As Australians, how many of us have ever seen our own constitution?
This is the document that prescribes the basic rules for the government of Australia and essentially provides the framework within which it is supposed to operate.
Australia is usually defined as a secular nation.
In theory, this prescribes the complete separation of church and state, but also the acceptance of all views within the state.
So, does that mean that the state should entirely separate itself from and disown its Christian
roots?
No, not entirely.
Once past the preamble, the very first part of our constitution reads, “... wheras the people of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and Tasmania, humbly relying on the blessing of Almighty God, have agreed to unite in one indissoluble Federal Commonwealth…”
Back in the year 1900 when the Australian constitution was first enacted, our forefathers, first and foremost, acknowledged the blessings of God in the establishment of our nation.
Yet in their good sense and judgement they also had the foresight to disconnect government from religion.
Section 116 of the constitution says, “The Commonwealth shall not make any law for establishing any religion, or for imposing any religious observance, or for prohibiting the free exercise of any religion...”
Clearly the designers of our constitution thought they had created the best possible balance between maintaining the freedom of worship of God while avoiding the possibility of future governments becoming either dogmatic or persecuting of the Christian faith which was so openly acknowledged in this document.
So, 125 years later, how is our nation going?
Well, not so good, it seems.
To be sure, the Christian church does not normally experience direct attacks instituted by government forces, but it does seem as though governments hostile to God's message have found numerous ways of indirectly attacking God's people.
They do this not by attacking God or the church itself but rather by attacking the legitimate activities of Christians.
For example, there was the case of Hobart minister Campbell Markham who was dragged before the
Tasmanian anti-discrimination tribunal after preaching a message that offended an atheist.
Or Dave Pellowe, a Queensland preacher who was hauled before the Queensland Human Rights Commission for refusing to allow a welcome to country ceremony which was not consistent with the message that he was teaching.
And there have been other examples as well.
Sadly, these examples, and others like them, send a clear message that our nation is heading down the wrong path.
It is no trivial matter for a nation to turn away from God.
The Bible has many examples of such nations including the Hittites, the Philistines, the Assyrians, the Moabites and numerous others, all of whom rebelled against God.
None of those nations are represented today.
In the book of second chronicles, it says, “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
If we wish as a nation to continue to receive the blessings of God, then as a nation we need to return to God.
There simply is no other way.