CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA (ANS) -- The Canberra Declaration, the Australian version of the 2009 Manhattan Declaration in the United States and the 2010 Westminster Declaration in the UK, was launched in the Australian Commonwealth Parliament in the capital city of Canberra on Friday, July 23, 2010.

Dr. Graham McLennan reading the Declaration outside Parliament House, Canberra supported by Aboriginal Pastor Norm Miller

The Canberra event took place at a “God and Government Conference” where the attendees from all over Australia and some from overseas, stood and read aloud together on the basis of Psalm 133 and Habakkuk 2:2, the entire Canberra Declaration, declaring it into Parliament House and into the "spiritual realm" over Australia.

Shortly afterwards, it was read again outside on the lawns of Parliament House, to the gathered media.

Dr. Graham McLennan, convener of the of the National Alliance of Christian Leaders in Australia, told the ASSIST News Service (ANS), “It is the work of many individual Christians, clergy and Christian ministries, representing a wide variety of denominations.
 

The Canberra Declaration logo

“Over 20 Christian leaders and clergy were involved in the drafting process. We felt many Australians wouldn't read it, if it was the length of the 4,700 word Manhattan Declaration, hence the desire to ‘write the declaration and make it plain’ in 850 words.”

Part of the Canberra Declaration reads:

“The Preamble to the Australian Constitution contains the words, ‘Humbly relying on the blessing of Almighty God.’ As Australian citizens we continue to declare that we too put our trust in Almighty God.

“For centuries, to speak of Western civilization was to speak of Christian civilization. The two were in many ways synonymous. The values that we have cherished and sought to strengthen are in large measure founded on the Judeo-Christian belief system. The many freedoms, advantages, opportunities, values and liberties which characterize the West owe much to the growth of Christianity with its inherent belief in the dignity of the human person as created in the image of God and the code of behavior that flows from this belief.

“The Canberra Declaration follows on from the 2009 Manhattan Declaration and the 2010 Westminster Declaration [in the UK]. It declares that when Christian values are respected and allowed freedom of expression, not just confined to so-called sacred spaces but in the public arena as well, society is richer and healthier.

“We wish to emphasize three areas that demand particular attention in our contemporary Australian society, namely religious freedom, marriage and the family, and the sanctity of human life. Were we to undermine any one of these values, the social fabric of our nation would be seriously weakened, to our personal and collective detriment.

“The faith which is at the heart of many of the values and strengths underpinning the Australian nation now compels us to speak up in their defense. For the future of this nation, and for our children’s future, we call upon all like-minded citizens to support and sign this declaration.”

To read the full Canberra Declaration click on: www.canberradeclaration.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1&Itemid=3

Dan Wooding, 69, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 46 years. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS). He was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC., and now hosts the weekly “Front Page Radio” show on KWVE in Southern California and which is also carried on the Calvary Radio Network throughout the United States. The program is also aired in Great Britain on Calvary Chapel Radio UK. Wooding is also a regular contributor to The Weekend Stand on the Crawford Broadcasting Network, and a host for His Channel Live, which is carried via the Internet to some 192 countries. He is the author of some 44 books. Two of the latest include his autobiography, “From Tabloid to Truth”, which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, press this link. Wooding, who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, has also recently released his first novel “Red Dagger” which is available here