A Compelling Evil. Part Two.
It is one thing to pass a law that permits evil but it is something more to pass a law that compels evil. We have not been here before in a civilised society.
Lachlan, you sounded pretty upset in that previous paper.
If you mean surprised and disappointed – yes. I thought we had achieved more. Hurting for our future – yes, absolutely. Will it deter me – no way, it just refines the battle.
What do you want to achieve?
More than anything else to waken God’s people to the reality of the war against principalities and powers – and to have them prepare spiritually and prepare others particularly our children for whom the battle is going to be more intense. At the moment I see the main part of the church as being like the foolish virgins in the parable – waiting for the coming of the bridegroom but unprepared and unaware.
Why do you think so much of the church is like this?
Sometimes we’re just too busy – I mean really busy. I don’t just mean with self-seeking pastimes, I mean the essential busyness of life just coping with all that modern life brings – responsibilities with children, aging parents, positions in community. Secondly, there is the pursuit of pleasure – even good ones that God has given us the ability to enjoy. Thirdly, there is protective denial – when people just cannot conceive that we have come so far in such a short period of time, that things are really this bad or just presuming that somehow bad things will be fixed.
So like you said about the people in Germany?
Yes. “No, no, that is not possible, we would never do that, it cannot be that bad”. Now in addition to denial and busyness and the pursuit of pleasure there’s actually a fourth reason – and that is a feeling of hopelessness, of impotence to do anything about what’s happening, like the people in Germany – but here we can do something, and we are and we will.
Can you crystallise the issues?
Yes, I’d like to try, once again. At one level of seriousness and evil are the actual things that are happening and are threatening to happen and be permitted by government. The area that most concerns me as a doctor is the issue of intrinsic human dignity and what it means to be human so this brings in doctor-assisted suicide, euthanasia, abortion, cloning, mixing of animal and human genes, embryo selection and unrestricted genetic engineering. There is also the destruction of society contingent on the destruction of marriage and family. But to highlight this do you realise it is now legal in Victoria to abort/kill your baby at any stage of pregnancy – yes, that’s right through to term – for any reason whatever – yes, that’s sex selection, skin colour, whatever – and all that is needed is for two doctors to be in agreement. Yes, that’s legal. And emotional distress is enough reason.
Surely that cannot be. Are you sure about that?
It’s true. It is permitted by law. Already babies with readily correctable abnormalities such as cleft lip have been aborted. This has crept under the radar anyway before the Victorian law but it is now legal.
OK, you’ve certainly got my attention. But, you mean, there’s more?
Tragically yes, and that is what’s happening in our parliaments that has actually allowed this to happen – the lack of responsibility in so many of our MPs. I have written of this elsewhere but let me say that the government of Victoria ignored and dismissed so many of the advices given to it as well as ignoring its own Charter of Rights. The inconsistency of the Charter with the conscience clause was pointed out by the body responsible but this was ignored. In other states considering euthanasia strong evidence against euthanasia laws ever being safe has been presented along with other strong arguments but we have only narrowly avoided such laws coming in. Many of our MPs do not deserve to be there and are just simply not receptive to logical argument – indeed they ignore it and many have even been elected for a specific agenda. This does not bode well for our future.
That also is hard to believe.
I agree but there is so much more that I can tell. Check out Emily’s List. Check out policy statements in political parties. The Christian Values Checklist highlights policies on all parties before election. It really is time people woke up to these agendas and put the future of our country ahead of other immediate seemingly important needs. We have an obligation to be responsible in our voting.
Do you think people don’t appreciate the opportunity they have in voting?
Yes and they also do not understand the preferential voting system no matter how many times it is explained – that they can put their minor party of preference first and major party second and their vote will flow on at full value if the minor party does not win. If only 91 Liberal voters who put me as number two had instead put me as number one I would have been in state parliament two elections ago. OK, I am content that God was ultimately in charge of that process but it’s a good illustration of the importance of knowing how to vote.
So what else is there?
So far we have creeping evil in our society being permitted and pushed by people in responsibility in society – our members of parliament – who are unwittingly or willingly subject to evil agendas. I have not used the adjective “evil” before in connection with this but what other interpretation is there? And if people now start accusing me of being alarmist then please tell me why you weren’t listening when I was being soft and gentle. And please give me an alternative view. Argue with me. Persuade me. Don’t just keep silent – but if you do then at least learn to pray with intelligence, keep informed, introduce your friends to Christ, and learn how to vote.
Got it! But you said there’s more.
Yes! There’s more and it seems like a small thing but it’s huge and that is the overruling of conscience clause in the Victorian abortion law and I talk about this in the video of the Conscience Laws and Healthcare Conference held in Melbourne in July last year.
And it was the failure of hits on this site that got you started with your little cri de coer – cry from the heart?
Yes, I tell people how important this is and they don’t even look. Yes, I know many of my friends have read my talk and they are excused. But the failure of others to even make a ten second hit on the site means either they are too busy or they don’t care or they don’t believe its as important as getting the next cricket score. What other conclusion can I come to?
OK, so why is this significant?
It is the first time in the Western world since Hitler’s Germany that doctors have been forced by government legislation to participate in evil. If we refuse then we are breaking the law. Please let that sink in…
Surely that cannot be?
It’s there in black and white. Why do you think the conference was called? Apart from lowly me have a look at the people who were there as participants.
Well, I admit, it is hard to comprehend.
Hey, I agree. The possibility of that clause not being taken out by amendment never occurred to me. I was gobsmacked when it passed. I wrote “A Black Day in Australian Legislative History… words like unbelievable, incomprehensible come to mind. How can any government, anywhere, say that a doctor must cooperate in something that is against his or her conscience – especially when this involves killing?” Have a look at The Culture of Death – A Lament and a Resolution.
Or we could look at the conference video http://www.vimeo.com/7809169.
Yes, that will help to grasp the seriousness of this. It is one thing to pass a law that permits evil but it is something more to pass a law that compels evil. We have not been here before in a civilised society.
So what do you want us to do?
Spread the video link. Tell people they must watch it to at least understand.
Lachlan Dunjey 22 February 2010.
Thanks Lachlan, for your relentless pursuit of justice for the unborn.
Keep up the good work.
Ray