The Australian Cabinet Minister responsible for introducing the National Redress Scheme for survivors of child sexual abuse has called for the country to introduce a Religious Discrimination Act.
In his St Thomas More Lecture delivered in Canberra last month, Minister for Social Services Dan Tehan, a Catholic, warned of “creeping encroachment from the state on religious belief” and “use of political correctness to marginalise and silence the religious perspective”. Mr Tehan said legal protection of religious freedom in Australia was limited, while as a federation, religious freedom was treated differently in states and nationally. “We need a codified response to this development and Australia needs a Religious Discrimination Act,” he said.
Archbishop Julian Porteous of Hobart said in a sermon on 8 July that he was part of a delegation of six Australian bishops to Armenia in late June.
“I have now visited the Middle East as part of a delegation of Australian bishops on three occasions and have been confronted by the level of persecution that Christians have known and currently experience,” Archbishop Porteous said. “When we look at the broad history of the Church we see that the lot of being a Christian is to be persecuted in one way or another.
“It often means being at odds with the prevailing currents of thought in society. Sadly, this is becoming more a reality for us here in Australia. We are now experiencing constant attacks on Christianity in the media and in social opinion. Being Christian attracts criticism and attack. This will only increase and our lives in society become more difficult.”
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