Faith in Australia

As someone who grew up in the USA when segregation was still the law in parts of the country, I am particularly appalled by Australian universities that reserve separate academic and social areas for Indigenous students. Instead of judging people by their character, universities now discriminate based on race. This is the exact opposite of what Nelson Mandela wished for and what Martin Luther died for.

As you may guess, campus orthodoxies rise and spread without belief in a God but never without a belief in the devil. The devil is anyone who objects. Apostates are vilified, shunned, or banished from the academy. Several professors have been fired for claiming there are only two biological sexes. Cowardice and fear keep academics and vice-chancellors parroting patent nonsense.

All this upheaval would be worthwhile if it improved the world in some way or gave students and graduates the latitude to lead more meaningful lives. Unfortunately, it has had the opposite effect; young people are miserable. According to a Menzies Centre report, 39% of young Australians suffered a mental disorder in the last year. The percentage is even higher if we focus on females. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that 46% of women aged 16-24 experienced a mental disorder last year. Some observers have tried to put a positive spin on these numbers. They say that the increase in mental disorders reflects a greater willingness to talk about psychological problems than in the past when admitting to mental illness carried a social stigma. Unfortunately, the explosion in mental illness is not just talk. The leading cause of death among Australians aged 15-24 is suicide. These are our children and grandchildren. What do we do when many feel life is not worth living?

In Australia, we do what we always do: turn to the government for a solution. In response, the government has declared "zero tolerance" for suicide, domestic violence, and a list of other social ills. The government has pledged to spend lots of money to cure them. Their actions are well-meaning, and the dedication of those striving to make a difference is admirable. Yet, I cannot help thinking of Oliver Goldsmith's words: "How small, of all that human hearts endure, that part which laws or kings can cause or cure." Suicide occurs when life is so meaningless that it is too painful to live. Such deep-seated anguish is a malaise of the soul-a despair that no government advertising campaign can hope to heal.

There was a time when religion and communal traditions offered solace and answers to life's existential questions. Unfortunately, Matthew Arnold's "melancholy, long, withdrawing roar" of the Sea of Faith has left young people adrift in a sea of uncertainty. As TS Eliot noted, our youth are "no longer at ease in the old dispensation," yet they continue to wrestle with the same old questions: "Why am I here? What is good? How should I live?" Our governments and educational institutions are unable or unwilling to provide any guidance. In a culture marred by cynicism and self-loathing, it's all too easy for young people to see life as "a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

We live in a time of cultural crisis. Yet, despite the well-known challenges, I have faith in Australia. The country has come through far worse. Every decade has brought its trials. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, 32 per cent of Australian workers were unemployed. Today's figure is 3.5 per cent, and we are one of the most prosperous countries in the world. The Japanese bombing raids of the 1940s killed hundreds of people in Darwin, Broome, and Townsville. Australia survived, and Japan is now one of our closest allies. The Vietnam War of the 1960s divided the nation and scarred numerous lives. Today, Vietnamese migrants are thriving here, and their country is a popular destination for Australian tourists. Cyclone Tracy, the Black Saturday Bush Fires, and the Great Brisbane Flood were deadly and costly, but a combination of compassion, mutual aid, and resilience rebuilt every affected community.

We can overcome the current spiritual malaise, but it will take work. The first step is to learn to push back as hard as the age that pushes against you. As Paul advised the Romans, "Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your minds." Our way of life is a precious gift that must be cherished and protected against the forces aligned against it.

The good news is that the pushing back has begun.

A $450 million campaign to divide Australia on racial grounds by altering our constitution was overwhelmingly defeated. It seems that Australians prefer common sense to emotional blackmail, cohesion to division, and a fair go to favouritism.

Despite a noisy minority, patriotism-our faith in our country's future-is vibrantly alive and growing stronger. This year, we witnessed the largest turnout in history for Anzac Day, and millions joined in Australia Day celebrations.

The recent resurgence of Classical Education suggests that parents and students-shocked by what they see in schools and on campus-are pushing back by returning to foundational educational and spiritual values.

As noted earlier, Australians have always united to support one another during natural disasters. But our faith is also displayed in Wordsworth's "little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love." These acts of communal solidarity-whether in times of crisis or the quiet moments of daily life-continue to demonstrate the basic strength of our social fabric.

The title of this article, "Faith in Australia" can have two meanings. It speaks not only to our belief in the future of our nation but also to the spiritual faith that sustains us. Neither patriotism nor spiritual faith are passive; they are both calls to action. They require courage, persistence, and a commitment to defending what St Paul called, the good, acceptable, and perfect.

As we stand at this cultural crossroads, we must remember that the path we choose today will shape the Australia of tomorrow. We can allow the country we love to drift into a future marked by division and despair, or we can use our strength to forge a new chapter of unity, resilience, and hope. The road may be difficult, and the challenges great, but patriotism has carried us this far and will continue to guide us in the years to come. This is our moment, our opportunity to reaffirm our belief in the promise of Australia and to ensure that the cultural crossroads we now face become a turning point away from the dark forces of division toward a brighter, unified future.