Part A. Description of topic (By Karen)
Although the secular Australian government remains uninfluenced by religious views, it can be argued that Australian politics is largely shaped by religion. With Christianity being the most popular religion in Australia, Christian perspectives and teachings shape the political opinions and beliefs of a large number of Australians. In recent years, the political questions of sanctity of life and same sex marriage have been highly contentious and highly prominent in the political atmosphere. Thus, the Christian point of view on this topic is among the leading voices in the debate.
Regardless of the secular nature of Australian government as set out by our Constitution, Christian influence has always been prevalent. The Cultural Mandate in the Book of Genesis The Australian legal and political In an interview on ABC Radio on the 16th of May 2012, Australian High Court Judge Michael Kirby believes that 'our law … was influenced by notions which were shared by Christian churches and belief'. Many elements of Australian criminal law also correspond to Christian values set out by the Ten Commandments, such as 'Thou shalt not kill' and 'Though shalt not steal'.
It should be noted that different Christian denominations can hold varying opinions regarding sensitive issues, such as abortion and sanctity of life. The Christian Orthodox Churches forbid abortion as going against the commandment 'Thou shalt not kill'. The Russian Orthodox Church also condemned abortion in its 'The Church and the Nation' published in 2000. Christian political organisations such as the Australian Christian Lobby are strong advocates against abortion and urge supporters to reject abortion through media articles titled 'Pressure to abort must stop' and 'For the men, women and children harmed by abortion'. Therefore, various viewpoints exist within the Christian category regarding what is said and done about Australian politics.
Part B. The ethical and moral perspectives (By Alyssa)
Christians have a divided involvement in politics; two extremes represented by opposing perspectives that underpin their stance. On one hand, there are those who devote their time to campaigning for the government to conform to the Christian worldview, whereas in turn there are those who follow the words of Jesus himself, "My Kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36), hence refusing to involve themselves in politics and attempt to alter the culture that we live in. One of the most prominent moral dilemmas faced by Christians is whether or not to completely shun all political and social efforts that do not necessarily correlate with the teachings of Christ, or promote Christ's likeness. There are, as mentioned, a select group of Christians with extreme opposing beliefs regarding decisions made by parliament, particularly concerning sanctity of life issues including abortion and euthanasia, as well as controversial decisions like the legalisation of same sex marriage. Such groups can be perceived as being a voice for the marginalised, as from their perspective they are promoting and encouraging issues that hold significance to them. On the contrary, there are groups who take their dissent for political issues to severe extremes, which prompts the moral and in some respects ethical question; how much is too much? Christians can acknowledge that social or political activism that targets specific groups, such as recent protests targeting homosexuals, condemning them for their sexuality, is considered to be misguided and not the appropriate way to react to certain political decisions made in the best interest of our nation. It is seen as almost immoral, from both a Christian and non-Christian perspective to engage in activities such as this.
John G Stackhouse Jr, Samuel J. Mikolaski Professor of Religious studies highlights how 'whenever elections are on the horizon, Christians typically encounter two models of serious Christian engagement with the world, which we might simply call fight or flight: either "take it over for Jesus" or "withdraw and wait for Jesus to return." He also notes how politics isn't considered as 'disciple making', which is what Christians should be doing according to the salvation commandments exclusively, and is therefore against the moral salvation of Christians to participate in politics or have any use for it. However, since politics is 'the practice of living with each other as well as we can', it is therefore required by the creation commandments for Christians to participate and provide their opinions, in such a way that extreme measures are not taken that demoralise such Christian beliefs that are being promoted.
Part C. The intended impact on society (By Karen)
The Christian religious tradition intends to improve society through the involvement and influence of Christian ideas in politics and the handling of current affairs. Christians place large value upon the importance of empathy, compassion and giving to those in need. Christian organisations such as Caritas Australia embody these qualities and use them as the driving force behind their philanthropic work. Because of the significant impact Christianity has on society, these values have been ingrained in the culture of modern Australian society.
The Christian community believes that society can continue to improve and flourish with the ongoing implementation of Christian values. There are still many critical social issues existing in society, such as poverty, crime and homelessness. With the work of Christian charities and the spread of Christian viewpoints, many believe that the rates of these issues can be lowered. They aim to improve society and create a more positive, equal and compassionate social environment for all peoples in the future. Although the individual viewpoints of Christians regarding improving society may differ in specifics, the general Christian consensus is such that society requires Christian values such as empathy and compassion towards all regardless of personal qualities or circumstances in order for society to continue to improve.
Part D. Reactions from society (By Alyssa)
Similarly to the divided views on whether Christians themselves believe they should participate in political affairs, society as a whole have some mixed opinions regarding this concern, and the potential repercussions that may arise as a result. Primarily, society does not condone the extremist actions of a minority group of Christians, who explicitly display their discontent with some of the laws passed by Australian Parliament, and have demonstrated this through protests, rallies and attacks on innocent, law abiding citizens, particularly homosexuals. This extremism is a significant deterrent for society to accept the Christian beliefs and outlook on the world and politics, should they react in such a way. As a society, we are aware that not all Christians share these extreme beliefs or deem these reactions necessary, and acknowledge that some of the laws passed may not correlate with their sacred scripture or teachings.
Australian society is understanding and accepting of Christianity and the respective need for it to be somewhat represented in Australian politics. The actions of significant Christian politicians such as Tony Abbott, who considered himself a "charismatic Christian", were supported and allowed a Christian viewpoint to be considered and represented at a high level, without the need for extremist actions. Society is not as accepting of right wing Christian groups who advocate against abortion, homosexuality and public education based on passages in both the Old and New Testament, and more so those who promote their dissent through endorsing Christian anarchism, Christian democracy and Christian socialism.
Australian society is also accepting that although same-sex marriage was legalised in Australia in late 2017, the president of the country's bishops conference has noted that a "change in civil law doesn't change the Catholic understanding of marriage." As a nation, we acknowledge that in the same way that we believe we deserve the respect of Christians in regards to our political views, we need to respect that some of our laws may not necessarily correlate with their traditional beliefs and could cause controversy and disagreement. However, as a nation that promotes social cohesion, fairness and equality, it is pivotal that we understand and ensure that different religious beliefs are represented in Parliament, including Christianity.