Aboriginal Reconciliation (CLM 442)

Thu, 9 Oct 1997

> STATEMENT ON ABORIGINAL RECONCILIATION > > Today we celebrate the unity and harmony that is the fruit of the > Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we express our desire to encourage the > process of reconciliation between Aboriginal Australians and other > Australians. > > At the recent Australian Reconciliation Convention, Prime Minister > John Howard, the Leader of the Opposition Kim Beazley, and the > Governor General Sir William Deane, expressed their sorrow for the way > in which Aboriginal children were forcibly removed from their > families, and for the trauma and injustices they suffered as a result. > > Today, in response to revelations of injustice in the Human Rights and > Equal Opportunities Stolen Generation Report, and in response to calls > by leaders of the Murrie Evangelical Baptist Church in Ipswich, we > state: > > Often with the best intentions, although in a spirit of paternalism > and with disastrous consequences, Christian people sadly contributed > to what the Report describes as "a crime against humanity" - a policy > of forced removal of Aboriginal children from their families and the > elimination of Aboriginal culture and language. > > We wish to acknowledge the pain and suffering that the stolen children > and their families experienced, and we want to express our sincere > sorrow for past actions and policies during this regrettable period of > our nation's history. > > We acknowledge that we have only too infrequently spoken out in > defence of our indigenous brothers and sisters. We have not protested > loudly enough. We have by silence unconsciously complied with the > policies of the day. We assert that we abhor racism of every kind. > > We seek forgiveness for our failures. > > It is our prayer that as a nation we will learn from the past, commit > ourselves wholeheartedly to reconciliation, and work to ensure that > past atrocities never happen again. > > We ask all who share a common faith in Jesus Christ to commit > themselves, as we do, with courage, determination and hope, to > building a better Australia for our children and their children, and > to proclaiming the Gospel of reconciliation through Christ in word and > deed. Ken Smith ========= The recent Baptist Union of Queensland Statement on Aboriginal Reconciliation has been added to the Flinders Baptist Community Church website, along with a response from me. You're free to publicise this. http://www.powerup.com.au/~flinders/abreconc.htm Rod Benson Senior Pastor Flinders Baptist Community Church ____________________________ Clergy/Leaders' Mailing List (Moderated) This mailing list is open to all Christians via Internet e-mail and most fax destinations. Submissions welcome: clergy@pastornet.net.au To unsubscribe, e-mail to: clergy-request@pastornet.net.au with SUBJECT reading UNSUBSCRIBE Copyright: Postings may be re-sent ONLY with all copyright notifications intact. A PastorNET ministry: manager@pastornet.net.au

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