Melbourne Unitarian Peace Memorial Church

Presentation given by Marion Harper on 30th October

A pox on both your houses said Shakespeare, and that is what more and more people are saying about political parties and politicians in this country. This has its good and bad characteristics. Good that there is a healthy skepticism about politicians and bad that it could result in a refusal to participate in the political process, thus freeing the most reactionary elements in our society to impose their will unchallenged.

Unitarians in general and our church in particular have always thrown themselves into the cauldron of political action. Unitarianism has a long history of involvement in and a passionate commitment to social justice. Henry Giles Turner, historian and prominent Unitarian said in an Address to this church in November 1913, 'this church flourishes under persecution and controversy.'

He could have said that Unitarian Churches are the most democratic, Unitarian Churches are in the truest sense congregational, that is decision making power is vested in the members of the church. If such decision making powers were vested in the Australian people at times other than elections, we would not be in the dangerous position we now are. Unitarianism is a religion of action and the history of the Melbourne Church have been for many many years, documented by our commitment to truth and justice.

Unitarians don’t just sit each Sunday and listen and learn, they must put that learning into practice because study, learning and understanding are of no use without putting the knowledge into action. There has been much debate over the years in this church about politics and whether there is a place for politics in the church. Some of us have argued yes, and other no, but we have been overtaken by time and circumstance and other churches have led the way, sometimes leaving us behind. I speak of course of the Catholic and Uniting Churches, within which many have spoken out with great courage and action on the urgent issues of our times and not without savage criticism from government.

Today, as never before, the Australian people are in grave danger, not from terrorism, not from some external threat, but from within. From those servants of the people, governments, who have forgotten their position in society.
Some weeks ago I spoke on the topic "The Morality of Civil Disobedience, The truth is in the small print". I felt it was a timely Address because civil disobedience when laws are wrong, undemocratic and un-necessarily punitive is not just a right but a responsibility.

There are many examples through history of Unitarians and other religions challenging such laws and today, we have a Federal Government in control of both Houses, serving not the needs of the electors, but of foreign and national capital as well we have a subservient and servile, Opposition afraid to lead, scared of losing votes, displaying no leadership ability, scared to develop principled policies, so who shall challenge those leading us to democratic oblivion?.
Shall we? We need to be very sure that what our role will be, because under new proposed anti terrorist legislation, sedition looms large. Charles Savage, a Canberra Writer challenged the Federal Government on sedition in Monday's Age. He stated "I declare that I write the following with open seditious intent……. I openly urge disaffection with the government of the Commonwealth. Its leaders behave with the morality of gangsters" quote, after the new anti terrorist laws are passed, he could be arrested for such comments. Indeed I could be arrested for writing an article on civil disobedience.
Both pieces of legislation, the Anti Terrorist Bill and the Industrial Relations Legislation are linked together because both will be used to prevent opposition to government policies and both are intended to scare the electorate into submission. I want to quote from a letter from Thursday’s business Age (thank Florence) so we understand how dangerous the IR legislation is despite the Federal Government’s passionate claims to the contrary. Quote I.R.

How should Unitarians feel about this legislation? A whole book by Raymond Holt has been written about the role of Unitarians in fighting unjust, undemocratic and exploitative labor laws. As a church, we can become inward looking, establish programmes which immerse us in safe activity, or we can assume the historical responsibility of Unitarianism which is to speak out, take action, defend democracy in the best way we can, fearlessly and courageously.

Stephen Fritchman A U.S Minister who not only preached but participated and challenged undemocratic laws and practices epitomized the characteristics of other famous Unitarian leaders. No matter how inconvenient, unpopular or risk taking it was for him to seek the truth in anything bearing on freedom of throught or conscience, or affecting the human condition, he acted, He believed that the search for truth is itself a religious quest. He acted consistently and persistently on that belief. He said "There can be no veneration for spiritual dignity, for private insight of mind and conscience that is indifferent to the accompanying problems for sharing discovered truth or moral judgement. Today a book publisher can be a greater servant of truth than a cardinal"

He also said "We must continue to share a vision of a world where we shall live at peace with one another and with nature. I feel that all of us must from now on abandon any world of fantasy and become a part of the world of reverberating fact."
Our own Minister the Rev. Victor James was honoured in Victoria for his unflagging commitment and action for justice and world peace . This church has always been involved in issues that concern the people. We must decide which side we are on, the side of action or inaction in a society which will be quite different from the one we formerly live in.
Let us look at the society in which we now live and the structures which govern our lives and decide our position.
Today in Australia, we have a demagogic Federal Government seduced by the power of controlling both Houses, governing, not for the majority of ordinary Australians whose forebears built this country, but for big business. Their argument that making Australia more competitive, results in a better society for all is patently untrue. Their commitment is to profit not productivity, and for foreign corporations, they make decisions that will destroy our democratic rights, force us into industrial servitude, create a large underclass of jobless, powerless poor, frighten people into silence and allow foreign and national capital to increase its exploitation and rape of our country.

When they talk about their commitment to a free enterprise system, they don’t tell there is no such system. Free enterprise doesn’t exist, because our taxes subsidize them. To call our system Free enterprise is a lie. Our whole system is based on lies. Rev. Stephen Fritchman says "This pulpit, like Unitarian pulpits for four centuries in many lands is dedicated to the responsible and honest pursuit of wisdom, in fragments or in large pieces in part or in related patterns. The known lie has no place in our midst for we know as Emerson did that the lie glazes the eye, bloats the flesh , deforms and debilitates. Unitarians know that the truth spoken freely without fear of reprisal and repression is the tool of human progress."

Well today in Australia, we can no longer speak freely without fear of reprisal or repression. Today, new legislation is being pursued which expressly forbids this to happen. Legislation which will impoverish and enslave the work force, and create a fourth class, an underclass, growing in size, impoverished, hungry, exploitable. Legislation which will remove our democratic rights, prevent free speech and try and scare us into submission.

The proposal to introduce such legislation with only a week for parliamentary discussion demonstrates the power mad nature of this government and the fact that with the anti terrorist legislation, Labor Premiers in each state met with the Primer Minister and gave it their approval in secrecy and without any consultation with their electorate is a disgrace and a very sad day for democracy and the two party system in this country. Only one man was courageous enough to defy this secret conclave and post the proposed legislation on his website. The Chief Justice of the ACT. We need many more like him.
Draconian legislation which will have dramatic and far reaching effects on so many people without really affecting the issue of terrorism must be opposed by whatever means we have in what is left of our democracy. How many ordinary people, how many Unitarians here today, have actually written to the Prime Minister, to the State Premier opposing legislation which so many are warning us about. Should we wait like Pastor Neimoller in Germany who said we waited as each group in society was removed by the Nazi's , until they came for us and it was too late.

This is Australia, not some third world dictatorship, what are we doing to allow this to happen, what has happened to our democracy and where is the loud and united opposition to this disgraceful attack on our civil liberties and our working rights? What can we do as a church, as Unitarians to mobilize public opinion, to develop methods which will make these unjust laws unworkable? There are many churches, members of the legal fraternity, Liberty Victoria, the Union Movement, the Greens, the Democrats and ordinary citizens expressing their concerns, somehow these organizations and individuals must be brought together and their voices raised in collective protest. Recently 70,000 scientists signed a document against teaching religion in the guise of science. If 70,000 can sign such a docment, we should get 7 million to oppose the legislation.

The new legislation, purporting to protect us from terrorism, will in effect be used to prevent any opposition to government policies and this could affect us as a church. The new legislation proposes among other things: increased executive discretion to target individuals and organizations because of their political views; detention and other restrictions on liberty without any crime being charged or proven; new power to police to stop, search and demand documents without warrant.

Under the new power, if you are arrested and held for fourteen days, you cannot tell anyone. So, for example, if I was arrested for promoting civil disobedience, I could be held for fourteen days incommunicado. I am allowed one phone call, but if I attempt to tell the person I phone that I have been arrested, I can get five years gaol. If the person I phone and inform that I will be away for 14 days reports to another that I have been arrested, they can be gaoled for 5 years. Is civil disobedience justified when such draconian and un- necessary laws are introduced, I say yes and we would be un-Australian and certainly un-Unitarian to say no.

How has the Prime Minister justified these draconian changes. He said the Bill "will enable us to better deter, prevent, detect and prosecute acts of terrorism" (press release 8th September_ He has not provided the people with an explanation of how these laws will actually achieve their aim. Britain already has similar laws, albeit with better safeguards, but it didn’t stop what happened in London.

Under the Westminster system, one which we have always operated under, everyone is innocent until proven guilty, the legislation turns this on its head and you are now guilty until you can prove your innocence. Some one said Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, this pertains to our current government. Today we have rabid government,with unprecedented power and little if any constraints, a flaccid Opposition and a captive media. Time to be afraid, be very afraid, but not of foreign terror, but home grown national institutionalized terror.

As well, we have a captive media, Media is privately owned, and its owners represent a class position, as the following quote about the media will demonstrate. It is attributed to John Swinton a journalist probably about 1880. He was the guest of honour at a banquet given him by leaders of his craft in the United States. A toast was offered to an independent press and Swinton outraged his colleagues by the following statement.

"There is no such thing, at this date of the world’s history, in America, as an independent press, you know it and I know it. There is not one of you who dares to write your honest opinions and if you did, you know beforehand that it would never appear in print. I am paid weekly to keep my honest opinion out of the paper,… the business of journalists is to destroy the truth, to lie outright, to pervert, to vilify, to fawn at the feet of mammon and to sell his country and his race for his daily bread. …..we are the tools and vassals of rich men behind the scenes, we are the jumping jacks, they pull the strings and we dance ….we are intellectual prostitutes."

So we have a Federal Government which no longer serves the people, a weak Opposition and a captive media, but we also have hundreds of thousands of Australians with conviction, understanding, a refusal to be intimidated. I know whose side I would rather be on. The Anti Terrorist Bill also poses a grave threat to the freedom of religious and political expression which has been a key principle of our society and indeed is recognized in the Constitution. It increases the possibility of police targeting Australians because of their religious or political views. Menzies tried to introduce the Anti Communist Bill and the Australian people voted it down. Howard is not giving the people this opportunity. This legislation should face a referendum, because its effect will be even more far reaching than the rejected anti communist bill.
Will this affect us as Unitarians and will we be prevented from speaking out? The legislation says yes.

Should we, as Unitarians be expressing our opposition to this legislation and how can we do this most effectively? Free speech is under threat and It has been said that free speech is a tool of the progress of humankind, we allow this gift to be removed at our peril.
Somebody said to me last week, please make this a positive optimistic talk, we are tired of being depressed. No Unitarian should be depressed or demoralized at what is happening in today’s threatening world. actions taken by government are a sign of their weakness not their strength, their desperation not their satisfaction. Time is on the side of the people, and providing we participate in the fight for justice and human rights, we can’t lose.