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The Forum > Article Comments > Our great Judeo-Christian tradition > Comments

Our great Judeo-Christian tradition : Comments

By Irfan Yusuf, published 30/5/2007

Peter Costello seems to believe that the Judeo-Christian tradition exclusively forms the basis of 'Australian values'.

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What tradition ?
The 'white australia policy' no doubt.
Indoctrinating Indigenous Australians with various forms of christianity,C of E on Groote Eylandt and Roper River; Catholicism on the Tiwi Islands,Methodist on Elcho Island, Lutheran at Haasts Bluff. and latterly the intrusion of some yankee god botherers
Aborigines had their own concepts of creation in the Rainbow Serpent and the story of the Wawilak Sisters which was denigrated by Christians and just as valid as the Adam & Eve Myth of Creationists if you are into fairy stories.

Australian traditions are evolving with the help of mob hysteria such as the Cronulla Riots; Soccer fever and misplaced tribal patriotism an extension of the schoolyard bullying of anyone who is 'different' or doesn't barrack for 'our' team. The latter fomented by our sporting contests that all too often display our worst behaviour.

I imagine our Parliaments seek to reinforce Christian traditions with their hypocritical recital of 'the Lords Prayer' before they set to and display their finest traditions of abuse,obfuscation.evasion and downright lies while pretending to operate the country in everyone's interests.

The sooner we shed the mantle of Judeo-Christian myth and get down to REAL secular government the better.We just need to develop respect for All beliefs without developing into a race of religious Zealots as in the USA where their leader believes he is guided by GOD ?
Posted by maracas, Wednesday, 30 May 2007 12:16:34 PM
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The term "Judeo-Christian tradition" is totally a political term and has no real relevance or significance other than that, and it is used only as a political tool to assert a dominance of one religion, ie Christianity (not really Judaism as that is included only in name, again a political ploy), over others by saying this religion is more important because of history.
As Irfan has hinted at, the "tradition" is not so fundamental to our nation or it's growth and prosperity, and claiming such is an attempt to rewrite history.
But i guess that is what fascists try to do, change history to support their own political agenda and therefore enforce their totalitarian monoculture on everyone.
Posted by Donnie, Wednesday, 30 May 2007 12:19:10 PM
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I'd like to know how many Jewish people find the term "Judeo-Christian" extremely offensive. Given the history of persecution of Jewish people at the hands of Christians I'd imagine quite a lot.

As for Australia's democratic traditions, the word democracy comes from ancient Greece - Athens, for example. Nothing to do with Judeaism or Christianity.
Posted by DavidJS, Wednesday, 30 May 2007 1:09:13 PM
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I agree with Kenny. Actually, if the relevant question is as Irfan describes it, I would fail that part of the citizenship test, despite the fact that I was born, raised, educated and have lived most of my life in Australia.

This is because I would argue that, although "Judeo-Christian" might well describe some of the ideological underpinnings of the British colonial project under which the First Fleet was sent to the territory that later became Australia, "secularism" is far more characteristic of the "Australian values" that have emerged since the establishment of Australia as a nation in the early 20th century. Indeed, it could be (and has been) cogently argued that Australian nationalism arose as a kind of secular religion that eclipsed the religious orientations of the previous colonies.

It could also be argued that this question contravenes S. 116 of the Australian Constitution, since it explicitly asserts the centrality of "Judeo-Christian" values to "Australian" values, to the extent of making the acceptance of such a condition of citizenship. This would seem to contravene the requirement that "no religious test shall be required as a qualification for any office or public trust under the Commonwealth" (if indeed citizenship is to be regarded as such).
Posted by CJ Morgan, Wednesday, 30 May 2007 1:37:40 PM
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Gosh, Irfan, I've suddenly realised I'm with you on this one!

At the very least, that question shows the dangers of a multiple choice, tick-and-flick style of citizenship test. If it were a short answer test, then my answer (as a white secular male with occasional Buddhist dabblings) would be "Australia's tradition of values is probably influenced mostly by values which we broadly regard as Christian, but which are not exclusively Christian (after all, most religions have an equivalent to "thou shalt not steal"), but that those "Australian" values have also profited from a pragmatic secular perspective and more recently from influxes of other value systems and other faiths."

Unfortunately I couldn't find a box with that written next to it so I guess I'm on the next boat to Nauru.

Even if our new citizens manage to tick the right box, what exactly are these "Judeo-Christian values" anyway? So far as I know, Judeo-Christian values say that people like me are going straight to hell because I don't believe in Jesus. Fair enough, if that's what they want to believe, but it's not really the style of thinking we want to institutionalise or officially endorse, is it?

I thought the joy of democracy was its plurality: many people, many ideas, many values, all validated.

The test is a foolish, ridiculous exercise.
Posted by AnthonyMarinac, Wednesday, 30 May 2007 1:58:48 PM
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Well, I really enjoyed this post. And I don’t have any problem with the idea that the sources of Australian values could be as varied as the make-up of early colonial Australian society.

The values that the test question is referring to can be found on the Dept of Immigration website, at http://www.citizenship.gov.au/news/citizenship-test/Australian_values.htm . They are given as “respect for the freedom and dignity of the individual, equality of men and women, freedom of religion, commitment to the rule of law, Parliamentary democracy, and a spirit of egalitarianism that embraces mutual respect, fair play, and compassion for those in need.”

Not all of these values are obvious outgrowths of the “judeo-christian tradition”.

Some of them are, such as compassion (“be compassionate and humble”, 1 Pet 3:8) and rule of law (“everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities”, Rom 13:1).

But claiming some of the others as judeo-christian is more than a little dodgy.

How about a quick rundown:

Freedom and dignity – “Slaves, obey your earthly masters” (Eph 6:5)

Equality of men and women – “wives should submit to their husbands in everything” (Eph 5:24)

Freedom of religion – “I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars and pile your dead bodies on the lifeless forms of your idols, and I will abhor you.” (Lev 26:30)

And would you believe, I couldn’t find Parliamentary Democracy mentioned anywhere in the Bible!

Cheers!
Posted by Rhys Probert, Wednesday, 30 May 2007 2:32:33 PM
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