2020 has been a horrible year around the world in so many respects. The main cause of despair, panic and fear was the COVID-19 pandemic, which still continues to affect populations in both developed and undeveloped countries. Its devastation will undoubtedly continue throughout 2021 whether or not vaccines become available.
The breakdown of law and order (as well as civil society) in the United States leading up to the presidential election in November will fan the flames of prejudice, hatred and violence in many other countries. Extreme left-wing activists have gained increasing confidence that the authorities (especially the police) in most countries claiming to be democracies will do little, if anything, to curb their mad ideas and actions.
Conservatives who eschew violence and civil disorder are left abandoned by the very institutions they elected to protect them.
Living in Australia has been my reality. The events of 2020 in the governing of our Commonwealth and states are disappointing at the lowest level of assessment and profoundly disturbing when considered in detail. Victoria has undoubtedly suffered most in many ways. The affect of COVID is the disaster that most readily comes to mind because of the incompetence, lies and dereliction of duty by Premier Dan Andrews and his incompetent cohort of ministers and senior public servants. The Coate Inquiry was a farce and never had the willingness or courage to pursue the truth. Only a Royal Commission would have the power to look under the beach of rocks that hide the truth. The Commonwealth Government has the power to do so but that will never occur with the current prime minister.
However, far more fundamental issues occurred in 2020 that the left-wing dominated newspapers and television stations (especially the ABC) have failed to report in anything like truthful terms. These are issues of principle, not mere existence.
The most outrageous legislation in Australia’s history is currently being forced through the Victorian Parliament. The ‘Change and Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Bill 2020’ was passed in the Lower House on Thursday, 10 December, the last sitting day before Christmas. It will be submitted to the Upper House early in 2021.
The basic problem with the bill is not its stated intention, which appears to be about preventing damaging and coercive practises that may harm human dignity, a worthy goal we would all support. Rather, the problem is with the content of the bill which seeks to entrench both a radical gender ideology into law and thereby to legalise a dramatic over-reach by the state into the affairs of the church and faith communities by criminalising certain prayers, conversions, pastoral conversations, preaching on a biblical view of marriage and Christian morality, or the giving of any advice or direction to any individual seeking gender reassignment, solicited or not, other than by a medical professional.
If passed in its present form, this bill will criminalise any conduct that seeks to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. For example, if a child requests gender reassignment surgery, the parent/s could be held criminally liable for encouraging the child to wait or by sending him or her for counselling. It would also prevent people of any age from voluntarily seeking counselling and pastoral help to curtail their sexual behaviour, or even joining a support group.
Parents will be prevented from exercising what are their parental responsibilities and obligations concerning the nurture of their children in the area of gender and sexuality. Christian Schools will be prevented from either forming or upholding a clear Christian ethos for their school that includes a distinctly Christian morality. Basic acts of religious piety like prayer, preaching and pastoral care, will be captured by the broad categories of offending described and criminalised by this bill.
Penalties will be fines of up to $10,000 or imprisonment for up to 10 years.
On 23 July 2020 I wrote in this blog: ‘Australians have lulled themselves into such an apathetic attitude for so long that, when reality changes, it passes them by like a speeding car passes a stationary one. The glimpse of the speeding car is so quick that its significance fades almost immediately to those in the stationary car.’
Complacency is demonstrated by the fact that NOT ONE member of the Opposition Liberal Party voted against this Bill. They are cowards and have betrayed everyone who voted for them. They were asleep in the stationary car!
If this Bill is enacted, woe to freedom of thought, speech and religion in Victoria. The neo-Marxist, left-wing fanatics will have achieved a major victory. They will snuff out serious opposition like a little candle is extinguished.
My regrettable conclusion is to view those ‘Christians,’ and other sensible people, who are completely unmoved by this evil legislation, as belonging to those condemned by God so long ago in the Book of Isaiah chapter 6:
9 And God replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
10 Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
People live and die. The COVID pandemic only hastens the inevitable fate of everyone. Revolutions come and go, as they have through history. Times can be favourable or dismal. But God’s moral values are the same yesterday, today and forever. It is this disintegration of the Judaeo-Christian values of our society that makes 2020 an annus horribilis.
