15 August, 2023
Dear Reader,
Conservative defenders of traditional Christian values often claim that many of the things they perceive as current threats to society – radical sex education in primary schools, for example, or the notion of gender fluidity – share a common origin. That they are in fact inspired by Marxism, which is not dead, as we had imagined, but very much alive and still actively striving towards the destruction of ‘bourgeois’ society.
A common response, even from many of us within traditional circles, is to dismiss such ideas as mere ‘conspiracy theories’. Surely it’s absurd, isn’t it, to imagine that there is some kind of plot or strategy behind an apparently disconnected range of attacks on cherished customs?
We are right to question this, because we all have friends, good and decent people, who hold opinions on certain social issues that we don’t share or may even find objectionable. These are friends of high personal integrity; we cannot imagine them to be doctrinaire Marxists, secretly scheming to overthrow society. I have friends, for example, who passionately support same-sex marriage. I don’t share their view, but our friendship is not impaired by that difference of opinion. I have friends who deny the existence of God. I’m a believer and think they’re wrong, but we respect each other’s views.
So is all this talk of Marxist conspiracy just nonsense? To answer that, we need to look closely at the roots of Marxism.
The first and most obvious place to start is The Communist Manifesto itself, written jointly by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels and published in 1848. Here economics are the chief concern of Marx, while Engels deals with what we might call the anthropology of communism. This latter area is the one that chiefly concerns us as we evaluate the threats against traditional western values.
It is obvious that both Marx and Engels are absolute atheists and that shapes their thinking. They deny the existence of any objective or independent moral authority, so all ethical decisions are linked solely to the utility of the herd or the proles, the mass of ordinary people. They also believe that the natural state of human society is the herd, which holds all property in common, and which is matriarchal because there are no marriage bonds and paternity is immaterial. From this, they think, arose hierarchies dominated by males – families, control of property and labour by the powerful, and religious structures. The Marxist goal is a return to an idealised ‘communist’ state of nature, in which all are equal (though some perhaps more than others).
That Marxism remains a powerful motivating force on people’s thinking needs no demonstration: it is on the public record. Marx and Engels spawned the thought of the Frankfurt School, Gramsci, Marcuse and innumerable current activists throughout the world who work towards ‘resetting’ society. So is there a conspiracy? In one sense that hardly matters, because the greatest threat is and always has been the ‘Useful Idiots’ (a term wrongly but plausibly ascribed to Lenin) who, often with generous intentions or through mere inertia, support or just tolerate one or other of the radical movements that seek to modify or even destroy the structures of society.
THE 2023 COLLOQUIUM
We were thrilled by the high quality of the papers and the unusually large number of registrations. You can read an excellent article about the Colloquium by Catherine Sheehan in Sydney’s Catholic Weekly here.
Most of the talks have now been uploaded to our YouTube Channel.
At this stage you can see the presentations of Deidre Clary, Diff Crowther, Kevin Donnelly, Sarah Flynn-O’Dea, Daniel Lewkovitz, Archbishop Porteous and John Roskam. Two others are still being edited and will be posted soon.
END OF LIFE ISSUES
The Hon Greg Donnelly is a Labor member of the NSW Legislative Council (the upper house of state parliament). He maintains a watch on Life issues, not only in Australia but internationally. His work is very well researched. I have included his most recent report as an appendix to this issue.
With best wishes to all,
David Daintree
IN THE NEWS
BULLYING LEADS TO SUICIDE
Former Canadian school principal Richard Bilkszto took his own life after being falsely accused of racism. It’s a horrible tale of relentless bullying. Read it here.
CLASSICAL LIBERAL EDUCATION
Kevin Donnelly, well known to readers of this newsletter, recently hosted an important one-day seminar on this topic. Other speakers were Rabbi Shimon Cowen, Diff Crowther, Monica Doumit, Simon Kennedy, Sam McClelland, Michael Mendieta, Tracey Rowland, John Smyth and Barry Spurr. All the presentations are available here.
TRANSHUMAN AND SUBHUMAN
Science fiction writer John C Wright warns of the dangers of AI in this collection of essays: ‘The Transhumanists, with childlike faith, merely assume the technology to redact, edit, program and condition human thoughts and personalities one day will exist, and we can turn our leaden souls to gold.’
ABORIGINAL RECONCILIATION
This edition of essays edited by Augusto Zimmermann and Gabriël Moens, puts the case for a NO vote in the upcoming referendum on The Voice. In the meantime, this piece by Michael Cook exposes a shameful statistic about the proportion of aboriginal childrenliving in out-of-home care.
GENDER TRANSITIONING
We are deeply suspicious of this growing movement, but are also cautious about using material for or against. There is such passion on both sides. This video from Mercatornet is unambiguously opposed to it, but its presentation of the historical background looks plausible and may be valuable.
COMING EVENTS
HOBART SUNDAY 3 SEPTEMBER – 7.30 PM
LAUNCH OF RABBI DR SHIMON COWEN’S NEW BOOK,
A Populism of the Spirit – Further Essays in Politics and Universal Ethics.
Readers are warmly invited to this event
on Sunday 3 September, at 7.30 pm
in the Leadlight Room, Hadleys Orient Hotel, 39 Murray St, Hobart.
The book will be launched by former Senator, the Hon Eric Abetz, in the presence of the Hon Michael Ferguson,
Deputy Premier of Tasmania
RSVP director@dawsoncentre.org
Rabbi Dr Shimon Cowen, the son of a former Governor-General of Australia, Sir Zelman Cowen, is Director of the Institute for Judaism and Civilization, Melbourne. This is the sequel to his book, Politics and Universal Ethics, which received bipartisan launches by members of all six State Legislatures of Australia
HOBART TUES 12 SEPTEMBER – 6.00 PM
DR RALPH MARTIN
Hobart – we hope at the Italian Club, but await confirmation soon
Dr Ralph Martin is President of Renewal Ministries and Director of Graduate Theology Programs in Evangelization, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Archdiocese of Detroit, USA. He holds a doctorate in theology from the Angelicum University in Rome.
Topic: Living as Catholics in Challenging Times
As a taster, here is a recent video of Ralph Martin discussing some pressing issues facing by the Church.
SUMMER SCHOOL ON WESTERN CULTURE 2024
Monday 8 to Friday 12 January 2024 inclusive
Hobart – venue to be finalised
The Dawson Centre was founded to advance the notion that the Christian Faith and the intellectual tradition that grew up with it are essential components of our civilisation, not optional extras, but core elements in the very fabric of the culture. Christopher Dawson maintained that a true human culture cannot exist at all without a religious component, and the Christian religion is inherent in and inseparable from our Western culture.
What are some of the great and distinctive achievements of the West?
We are offering this course for the third time as a sort of a ‘taster’, a broad and sweeping view of the terrain and some of its principal landmarks. It cannot claim to be any more than a sketch of the panorama, but we hope it will meet a need and inspire participants to delve further into our fascinating and rich heritage.
SUMMER SCHOOL – LATE AND ECCLESIASTICAL LATIN
Monday 15 to Friday 19 January 2024
at Notre Dame Priory, Colebrook, Tasmania
The Latin school assumes some prior knowledge of the language and leads participants through a selection of important readings in poetry and prose, sacred and secular, from authors such as Augustine, Jerome, Bede, Peter Abelard, Aquinas, the Carmina Burana, and even Dante. In date our selections range from the poet Virgil to the abdication speech of Pope Benedict! Accommodation may be available on request at Bethany House in the Priory grounds.
SUMMER SCHOOL – BIBLICAL GREEK FOR BEGINNERS
Monday 22 to Friday 26 January 2024
at The Emmanuel Centre, 123 Abbott Street, Newstead, Launceston
The New Testament and Koine Greek school is for beginners who want to experience the excitement of reading parts of the Bible in the original language. We shall read extracts from the Gospel and Epistles, as well as some important passages from the Septuagint (the ancient Greek version of the Old Testament), as well as some pieces from the early Fathers of the Church and the Liturgy of St John Chrysostom. Accommodation at the Centre is available on request. We are trialling the Emmanuel Centre for the first time – it sounds ideal. We would appreciate expressions of interest at this time.
APPENDIX:
EUTHANASIA – THE CURRENT STATE OF PLAY – SURVEY BY GREG DONNELLY MLC
- Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory
As you may be aware, earlier this year the ACT Government undertook a public consultation regarding the introduction of proposed physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia legislation. The ACT Government recently released its voluntary assisted dying Listening Report. It is titled Voluntary assisted dying in the ACT – Report on what we heard: June 2023. The following link will take you to a copy of the report https://hdp-au-prod-app-act-yoursay-files.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/5016/8791/2515/FINAL_Listening_Report_VAD_for_publication_on_YourSay_-_27.06.23.pdf. The following link will take you to a copy of the ACT Government’s media release relating to the Listening Reporthttps://www.cmtedd.act.gov.au/open_government/inform/act_government_media_releases/cheyne/2023/voluntary-assisted-dying-listening-report-released. A physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia bill is expected to be introduced into the ACT Legislative Assembly in the second half of 2023. The following link will take you to a media article relating to the matter https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-21/calls-for-voluntary-assisted-dying-laws-soon-in-the-act/102359322. It will remain to be seen whether, in light of the feel good Listening Report, the proposed bill on physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia will be put through what should be a robust inquiry to be undertaken by a Legislative Assembly committee.
Regarding the Northern Territory, the Government has recently announced that an advisory panel will be established to commence community consultation on the issue of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia. The advisory panel will be co-chaired by former NT Administrator, Her Honour the Hon. Vicki O’Halloran AO CVO and barrister, Duncan McConnel SC. Attachment one is a copy of a media article relating to this announcement.
- Victoria
The Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017 became fully operationalised on 19th June 2019. On 31st July 2023 the Minister for Health, The Hon. Mary-Anne Thomas MP announced that a review had commenced on physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia in the state. The review is scheduled to be completed in July 2024. Once it has been completed a report will be tabled in both Houses. The following link will take you to the media release relating to the matterhttps://www.premier.vic.gov.au/voluntary-assisted-dying-review-begins.
For those interested in better understanding how the practice of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia is operating inthe state, the following link will take you to a webpage headed “Voluntary Assisted Dying” on the Victorian Department of Health website https://www2.health.vic.gov.au/hospitals-and-health-services/patient-care/end-of-life-care/voluntary-assisted-dying. If you would like to join a mailing list to receive the Victorian Department of Health, Voluntary Assisted Dying newsletter, you can email a request to endoflifecare@dhhs.vic.gov.au.
- New South Wales
The Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2022 will become fully operationalised on 28th November 2023. For those interested in better understanding how the practice of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia is going to operate in this state, the following link will take you to a webpage headed “Voluntary assisted dying in NSW” on the NSW Health websitehttps://www.health.nsw.gov.au/voluntary-assisted-dying. If you would like to join a mailing list to receive regular information about the implementation of Voluntary Assisted Dying in New South Wales, you can subscribe at the following link https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/voluntary-assisted-dying/Pages/subscribe.aspx.
- Tasmania
The End-of-Life Choices (Voluntary Assisted Dying) Act 2021 became fully operationalised on 23rd October 2022. The Voluntary Assisted Dying Commission recently released a report detailing the first six months of the operation of the End-of Life Choices (Voluntary Assisted Dying) Act 2021. The report is titled Voluntary Assisted Dying in Tasmania: Report on the End-of Life Choices (Voluntary Assisted Dying) Act 2021’s operation in its first six months. The following link will take you to the report https://www.health.tas.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-07/Voluntary%20Assisted%20Dying%20Report%20on%20the%20Acts%20Operation%20in%20its%20First%20Six%20Months%20-%20June%202023.pdf. The report contains a range of information about the operation of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia in Tasmania since the commencement of the Act in October 2022.
For those interested in better understanding how the practice of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia is operating inthe state, the following link will take you to a webpage headed “Voluntary Assisted Dying” on the Tasmanian Department of Health website https://www.health.tas.gov.au/health-topics/voluntary-assisted-dying. If you would like to join a mailing list to receive regular updates on Voluntary Assisted Dying in Tasmania, please email vad@health.tas.gov.au with “subscribe” in the subject line.
- Australian Care Alliance
The following link will take you to the Australian Care Alliance website https://www.australiancarealliance.org.au/. It contains valuable updates and information.
- Anscombe Bioethics Centre
Attachments two, three and four are copies of the most recent broadcast emails from the Anscombe Bioethics Centre. This monthly Digest contains useful information and is worth subscribing to.
- Protection of Conscience Project
The following link will take you to the Protection of Conscience Project website https://www.consciencelaws.org/. It contains valuable updates and information.
- End of Life Law in Australia
Attachments five and six are copies of the most recent broadcast emails from End of Life Law in Australia. This monthly newsletter contains useful information and is worth subscribing to. The website’s narrative is pro-physician-assisted suicide and pro-euthanasia.
- HOPE: Preventing Euthanasia & Assisted Suicide
The following link will take you to the HOPE: Preventing Euthanasia & Assisted Suicide websitehttps://www.noeuthanasia.org.au/. It contains valuable updates and information.
- Media and Journal Articles
Attachment seven is a copy of a media article that appeared on The Australian website titled Doctors fight states’ push for telehealth VAD dated 22nd April 2023.
Attachment eight is a copy of a media article that appeared on The Australian website titled Federal Court to rule on legality of VAD telehealth dated 27th April 2023.\