13th October 2009
Theology politicised and history falsified
Not surprisingly, this issue contains several reports on the new Preamble passed by the recent Assembly, but yet to be endorsed by synods and presbyteries. Only a miracle will see the Preamble thrown out by these ‘inter-related councils’. Their track record ofrubber-stamping Assembly decisions will almost certainly prevail when they vote the Preamble in or out next year. Synods and presbyteries face a double hazard. They must adjudicate on a matter at the heart of aboriginal sensitivities, and must take issue with the myth that Assembly actually represents the distilled thinking of the church. The myth is remarkably intact despite a history of flawed decisions and serial manipulation of the church’s political processes.
This year the manipulative juices ran perhaps more freely than usual. The occasion was the Preamble’s revision of history and the political steps taken before and during the assembly to ensure it was ratified. These matters are touched on by our writers.
The re-writing and falsification of history is a question that should linger long into the future if the Preamble is to offer real advantage for aboriginal members of the Uniting Church. Clearly that question was not adequately raised at the Assembly because of time constraints. Deeper reflection and careful study were impossible before delegates entered the pressure cooker of ‘debate’, so it was inevitable that they voted on the basis of inadequate knowledge and under pressure to reach a happy conclusion. As with all constitutional changes, the initiators had the advantage, because they had spent months devising arguments and planning the moves.
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