If there is one thing to be learned of the Peaceable Kingdom of God, it is the message of The Light. I am reminded of this when the Howard Government - purporting to have Christian values - introduced to-day the Workplace Relations Amendment (Work Choices) Bill 2005. Reports suggest that under the new Industrial Relations changes it will be a criminal offence for an employee to reveal that he or she is working under an AWA [Australian Workplace Agreement].The Christian message has been about Light since the birth of Jesus. The opposite of Light is Darkness. Light shines for all to see. Darkness hides its deeds and cloaks them in secrecy. These types of provisions, which also appear in the proposed anti-terrorism legislation where one parent cannot tell another if a child has been detained and disappeared, are the works of a dark spirit: a spirit that has to hide, dissemble, trick and control to get its own way. It cannot consult, interact, convince, treat equitably. In short, it cannot and will not operate in the Light.
Just as George W. Bush and his cohorts - with a preconceived idea for the invasion of Iraq - were able to use the excuse of 9/11 to talk the Iraqi war up with lies so the Howard Government is using the talk of terrorism (not actual deeds please notice) to exert its control and mould Australia in its own dark image. There WILL be control in the workplace. There WILL be control in the community.
