emotion in motion

How is it that emotionally derived opinions are sufficient even in the face of facts and logic that would suggest otherwise?

We see issues creating divisiveness where an emotional wave will roll over the bedrock of truth in arriving to a perceived majority consensus. These issues of climate change, asylum seeker policy, gay marriage, mining, the economy and now a fractured multiculturalism are at the forefront of public and political debate during this dark chapter.

Never mind that more than 90% and up to 97% of reputable climate scientists agree that the planet is warming due to human activity. origin of graphic from skeptical science

with 2 being unsure and 1 saying no.

One half of the people would rather listen to Tony Abbott or Alan Jones, neither who have any expertise in this field and dispute the findings as if scientists had some secret global agenda.

Tony also questioned the quality of our economists when they said a carbon tax or emission trading scheme was a responsible and efficient way for this nation to respond and move forward towards a greener economy.

From The Australian - Opposition leader defies economists on Carbon Tax 

Is he an economist as well as a climate scientist? No, so why do people listen to him? Not for facts and logic that's for sure so it must be that he appeals to the base emotions of many. And those many believe they know better, why?

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5ia5qZrU21qify48o1_500.jpg

Just because we don't want a carbon tax (not that the public pays it - we are compensated for the rise in cost of living that the top polluters pass down to us from the impact of a carbon tax on them). 

I'm more concerned with the other cost they are passing down, the commodity of fear. With no rational foot to stand on they use their clout to sow seeds of doubt and pull at the heartstrings of fear. It's Un-Australian. They're taking our jobs. We can't afford it in this GFC (despite not being in recession and one of the richest countries per capita in the world).

Advocates for climate change can and do use fear to drive their cause as well and I hate it when they do that because then we end up downriver from the bridge to change in a quagmire of emotion, slinging mud at eachother.

And what of the asylum seeker debate? Our two major parties seem to have settled for offshore processing and long stays within detention centres as a detterant to refugees seeking asylum in Australia. They claim with emotion (much of it genuine) that this is to prevent the tragedy of refugees drowning at sea. The detterant has been shown to be somewhat effective but only when we treat refugees so abhorrently as to cause such mental anguish that we see numerous suicide attempts in detention and people sewing their mouths shut. And on all indications they say they are going to keep coming. 

Tony Abbott (leading the way again) refers to these people as illegal immigrants which is factually incorrect, and he uses it in such a way as to be imflammatory. He also had the gall to refer to them as un-christian for entering through the back door despite Jesus himself being a refugee and the principles of christianity calling on followers to love thy neighbour and care for the poor and downtrodden. They are often referred to as queue jumpers even though it has been widely acknowledged that there is no queue for them to join. How do you apply for asylum when in some war torn countries like Afghanistan it is normal for our embassy to move place from day to day to avoid becoming a target for insurgents. So what are the facts?

There are really only two ways to stop drownings at sea - gain a reputation for treating asylum seekers so abhorrently that no one will want to come, or create a queue that asylum seekers would see as worthwile joining. I'm for the latter option because our identity as a fair, just and compassionate nation is easily worth the extra people that we will have to accomodate. And if you welcome people with open arms then they're more likely to be grateful and want to contribute than to feel seperate and resentfully and barely tolerated.

Our emotions are primitive. We can be tribal with them and just last week we saw a tribal mentality riding on a wave of emotion lash out with ugly repercussions. Does this mean that I'm suggesting that our human emotions are bad and we should dispense with them and all become Spock-like characters?  ...Problem solved - let's party!!!...

Our emotions are important and part of what makes us human but I don't want to see emotions riding roughshod over rationality. Or our emotions being manipulated so easily for that matter. What happened to the inbuilt Australian bullshit detector? Emotions without logic can lead to crimes of passion and punching holes in walls. Logic without emotion is generally referred to as being psychopathic. Either on its own can be very destructive.

Wisdom comes from when our emotional and logical bearings are brought together to form opinion or to make a decision. Nelson Mandela said 'a good head and a good heart is always a formidable combination.' Shouldn't that be something worth striving for?

We need to ask ourselves why we stand where we do on certain issues. Is it emotion, fear or love that drives us? Are we deceiving ourselves? Are we leaning on our own understanding? Are we only listening to what we want to hear?

A letter to the ACL

This may get me in trouble...some people might not like this...but it's how I feel.

In response to reading this article ACL says coalition also to blame for greens rise I decided to write an angry man letter. I have written letters to them before, specifically about their treatment of homosexuality.

Dear ACL, just read an article where you blame the coalition as well as labor for the rise of the greens. You also warn against this citing the greens as a dangerous and radical left wing group. As a Christian I have been disgusted with the ACL countless times, I find you despicable. I would love to have a reasonable discussion on reason with you but find you so lacking and caught up in law like a Pharisee that you fail to see the radical Jesus as he is. The greens rise when justice, mercy and compassion go lacking from the other parties. I know the greens can come across as anti-christian but on their values they are the most Kingdom hearted party in Australia that I can see. Maybe they're not anti-christian, maybe they're just anti a fundamentalist right wing hate group. So while you claim to speak on behalf of all christians (you do not speak for me) I will continue to use my influence to denounce you.

When I say I have been disgusted with them countless times...this graph details the ACL's distorted view of what they consider important in the world for Christians and why they rile me up to the point of writing them an angry letter.

Element Camp Liffey 2012

defrosting - sort of a metaphor of what is to follow

Was recently without access to the internet or mobile phones whilst helping to run a winter camp in a secluded little valley in Liffey Tasmania for high school students. 'Element Camp' is forty people staying in the simplest of cabins, playing games, going on walks when the sun shines and sitting around the large woodfire heater on couches trying to stay warm. It's that sitting around that I love the most where you look into each others eyes and with no tv or other distractions you talk and you listen and you think.

The height of technology on Element Camp

The distractions are discarded due to remoteness and a barricade of steep hills on all sides that keep out all the information that comes to us on invisible waves. Sure, if you find the right spot and wave your phone in the air for half an hour some information may leak through but generally you're cut off. Far from one that despises technology, I love what it can bring to our lives but every year I help run this camp I'm thankful for our location and the days of respite from the modern world.

If it sounds like the camp is a relaxing time you'd be right and you'd be wrong. As a leader I feel the pressure of wanting everyone to have a positive experience stressful. Trying to keep us all on task and trying to not let the task get in the way of people. Element is special to me because while we have days and nights chock full of games and activities they are interspersed with times that we gather together and get a glimpse into what makes us tick. We hear the stories that shape us, the passions, the struggles and we challenge the picture we have of ourselves to be a picture that reflects our better nature.

all tangled up

It is stressful trying to herd cats, the cats being people that you want to get to a place where they feel safe to share and open to listening. In that place where lights can go on and where someone can walk away with something of value. That sort of stress while exhausting can also be refreshing and replenishing, the good sore of working muscles you didn't know you had.

And we need to build all the core strength we can, not just physically but mentally, emotionally, socially and spiritually. When you hear some of the stories and come to see life through another's eyes you realise that the modern world, expectations, media, families and friends – everything, makes the world and finding your place in it somewhat daunting.

First time junior leader with the permission of her friend who was still in medical care told a story of how that friend contacted her recently to confide that she was about to take her own life. This friend did not want our junior leader to tell anyone which left her, a young person, with a major moral dilemna. Fortunately she chose to contact authorities who arrived in time to remove the noose and stem the bleeding. That friend was not able to come on camp but wanted her story shared and it floored me that someone who wasn't even present was able to have such a presence and to touch the lives of everyone there. Not bad for a lonely, in pain and insecure young person.

We have such power and such potential.

A lot of mine is wasted like the muscles that fall into atrophy through lack of exercise. I try to 'keep it real' in my everyday life but I can wear a mask from time to time so that it looks like I'm confident, or I'm cool or I'm in touch with what matters. Thank you Element Camp! nothing like realising that your stinky socks are just adding to that aroma in the cabin to figure you're nothing special. And yet the focus of the camp was about just how special we all are but not that the universe revolves around us solely, we are all special, together.

I always feel more like my real self on camp where there is nowhere to hide. I don't always like everything that comes out on show but it feels more honest. Since camp I keep telling myself that I'm recuperating and that might have been true for a day or two. Yet when the rest of your holidays bleed together into one long season of a soccer computer game you start to miss the stress. You miss it because some stress is good for you. 

Started back at my position in school today and through sitting down and writing this, well I'm starting to feel like me again. Thankful for others to share the journey with and that they help to keep me on the adventure. May what I get from Element sustain me till next year...

To the know it all's in the comment's section

Do you really want to know if God exists or not? If the answer is yes, shouldn't you be searching for the answer to that question instead of assuming you already know it?

Are those that choose atheism without a journey that leads them there, at the height of human arrogance?

Are those mired in fundamentalist doctrine that don't read anything but a bible - if that - and spit out like a broken record all they think that has been laid out on that vinyl guilty of the same?

There is no physical tangible proof of God's existence, there is no worthy scientific explanation for a theory of everything. No one holds all the cards.

Seek and you shall find. Read, listen, look, ponder, do, think, try new experiences. I don't know what you'll find but I would hope that you'll find some humility and some appreciation for the variety of belief and absence of it. Better that than to be one of the judgemental hate filled ignorant.

Faith doesn't have to be blind and lack of it doesn't have to be without depth. Question everything and go with the answers that resonate as truth to you - and then continue your quest and your questioning. One more question... was this too arrogant and judgemental of me?

The Needless War

Does God exist? We've just had another tired old debate on the issue on Q&A between Richard Dawkins and Cardinal Pell. A debate that pits the one who does not believe against the one who does as if these are the only two possible positions a person can ascribe to. And with that ascribing comes scorn for the other and a full belief in the starkness of one worldview over the other. Why does it have to be so black and white?

In the breadth of human understanding is there not a place of grey, of doubt, of humility? Most people have their belief and a debate like this just pits one against the other in a futile struggle (how do you prove that God does or does not exist?) that brings out the trolls and the worst in people. It is destructive, not constructive, it is divisive and is typical of societies (media and politics especially) want to form a circle around the proponents and yell 'fight, fight, fight.' With a fight comes entertainment and with a fight comes a fallout where in the case of politics for example parties can pick up the pieces of those that are divided to go with their worldview.

I am not immune to these practices, I have taken sides but I still long to rise above those base tendencies and see people come together respectfully to share in knowledge and wisdom and values. I would like the debate to take on a different tone, one where those that believe are not ridiculed as being deluded fools that believe in an invisible friend. It is insulting to suggest that people of faith have not reasoned and researched and wrestled with concepts and interpretations and against indoctrination and prejudices to be where they are in their faith. Faith is not an unreasonable position or a sign of intellectual inferiority. It could be said that those who rely only on the evidence of their senses and that ignore exploring the evidence that their heart may present to them are not weighing up all the evidence available.

But this could meander once again into the territory of division and hate. We hate what we don't understand. I respect those that truly seek to understand those that are different to them and it's those people that I would like to see leading this public discussion.

People like Alain de Botton who has written a book called 'Religion for Atheists' who in his search for wisdom though being an atheist did not discount the world of faith as having value.

A renowned scientist and self confessed atheist Mr Alan Lightman said “it is possible to be atheist and still value faith, and that it is possible to be religious and still value thought.”

I find myself more prepared to listen to someone who can come with a humble approach as opposed to the shouty, disrespectful and closed minded views that can come from the extreme poles on this discussion.

Peter Rollins is a crazy Irishman that on the Christian side of the fence has demonstrated that he embraces doubt, that he seeks to break down the barriers and reads the great texts of atheism to listen and learn and be transformed by them. 5:10 onwards is the highlight for me.

There are are many more clips, and much longer ones from the likes of Alain and Peter, two of the great thinkers of our time. I chose these cos they're relatively short. Here is another clip of Peter Rollins talking about faith and atheism in a way that makes you think. And whether you agree with him or not, I like being made to think rather than watching two people debate something with tired old arguments.

To sum up I believe that to believe in a God is no more or less absurd in my reckoning than to not to. No one's beliefs deserve ridicule...except those who believe that they have a right to ridicule others. Being sceptical, doubting, these are noble pursuits. And if I was to leave with you anything I'd say 'Get Faith!'. Even if you choose not to believe it, understand why someone else does. If you don't wrestle with it and just dismiss it I think you're in danger of leaving yourself spiritually poor.

But instead of me having the final word here how about some more from one of these great thinkers, a parable from Peter Rollins...

To be an atheist you need God's help 

A Strange Day

Is there something in the air? It was a strange day for me today due to emotions evoked from conversations and news stories etc. So much so that I thought it warranted a blog. 

It was great today to witness the whole school where I work get together and rally around a student who was shaving off his much loved hair for charity. I always find it interesting how much the atmosphere of a place and the people in it changes for the better when someone is doing something for others. There were other stories today but in my line of work most of those are confidential. I can talk about some of the other stuff, like the public headlines that I encountered today in the news.

Our National Treasure, mining magnate Mr Clive Palmer has accused today the CIA of funding the greens in a conspiracy to destroy Australia's coal industry. The CIA? usually when someone thinks the CIA is out to get them we wrap them up in a straightjacket and put them in a padded room. Maybe the mining tax legislation going through took it's toll on him? And how the mining tax was passed was weird because the ex opposition Speaker of the House stepped in to break a voting deadlock,  siding with the government. Immigration Minister Chris Bowen nearly blew it for the government by missing the vote. I'd be inclined to whack him on the backside for that except that another piece of legislation was also passed, one that I'd like to shake his hand for.

Refugees arriving by boat are now to have the same rights as those that arrive by plane in how their application for asylum is processed. There is still a long way to go to stop the deliberate dehumanisation of those arriving by boat as a detterant to others who might come. I get why they do that but it doesn't make it right. The courts have stated over and over that government and opposition strategies for dealing with refugees are illegal. If Australia is so intent on stopping the boats and branding refugees as illegal immigrants then we should remove ourselves from the treaty that says we will honour the human rights of refugees. I for one see no honour in dehumanising and turning away those in need so while there is still a way to go, this legislation is a step in the right direction and I applaud it.

And then all of this was overshadowed by the passing of Jim Stynes. He's the real national treasure here, loved by many because he lived his life with dignity, humility and generosity. Jim was a man with a big heart, big enough to care for others and help young people in need. He was a giver, not a taker and he loved life and will continue to be an inspiration for generations. I actually cried at the news of his passing, maybe cos he reminded me so much of my dad. I find someone we admire passing away can really help to focus us on what is really important in our lives. I wonder how fondly our whinging mining magnates will be remembered in comparison...

Going Viral - Kony 2012

Is the Internet Kony 2012 phenomenon a more popular story in itself than the story of what has been happening in Central Africa for decades? Not that it's more important but I'm finding it very interesting nonetheless. The story of Joseph Kony has been around for a long time but wide public awareness of it is only happening now because of this viral campaign that has spilled from the social networks these last few days and into more traditional media.

Seeing the social network used as a place that is getting people to think, talk and act on issues outside of themselves is encouraging. And as it's providing people with a platform to have a voice, that has persuaded me to add mine for what it's worth (which is probably nought outside of figuring it out for myself).

How is it that a viral campaign has been magnitudes more successful at raising awareness than traditional media? Well for one thing, reputable broadcasters who make documentaries about stuff that matters probably wouldn't get away with making a similar doco. The use of children to pull at the heart strings and making the documentary as much about the journey of the documenter as the subject he wants addressed would be frowned upon. By golly it's effective though. It is very well produced, it meets a young market perfectly who have been trained by the more unreputable side of our media to get emotionally involved in a story.

I don't mind so much this time with that being the case because at least the rage they are trying to manufacture from us is something worth being angry about. After watching the video I did have concerns such as:

• As effective as it was, was it right to use his son who has been seen now by nearly 50 million people alone on YouTube? Should we question this method? Should we be listening to our children more to be getting a clearer perspective?

• Is making an evil warlord famous a good idea? If someone craves power so much is creating a new form of celebrity feeding the monster? Will more monster's come out of the woodwork as copycat's wanting immortality through being infamous?

• Was the chanting in unison of young people a bit brainwashy or militant?

• Do I really want to wear Kony's name on my person? How about a bracelet with Invisible Children on it instead? That's where I'd rather focus my thoughts but obviously they chose the angle of wanting to make Kony the focus.

• Should you choose to be the voice of the invisible children? How about instead of speaking for them, provide them the opportunity to speak for themselves?

• I cringed when Jacob was interviewed and we ended up with a white man offering sympathy and promising to fix everything. White man's history of fixing everything has left a lot to be desired for. I would have rather have seen empathy. Rather than coming in as the rescuer the West should be supporting the oppressed to free themselves from oppression and tyranny.

And I must acknowledge that Invisible Children are doing just that as well. The early warning radio network is a great initiative. Supporting the Ugandan Army in its efforts to bring Joseph Kony to justice is indicative of that approach too.

I personally cannot in good conscience though support an organisation that advocates for a military solution from an army that has a questionable human rights record. I do not want blood on my hands and I will not be swayed by the argument that if I do not join this movement then I will have blood on my hands anyway for not acting. I also will not play the righteous card if someone feels that they do want to support military action. Leaving the people to fend for themselves is not an option but we should tread very carefully where we advocate something that will result in deaths.

So while I may be uncomfortable with much of the methodology that IC incorporates I still applaud them and those that support for them for caring enough to try something. I might like to see more happen on the ground and it's yet to be seen how this raised level of awareness will affect that. I don't like the promise to fix everything but I admire that the documenter is trying to keep that promise. Previous efforts have been largely unsuccesful, maybe it's time to give this way a shot.

It is an interesting experiment that raises much internal conflict and many questions.

• What if the hype dies down and nothing happens?

• What if it doesn't work and we are left with a generation of jaded young people?

• What if they get Kony and nothing of consequence really changes?

• What if it works and it sets a new precedent for how we deal with injustices in the future?

• What if the internet and social networking becomes societies protector?

• What if someone tries to use the power of social networking for evil? I would hope that the social networking community is capable of the self regulation to stop this from happening.

And seeing the sheer quantity of people and of young people in particular coming out in support of this cause does give me hope that as they said at the end of the documentary that 'the better world we want is coming, it's just waiting for us to stop at nothing.'

Am I going to stand in the way as the new wave of social activism tries to find its feet, hell no! Maybe the time for this idea has come. Go for it people, believe, do, and I hope you succeed cos I could do with seeing a win to restore some more hope in humanity.

Australia Day Water Ceremony

As a freckle faced kid January 26^th in Australia always meant a day of national celebration to me. I was proud to be an Aussie and I remember sun drenched days of backyard cricket, going to sporting events and even one year going to the harbour to watch some tall ships sail in. Those tall ships represented two different perspectives. And in more recent times a growing awareness of the fact that many Aboriginal people see this day as Invasion or Survival Day has soured my taste for flying the flag. Some drape themselves in the flag as a symbol of pride but for others it can be out of arrogance, thinking they own the place, turning the flag into a symbol of hate for others. The Aboriginal view that we don't own it but that we belong to the land always resonated with me.

For the vast majority of Australians there is nothing sinister in how and what they want to celebrate. Regardless, it is still riding roughshod over the feelings of many Aboriginal people.

There has been talk of moving the date of Australia Day and perhaps I'm being paranoid but I fear that doing so could be divisive in a way that would undermine the reason for doing it. I foresee those with misplaced patriotism or those who harbour racist tendencies taking exception to having the date changed, defiantly holding their own Australia Day celebrations or protestations in the face of those who see it as a day of mourning.

Seems it's not just reconciliation between people that is required but that a day needs to be reconciled too. Out of respect I would be content for the date to change but I wonder if there's a better way? What if the date that signifies white settlement and invasion came together? Not just to share a date but to share in both the mourning and celebration.

You could say I have a dream. Back in 2002 I attended a pilgrimage to Uluru where busloads of schoolchildren from all over Australia converged on Uluru to participate in a cultural exchange with the Mutitjulu people. This Pilgrimage still happens annually: http://www.fusion.org.au/schoolsinharmony/

One of the exchanges that took place and that moved me so much that it is forever etched into my memory and deeper, was something called a water ceremony.

A few hundred of us were gathered in an open amphitheatre under the multitude of stars that can be seen in an outback night sky. There we sat or stood holding our plastic cups given to us when we entered. We were entertained with a song sung in the Pitjantjatjaran language by the local women. Then came the story. The story of how Aboriginals kept coming across settlers in the early years who were dying of thirst because they didn't understand how to survive off the harsh land. The Aboriginals thought these settlers a bit dim but generously shared with them the secrets of where all the waterholes were. They were repaid this act of kindness with an act of cruelty. The settlers poisoned the water to kill off the local Aboriginal population.

It was haunting to hear such a story and be standing in the midst of Aboriginal Elders and women and children.

Then the water ceremony begun. This consisted of an Elder holding a jug of water and announcing that like in the old story, they were offering us the water, that which brings life, and that we should accept it properly this time. One by one people moved forward and received the water. Others took up jugs of water and gave it out. It was a very humbling experience to have my cup filled by a young Aboriginal woman who smiled with joy as she was approached from all sides by those eager to participate.

I wonder if this is a ceremony that could be held all over the country on the morning of January 26^th at festivals and sporting events and places of significance. It is a beautiful ceremony that puts the Aboriginal people in a place of high regard, establishing them as the traditional custodians of the land. It allows their hurt and their stories to be heard (more should be taught in school!). It puts them in a position that says we can forgive the wrongs of the past and welcome everyone as Australian. It places the non Aboriginal in a place of humility and asks them to act to receive the forgiveness of past wrongs. It is a simple ritual that goes a long way to bringing people together.

As a nation we made a giant leap when we said 'sorry' and a part of reconciliation has to be being forgiven. Is this the next step in reconciliation?

If we have to say sorry and be forgiven every year for the next 40,000 years then that is still good in my eyes so long as we are always moving in the right direction – towards reconciliation.

We have seen the resurgence of Anzac Day as a cultural focal point, especially for the young. Is this because they crave something with deep meaning? Something that brings us together, that shapes who we are. Unfortunately Australia Day doesn't bring us all together. So I dream of it being inclusive and imbued with deep meaning that can shape the culture of this nation.

If culture is shared symbols of meaning, rallying around the green and gold, knowing what 'mateship' means, then the symbolism in a water ceremony says we are all reconciled and we all belong. And with weight lifted I would hope we could move into the rest of the day as a celebration of what we share together now. I remember at the ceremony an Aboriginal woman also thanking for us all the good things we have brought that have enriched their lives, including, us.

I don't know where the water ceremony originated and whether it belongs to one group of people. Whether it would be offensive to ask other groups if they would like to introduce such a ceremony. Perhaps they have other stories and ceremonies that would work too. Everyone would need to own it for it to work.

I don't have a personal relationship with any Aboriginal elders or politicians to be able to ask how they feel about this proposal and whether they'd be interested in being a part of making something like this happen. I will endeavour to rectify both situations and would appreciate any assistance. If you think this is a worthwile idea and you think you can make it happen on a national scale or just on a small local scale which could one day grow to something bigger then I welcome you and urge you to try.

I ask again, is this or something like it the next step in reconciliation?

A definition of Insanity - Australia's reponse to boat people

I consider the values of the Christian faith to be Justice, Mercy and Compassion. In the light of those core values I ask myself how anyone who calls themselves a Christian can support the major parties stance on boat people?

In the eyes of the law over 90% of boat people are found to be legitimate refugees and not illegal immigrants. We signed a treaty that says that a person fleeing persecution can enter a country without permission and claim asylum. We signed that treaty because we agreed with many other nations that it was necessary to do so to prevent evils like the holocaust from ever happening again. Justice dictates that these people have done nothing wrong and should not be incarcerated indefinitely. We are flying in the face of international law.

the man who jumped

Mercy and Compassion is also missing in our response to boat people. (check out the documentary that got me all riled up again-something everyone should see but it having been shown on SBS means that it will evade the masses) http://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video/2189706100/The-Man-Who-Jumped-Full-Ep

Instead we utilise brutality and a regime of tormenting dehumanisation in an attempt to deter others, yet still they come. Benjamin Franklin said that 'the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.' I think Australia is going insane over this issue.

$90,000 per detainee per year to keep them in detention and subject them to months and months of mental anguish. This is supposed to protect us yet all it does is breed resentment and retaliation and riots. Insane.

What do we have to fear? Is it that they won't assimilate? that they don't speak english? Or is it just xenophobia being whipped up by some of the most irresponsible leaders of our time. We have been lied to for the sake of gaining power. Anyone who can get beneath the spin and see the truth like that conveyed in the 'the man who jumped' doco, if they still support the dehumanisation then somewhere along the way they may have allowed themselves to become dehumanised.

Here are some facts worth getting your head around:   http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/bn/sp/AsylumFacts.pdf

 

a child's perspective of detention in Australia

If it's so important that they speak english then why isn't a detention centre more like a school? If it is so important that a refugee/immigrant is assimilated then why do we put them through hell? If I was mistreated so I would be resentful of, not thankful toward the nation that did that to me. Why would I want to assimilate? Why would I want to be like them? So we want them to assimilate and contribute to our society but our treatment of them ends with such a devastating ammount of mental illness that they become dependant on health and welfare and are a drain on our society. Again, insane.

Wouldn't it make sense to welcome them on arrival and treat them with such dignity and generosity that they would be so thankful as to want to belong to such a society and to contribute to it as a way of giving back what has been given to them? Ever seen the movie 'Pay It Forward? Well if you are giving and generous and compassionate that often results in more giving and generosity etc. It's how the world works as God made it. If we pay forward with mistrust and carelessness and brutality, where does that lead us?

Jesus said that what we do to the least of those in need we do to him. It is said that some have welcomed those in need into their homes and have welcomed angels in doing so. Our fear has become contagious and spread to our brains and in our insanity we want to turn the angels away. After loving God we are meant to love our neighbour. What is being done in Australia's name is not loving.

If you find this blog offensive then I'd like to talk with you about why (you should've seen the initial draft – much more scathing and dripping with sarcasm). I just can't see Jesus turning people in need away and I can't see him standing by in the face of racism, oppression and the spin and lies and abuse of those in power. I am trying to follow his way, trying to find a sane place.

Occupying the Sacred

The major argument of the Church of England in attempting to oust the Occupy London Stock Exchange movement's camp from its sourrounds is that St Paul's is not a banking or a government institution but that it is a sacred place and is therefore an unsuitable place for holding such a demonstration. Could the Occupy campsite be considered as sacred too?

I went overseas for the first time just before Christmas and being in London for a couple of weeks visiting St Paul's and the Occupiers was on the top of my to do list. I'm not much of a tourist, ever since participating in a pilgrimage to Uluru where it was explained that a tourist passes through the land but a pilgrim let's the land pass through them I've always been more interested in getting a feeling for a place than just getting photo's of it. In a sense visiting St Paul's was very much a pilgrimage for me being that I care deeply about social activism and being that I consider myself part of the fellowship of those that follow Jesus. Here was a place where those two interests of mine came together, somewhat in harmony and somewhat in conflict.

I say in harmony because they still exist side by side, the Occupy movement which began there in October is still there which is more than can be said for the so called tolerant nature of Australia in regards to what happened in Melbourne and Sydney. But that harmony may be over in London as the High Court has just handed down an eviction notice pending appeal and therein lies the conflict.

Two high profile members of St Paul's stood down last year. Rev Giles Fraser and Chaplain Fraser Dyer both felt compelled to resign from their posts because other members were heading towards forcibly removing the occupiers. Good on them for standing up for what they believe in, but what does that tell us about those that remain? What do they believe is a reasonable course of action? If the appeal fails and the Occupiers don't leave then the City of London Corporation that St Paul's are in bed with in this will use force to remove them.

So what of my personal experience of the place?

The sun was going down, it was cold and we were a bit lost when searching for the site while walking some eerily empty streets with guards watching over side streets and buildings.

Only after reading this article did I get a sense of the sinister nature of these streets and how guilty on a much wider scale is the City of London Corporation for occupying public spaces:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/libertycentral/2012/jan/18/occupy-london-war-public-space

Then we could see the unmistakable dome looming between shiny office buildings and quickened our pace toward it. The eerily dead streets opened out into something alive, the grand edifice that is St Paul's and the campground at its feet. Not knowing if I was even allowed to enter St Paul's I explored the Occupy campsite and came upon what seemed to be the hub which was a library in a tent. This library was utilised by the Occupiers so that they could read up on activism, oppression, economy, theology, philosophy etc. A place that gives birth to ideas and to discussion and sharing and learning.

Walking past tents I spyed people sitting up in their sleeping bags and reading by candlelight. Spoke to a friendly guy who was handing out leaflets promoting an event that would be calling for the end to Guantanamo Bay and read the signs that had been put up on tents and trees. We walked all the way around the Church and it's fenced off grounds and then when we saw other people going inside we decided to venture into St Paul's.

Just in time for Evensong, taking our seats we listened to the choir and took in the majestic interior. An interior that I thought I might leave a sour taste due to a contradiction of the decandance inside and the poverty outside but that is not how I felt. I felt humbled by the place. I felt like I could stop, rest, meditate. I found myself being curious as to how different people find different ways to worship and express their faith and I was thankful that for some of them, building this living cathedral was it. It was undoubtedly a sacred place but as I exited out to where the occupiers were, I felt that their place was sacred too.

Sacredness is usually reserved for the religious but I like others disagree, I think we can find sacredness in a quest or in collectivity or counter-culture, or truth, beauty, in something that moves you to feeling that this is important to the story of humanity or that there is more to the story. Sacredness connects us to something special and bigger than ourselves.

Occupy has provided a place for those that believe that there is something wrong with the world. The Church also says there is something wrong with the world hence Jesus came to save it. Occupy has provided a place for many homeless, an issue that the Church is charged with caring about. The Occupiers are about to be moved on and the Church for a time now is in danger of becoming irrelevant.

I think wow when I imagine what it would be like if the Church opened up their grounds to the movement and joined in the demonstration against greed. I get that they see themselves as a sacred place of worship and seperate from meddling in national affairs but are they missing an opportunity? If the church can be vocal against homosexuality which Jesus never mentioned then surely they can be vocal against greed and abuse of power which Jesus had much to say about including Luke 12:15 “Be on your guard against all types of greed.”

Jesus also said in Mark 2:23-28 that the Sabbath was designed to serve humanity and not the other way around and that therefore if a structure is not serving the people then create one that does. The structure as it is does not serve the people and that is why the Occupiers are there, to occupy and bear witness to obscene corporate greed and abuse of power. To say that people have the right to demonstration and free assembly but that they've had their say and they should move on now in this case is saying we haven't heard you. To remove them is an attack on all they stand for which is to occupy until the world wakes up. 

 

I would probably be considered to be living below the poverty line here in Australia but according to this online survey-

http://www.givingwhatwecan.org/resources/how-rich-you-are.php

-I am still in the top 7.5% wealthiest people in the world. The 1% have too much but it is not me that needs a share of what they have, its the bottom 80-90% that do and as long as they are included and are a focus of being served by this movement, the movement will be considered sacred by me and I will stand by them, where do you stand?