Following the very disappointing news that the Strong Futures legislation had been passed by the Senate, the Assembly of the United Church, who were meeting in Adelaide, protested on the steps of the South Australian Parliament. They were not meddling in politics, they were being the church. Four hundred people in total walked in silence from the Assembly venue to hold a vigil on the steps of Parliament House to sing, pray and mourn the continuing disrespect shown to the First Peoples of this land, in a public act of worship and lament.
We are one body in Christ ‘if one member suffers, all suffer’. (1 Corinthians 12:26) This legislation was also strongly opposed by the Australian Catholic Bishops. In the words of Rev Dr Djiniyini Gondarra from the Northern Territory, the Government has declared a ‘war on democracy.’ It has ignored our 43,000 signatures, the 450 submissions made to the Senate Enquiry, United Nations condemnation and even its own Human Rights Committee asking for a human rights test of the legislation.
The full statement by Andrew Dutney, President of the National Assembly of the Uniting Church can be obtained at the Welcome
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Sunbury 