my eyes! I am proud to be called an Australian! What a people! What a nation! ‘Mateship’ in action!

The Queensland State Premier at the time, went from zero to hero(ine) and then back to zero in the space of a few days. Before the floods her ratings were the lowest of the low. During the floods she demonstrated great leadership – even asking for prayer for the flood victims! After the floods her ratings plummeted when she and her government wanted to ‘means-test’ flood refugees before they could receive our voluntarily donated monies! There was a great hue and cry. The people voiced their opinion that the government ought to ‘butt-out’ when it comes to our donations! Don’t governments just spoil things when they overstep their God-given mandate? (Romans 13:1-10)

I love Australia as it is – a nation greatly influenced by Christian teaching. Let us not change it except to influence it for good with more of the Bible, not less! So, lest we become a Secularist/Atheist Republic, best let sleeping dingoes lie…