Shouldn't people the world over be appalled by what christian society has done to the Australian aboriginals?

Question

For those of you who don't know, the Australian aboriginal community is in the grip of a crisis of extreme proportions.

A recent report has highlighted the fact that child rape in aboriginal communities is endemic, and has been for decades, affecting every single aboriginal community in the country.

The government has now declared martial law in many of the communities.

For those who would like a background, I attach this article:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/a-cynical-scratch-a-pustular-response/2007/06/29/1182624168798.html

Since Europeans first arrived in Australia, it's been bad news for aboriginals.

30% of them died from common cold within 20 years.

"The stolen generations" saw missionaries forcibly removing children from their mothers right up into the seventies.

The infant mortality rate is 5 times higher than for whites.

Alchohol and petrol sniffing are massive issues, which are linked to the sexual abuse problems.

Why has this been ignored?

Would these communities face the same problems if Europeans hadn't tried to force our christian values on them?

Would they have been better off if they'd been encouraged to follow their traditional "Dreamtime" mythology?

Why has this problem been hidden for the last decade by a government that prides itself on having prayer meetings before each cabinet meeting?

doomsday.............these people have been stripped of most of their dignity and introduced to alchohol by people who have lived with it for centuries.

That dosn't excuse their actions, and the guilty should be held accountable. But understand, the perpetrators now were victims themselves as children, as were there fathers and mothers. It's a generational problem now and far more widespread than in the white community.

We can't lock up all of them, there needs to be a better solution.

These people were only given free access to alchohol in the 60's, and that's when the problems really started.

Answer 1

Sounds just like what the christians did to the natives in the US...

and, Yes... these serious problems get ignored...

Answer 2

The majority of them don't speak up for the same reason that your don't see a great many Muslims denouncing terrorism vocally. Some of them might secretly agree with part of the extremists message, some of them just don't care what "the world" thinks of them. It's much too easy to say "Well those aren't true Christians" and disassociate themselves from the whole thing. But the ironic thing is, Fred Phelps and his clan are "true Christians", they follow the old testament more to the letter than most American Christians do.

Answer 3

Most societies have - in the past - been taken over by Caucasian people.

The french took over Haiti, brought in slaves, raped the land and were finally kicked off 200 years ago by the Haitians. Ever since then they have been in a mess. I sponsor a child there. I go there once a year to help in the best way I can by helping to feed hungry villages. It doesn't fix it, but it helps a few.

If you are so appalled by the problem w/ the Aborigines then you should send some money to help or go there and do what you can do to make a difference.

It is a crying shame what is going on all over the world.

Answer 4

The same reason no one cared about the near complete extinction of native americans but continue to bring up slavery which ended a hundred years ago in America and eventually brought about a better life for African "immigrants". Everyone ignores the truth that in Africa, they would have been subjected to the same conditions, slavery was common when one tribe conquered another. I'm not saying there's no such thing as discrimination against African Americans, but what about Native Americans? Don't they have a little more to complain about? Does anyone recall the "trail of tears...?"
I have trouble with believing it has nothing to do with the fact that African Americans converted to Christianity and Native Americans did not but maybe I'm just looking for things that aren't there.

Answer 5

The Australian government is not Christian and nor does it claim to be.

A real Christian society would be one in which the teachings of Christ,especially His Beatitudes ,were widely put into effect.

On a wide scale, there has never been a Christian Society, to the best of my knowledge. I do know Christian individuals who do prove that Jesus' teaching can be lived.

All churches should follow the example of Pope John Paul II in acknowledging the sins and follies done in the name of Christ while ignoring His ethical teachings of corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

Are sex for and with children,taking hallucinogens and drunkenness on intoxicants,"honor"violence and all forms of murder banned by Australian Aboriginal Non -Christian moral precepts? I do not know? Do you? I do ,however, know that all of the above evils are banned in Trinitarian Christianity.

Acculturation, applying Christian teachings and worship in the context and influence of the local cultures, has in "mainstream Christian groups" missionary work, for the most part,replaced undiscerning"Europeanization" which harmed families,societies,individuals and churches on Amerindian and other aboriginal societies in contemporary situations.

I think that living by the moral teachings and grace of Jesus is something that I would like to see transform every culture.

Answer 6

You are barely scratching the surface. The history of human cruelty is a never-ending story and is hardly limited to Christians or even religious people. Stephen King's character John Coffey put it so succinctly in The Green Mile: "That's the way it is every day, all over the world." That's why I am so tedious about promoting simple human kindness as a seminal virtue: it is so easily cultivated, does so much good, and prevents so much harm.

Answer 7

Let set the record straight......Since the British first arrived in Australia, & by what Protestant society has done to the Australian aboriginals? What aboriginals need is a charismatic leader like [ Nelson Mandala or Gerry Adams ] to lead them to peace & justice..!!

Answer 8

Not to mention the mass murder of Tasmanian native peoples. One of the most disgusting episodes in history, and rarely, if ever, mentioned amongst the `great achievements of the British Empire`. Don`t get me started !

Answer 9

Wasn't it these same Europeans who taught the aboriginals Evolutionary theory as well? That the aboriginals were sub-humans who were closer to apes than Caucasians were?

Answer 10

Even as an Atheist, I cannot agree with you. While the human element is sad, it is the Aboriginal culture that fell behind technologically and socially. When there was a clash of cultures and technology, their failure to evolve both physically and culturally is what truly killed them off.

The world is a cold, hard place...