wfn.org | Lutheran leader speaks out on Aboriginal issue

[FRANK.IMHOFF@ecunet.org]

ADELAIDE, Australia/GENEVA, 10 May 2000 (lwi) - In view of the
deteriorating relations between Australia's conservative coalition
government and the country's Aborigines, the President of the Lutheran
Church of Australia (LCA), Dr. Lance G. Steicke, has called for
compassion in the current debate about mandatory sentencing and "the
stolen generation".

"Compassion, not political point-scoring, is what is needed," said the
Adelaide-based church leader in a statement shared with lwi. The head of
the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) associate member-church was
referring to a leaked government report which reportedly stated that the
forced removal of about 10 percent of Aboriginal children from their
families between the 1920s and 1960s did not constitute a "stolen
generation".

Aborigines, said to be Australia's most disadvantaged group, have
protested against the authorities handling of indigenous issues. They
have demanded that the government apologize for the report and
acknowledge the existence of a "stolen generation".

In early April, Prime Minister John Howard and Aboriginal Affairs
Minister John Herron reportedly apologized for any offence caused but
stood by the report which is said to have been prepared for an inquiry
into the former policy by successive governments of taking away
indigenous children from their homes to be raised in white Australian
society.

The "stolen generation" debate has heightened tensions between the
coalition government and the country's 400,000 Aborigines, which were
already at a high following the Prime Minister's refusal to annul
regional mandatory jailing laws condemned as racist by human rights
groups. Aboriginal protesters have vowed that they will take advantage
of the media focus on the Olympic Games next September to raise
awareness about the plight of the indigenous people who make up about
two percent of Australia's population of 19 million.

In his April statement, Dr. Steicke deplores the politicization of the
issue. "Party politics and political point-scoring can only result in
deeper division. We need to exercise compassion to bring us closer
together," he said.

"I have always battled for the Aboriginal people of our church and
land," Steicke stated. He added: "The LCA has a long history of
association with Aboriginal people. The 10,000 Aboriginal members of our
church are my brothers and sisters in Christ. They have often been the
victims of injustice. I am sorry for the wrongs that have been
perpetrated against them, including wrongs done by our church. My heart
goes out to them." The Lutheran church has a membership of 94,000
people.

According to Steicke, the LCA has planned a special ceremony of
reconciliation at its tri-ennial national convention in July this year.
"We are taking this rite seriously. But we want it to be more than a
ceremony. We want genuine regret and compassion to be at the heart of
all our relationships within the church. Our Aboriginal members
frequently remind us of the compassionate heart of God and the
reconciliation we already have through Christ's sacrifice on the cross."

The church leader stated that he is "not a politician," and admitted
having little knowledge about all the political ramifications. "But I
plead with political leaders to approach this issue with compassion and
I plead with Aboriginal people to have compassion also at a time when
revenge could be uppermost in their minds," he urged.

(The LWF is a global communion of 128 member churches in 70 countries
representing nearly 59.5 million of the world's 63.1 million Lutherans.
Its highest decision-making body is the Assembly held every six or seven
years. Between Assemblies, the LWF is governed by a 49-member Council,
which meets annually, and by its Executive Committee. The LWF
secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.)

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Lutheran World Information
Assistant Editor, English: Pauline Mumia
E-mail: pmu@lutheranworld.org
http://www.lutheranworld.org/