Lifting the lid on the National Day of Thanksgiving

No. 33, 23 May 2006

by Alan Matheson

It’s on again on June 3. The Governor-General proclaims it; the Prime Minister endorses it; the Foreign Minister will have his Kellogg’s with it in the morning in Adelaide, and in Launceston there will be a barbie for the troops. It’s the National Day of Thanksgiving, and it’s a con. Once again, the Religious Right has conned both politicians and the churches – well, at least some of the churches.

Ethically it’s a con

Information on the NDOT 2006 website could be regarded as deceptive and dishonest. For example, the Governor-General’s statement, presented as his 2006 proclamation, is in fact his 2005 statement. Either he doesn’t know about NDOT 2006, or he has approved the republication of his 2005 statement, or he’s found nothing new for which to be thankful in 2006! Opposition Leader Kim Beasley’s 2006 proclamation is also his 2005 one – perhaps he wishes it was still 2005.

Some of the 58 “founding and supporting ministries” no longer appear to exist (such as Business Men Australia, and the Religious Media Agency); some appear to be directed and run by one person (for example, the Fatherhood Foundation, Australian Heart Ministries, Australian Heart Productions and Men’s Prayer.com are all directly related to one person); Rise Up Australia is a division of Catch the Fire Ministries, and so on. Further, the endorsements of the 15 men for NDOT 2006 are, word-for-word, copied from their 2005 endorsements. With only one or two exceptions, none of the 58 endorsers offer any transparent statement on their financial accountability or management, yet most call for cash support.

Politically it’s a con

The tactic of enlisting politicians to call “churches” to prayer and thanksgiving for “those in uniform” is part of a broader aim of the Australian Religious Right. The aim of NDOT organisers is “rededicating our nation to the purposes of God.” They declare that “We the people of Australia are God’s people.... we declare that Jesus is the Lord of Australia and the Government of this nation rests on his shoulders.”

The Parliamentary Prayer Network, both a supporter of NDOT and a frequent visitor to Parliament House in Canberra, sought the assistance of one Cindy Jacob who, in a prophetic judgment, “believed that Christians must take over the world through its governments … and that Australia is on the brink of becoming a theocracy ruled by God”.

Ecclesiastically it’s a con

While the Governor-General might call on the “churches ... to promote the NDOT”, in fact few churches are involved. No national church leader, Archbishop, moderator or president of any of the 15 member churches of the National Council of Churches has endorsed the NDOT; no state council of churches has endorsed it; and no Orthodox bishop. The only national church leader whose endorsement appears on the NDOT website is Pastor Brian Houston, National President of the Assemblies of God in Australia and Senior Pastor of Hillsong Church in Sydney.

Of the 58 “founding and supporting ministries” only three are local churches; the rest are a bewildering collection of one- or two-person operations (sometimes a married couple). Some have disturbing connections with Christian Zionism, anti-Islamic views and right-wing racist groups (such as the John Birch Society). Others are vehemently opposed to multiculturalism; one is Australia’s largest religious retailer (Koorong Books, who sell and distribute all the resources of NDOT), and some are advocates of fundamentalist creationism.

Historically it’s a con

June 3 is not just about saying thanks to “the people in uniform.” It is about celebrating the 400th anniversary of a prophetic declaration regarding “the Great Southland of the Holy Spirit” by Portuguese explorer Pedro Fernandez de Quiros on the shores of Vanuatu (he thought it was Australia).

As the NDOT website puts it: “We acknowledge the prophetic word spoken on Pentecost weekend 400 years ago that Australia is part of the ‘Great Southland of the Holy Spirit’ and this day join with our brothers and sisters in the island nations of the South Pacific in celebration of that rich heritage. We acknowledge that by the Grace of God, that prophetic declaration remains as true today as it was 400 years ago.”

Theologically it’s a con

For the church, “thanksgiving” is a part of worship and liturgy, and is directly linked to confession and repentance. The NDOT website states that “As the Christians of this generation we acknowledge our responsibility in history to ensure that Christian heritage is not lost, but indeed further enriched through the example of our witness and lifestyle.”

But neither the leaders of the Religious Right, nor Australian politicians associated with the NDOT, are much interested in any expression of regret, sorrow or repentance for the lies and deception which led to the occupation of Iraq, the denial of rights and protection by politicians and parliaments and the people of the Aboriginal community, the denial of adequate funding for public hospitals and schools, or the wretched situation of children in detention.

Be alert and be alarmed. The National Day of Thanksgiving is a con. It’s the Religious Right at its best – or worst.

Alan Matheson is a retired minister of the Churches of Christ. He has also worked for the human rights program of the World Council of Churches, and has coordinated the international program of the Australian Council of Trade Unions.

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Soundings is a publication of the Centre for Christian Ethics, edited by Rod Benson. Soundings welcomes submissions of up to 1000 words that seek to facilitate debate and explore issues of religion, ethics and public policy in Australia and internationally. Previous columns give a good indication of the topical range and tone for acceptable essays. Columns may be quoted or republished in full, with attribution to the author of the column, Soundings, and the Centre for Christian Ethics, Morling College, Sydney Australia. Views expressed in Soundings articles are not necessarily those of the Centre for Christian Ethics, Morling College or the Baptist Churches of NSW & ACT.