I am taking a very small swipe at David Burdon (DN October 23) who I am pleased had mentioned the ‘creator’ and I agree with his concerns in the body of his letter, when he pointed out the social shortcomings in Australia with poorly behaved politicans (including Tweed Shire Councillor), ‘80 per cent holding the wealth’, ‘people living without proper accommodation’, ‘Christian churches getting richer each day’ – and he made a few good points especially Jesus’ ‘two instructions’ one of them famously quoted: ‘Do unto others as you would have done unto you.’ (King James Version.)
I believe the decline in church- going punctuates a lot of social change we are seeing. Mr Burdon has to acknowledge the glue was once ‘the knowledge’; that has slid drastically, for the last 50 years. We now have two generations who are illiterate where the spiritual dimensions presented in the Biblical scriptures are concerned.
Like David I am sure everyone would like to see our World far more equitable and humane. Marx and Mao and their disciples tried and failed with their totalitarian Regimes – with atheism as the official government policy, but I am pleased David has not left our great country for something approximating more closely to the utopia that he seeks. Like David I see a lot of good in our community including tolerance, and as one family which was demonstrated by the way people helped one another in the recent floods and prior to that in the horrific bushfires – the most devastating natural disasters in our nation’s history.
One last point: David exalted what Jesus said and his reverence for the ‘living God’; he may be concerned like myself and aware of the deliberate removal of the Christian symbols as decorations for reasons of correctness. But a more positive sign: the federal move to have Chaplains ‘Cappies’ in our schools who, from all reports, are doing a sterling job with the staff and the young people.
Warren James
