Is Australia a Christian country?
Last week, I watched a fascinating interview on A Current Affair with Ray Martin. Ray interviewed a young man (I think it was Wassim Doureihi) who represented an Islamic group (Hizb ut-Tahrir, I think). The man was born and raised in Australia, and looked like he was in his early 20s. He was an extremely articulate young man, and he didn't allow Ray to put words in his mouth (which is no mean feat when it comes to the media).
During the interview, Ray bombarded the man with questions about whether he accepted Australia's laws, whether he liked living here, whether he would be more comfortable living in another (more Islamic) country, whether he wanted to change Australian laws, etc. The question I found most fascinating was this: “Do you accept that Australia is basically a Christian country?”
Well, is it?
Australia was, of course, built on the Christian faith. Our laws reflect that, as do many other parts of our culture. But can we say that Australia is a predominantly Christian country now?
I don't think so. As a country, we have been rejecting the Christian God for years. That's what relativism is all about—arguing that there is no absolute right or wrong; just different opinions which are all equally valid. That's certainly the argument that I've had shoved down my throat by people for the last 10 years or so.
How interesting it is that after rejecting the Christian God for so long, we suddenly want to claim him back when it suits us. Except I have a feeling Ray Martin doesn't actually want God back. He just wants some of God's ideas for how we should live. The problem with this is that it is no longer relativism: it is no longer what Australians have been arguing for.
We are left with the same dilemma we've always had: Either there is no God, or there is a God.
If there is no God, then all we have are lots of different opinions which are equally valid. If this is the case, then any religious group is free to come to Australia and turn Australia into a country based on that religion (if they are able to do so). How can we object? There is, after all, no right or wrong. Just different opinions. We cannot choose which opinions are okay and which aren't.
If there is a God, then we have to figure out which God is the true God. That's all there is to it.
The young man's response to Ray's question was rather perceptive. He said, “I believe that this is a secular country, based on a capitalist philosophy.”
I believe he might be right.
(Unfortunately I am not 100% sure of the name of the young man or the Islamic group, and the website for ACA doesn't reveal anything. If anyone can remember more details, email me and I'll update this post.)