The public role of Christian faith

#962 for broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 14 Sep 2014.

A recent report published by Family Voice Australia notes that

In the last two decades there have been several attempts to remove prayers from Australian parliaments.  The prayers … are an expression of our nation’s Christian heritage which underpins modern democracy … a daily reminder that ultimately we must all answer to the higher authority of Almighty God.

But some Australians are abandoning the nation’s Christian heritage – preferring a “secular” society.

Secular humanists argue that religious groups should not be allowed to promote their faith in a secular education system. But when Christian values are excluded, other values fill the void.

Regent College professor Loren Wilkinson said, “Who doesn’t live by a set of values?  Every political leader, whether he calls it Christianity, whether he calls it secular humanism, Marxism, whatever, brings his own values to it.”

We all stand to benefit from  defending the validity and goodness of Christian faith in public life.

I’m Rod Benson for the NSW Council of Churches.