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The
risk for such a worker is increased when some employers and professional groups
introduce revised standards, codes and everyday organisational policies that seek to conflict with the way previously religious freedoms had embedded
professional ethical practices. It is no secret that in the past a
Judeo-Christian ethic permeated certain ways that many Western countries framed
laws, policies, professional codes and practices.
In
other words, this case has implications for what in public policy is called the
role of the state. When Government (Federal
& State) legislate laws, and when it puts in place regulations to guide how
individuals navigate society and institutions – it’s all part of what we call role of the state. Even when Governments
choose to do nothing, this too is a policy choice with ramifications.
Personally,
I support religious freedoms, much as I also believe Christianity in everyday
simultaneously calls us not to judge or cast the first stone.
But
I don’t believe to be a good citizen in a country or the world you should be
forced to reject the New Testament (Gospel). I don’t believe to be a good
worker you should be forced to recant everyday Christian teachings that are
compiled in the Gospel if that is what you follow.
The
thing is, if more organisations feel free to implement employment codes that
prevent believers from exercising Christian practices, then in time more
Christians in Australia who seek to follow the teachings of the New Testament
may get into trouble in situations where religious expression come into conflict
with new professional codes. Let’s face it, any other Rugby player who may be doing a normal
weekly church reading or lay preaching may find themselves in trouble should
someone take offence if they quote some part of the bible about one thing or
the other.
I
am not questioning the importance being professional and the valuing of all
human dignity, but if redefining professionalism and the human dignity to mean
compelling people to recant some of basics of the Gospel then that is not a
strong foundation for an inclusive society.
If
Government does nothing, as an individual employee you are left on your own
against new emerging codes, organisational policies and standards of your
organisation as these new professional forms are seek to disentangle themselves
from the Judeo-Christian ethic.
Basically
when commentators condemn Government efforts to legislate legal protections for
people not to be kicked out of their jobs for subscribing to religion, what such
commentators seem to be implying is that they want individuals to fend for
themselves against employer organisations.
Unless
Australia enacts a legislation protecting religious freedom, we will see
certain entrenched change in some areas of workforce participation. Much as people of faith are not immune from
imperfections, you will have to be a brave person indeed to think that Australian
society is better off by excluding some Christians from work spaces because
someone quoted a biblical verse.
The
words of one public commentator come to mind (paraphrased), if you think as a
society our system has issues because of believers, wait and see how the system
works out if these groups face institutionalised exclusion. I suppose that goes for all of us, sometimes
your true neighbour may not turn up in a form you expect.
And
just one more thing, employment participation is just one area. As increased
areas of professional, moral and ethical practices are being revised such as
the recent assisted dying laws and much more, I suspect we haven’t seen the
last of religious freedom debates. At the centre of it seems to be effort to
extricate from the Judeo-Christian ethic as a dominant form that underpinned
the relationship between individual, society and the State.
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