A Christmas present recommendation
Filed on 10 December 2010 in Food For Thought category. 
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A Christmas present recommendation
The other day I saw and immediately bought the newly published Bonhoeffer – Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxos who also wrote Amazing Grace the story of William Wilberforce.
In my eagerness to have a 5 minute squiz I thumbed over to the chapter on “The Church and the Jewish Question” (p150 in this edition) but was immediately struck by the page before which recounts how, after the burning of the Reichstag (the German House of Parliament), Hitler used this as an excuse to press the aging Hindenburg to sign the Reichstag Fire Edict.
The Reichstag Fire Edict suspended those sections of the German constitution that guaranteed individual liberties and civil rights.
I am aware of the dangers of playing the “Nazi Card”. People switch off.
BUT the state of Victoria in passing Section 8 of the Abortion Law Reform legislation blatantly ignored the conflict with its own Charter in overruling the conscience rights of doctors. Two questions were presented to parliament by the Victorian Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee re the conflict and parliament failed to answer them, refusing to deal with the inconsistency.
The Nazis suspended liberties. The Victorian government simply ignored its own Charter.
The parallel is stunning.
Want a recommendation for Christmas? I can’t think of anything better.
Lachlan Dunjey. 10 Dec 2010.
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