http://theage.com.au/articles/2004/07/16/1089694560145.html?oneclick=t
rue
Background - Peter Costello is the Federal Treasurer in the John
Howard Liberal government. In charge of setting economic policy, the
Reserve Bank (like Internal Revenue) and the government budget. He is
the main contender for the PM's job on John Howard's retirement.
***
Costello's faith call hits home
July 17, 2004
A "newly patient" Treasurer tells Jason Koutsoukis he has been
overwhelmed by the public response to his appeal for a return to
Christian values in a time of moral decay.
The unfinished political crusade of Peter Costello has found a new
force: Christian faith and values.
After eight years as Treasurer, Costello has finally discovered a way
to excite the masses beyond delivering tax cuts and balanced budgets.
He says his clarion call seven weeks ago for greater adherence to the
bible's Ten Commandments has provoked an overwhelming public response.
Since addressing the evangelical Catch The Fire Ministries' national
day of thanksgiving at Melbourne's Scots Church, Costello has stood
before 20,000 singing and swaying Christians at Sydney's Hillsong
church with the same message.
"I have had more letters on this speech than on any speech I've ever
given in my life, including budget speeches," he told The Age.
"It tells me that there are a lot of people who are interested and who
want to hear this... the feedback to me has been overwhelmingly
positive."
The man possessed by what some parliamentary colleagues view as an
intemperate desire for the prime ministership says the experience has
inculcated a sense of patience.
"I guess as you get older you realise that you can't do everything at
once and immediately. You get more patient. Maybe I'm more patient
than I used to be," says Costello with just a hint of mischief.
"When you're young, you've got to do everything tomorrow. As you get
older you realise you can do some things in a week's time, some things
in a month's time, maybe some things in a year's time."
Whether Costello, 46, ever becomes prime minister will probably depend
on the outcome of this year's election, but in the meantime he seems
impatient to amplify his fledgling dialogue with the public.
His vision for Australia is of a society deeply aware of its moral
foundations and intent on investing in what he calls the "social
capital".
Alarmed by the moral vacuum, which he believes has allowed Melbourne's
underworld gang wars to claim 28 lives in a fight for control of the
city' drug empires, Costello says young people must be given a compass
in life through a greater appreciation of faith and values.
"I accept that not everyone is going to have faith, not everyone can
have faith, so you have to work at sources like the family, like the
school, like the local scouting group," he says.
To Costello, non-government organisations have a crucial role to play
in building cohesion and tolerance. "To get people to mix, to
interact, to build trust we need groups like Rotary, scouts, the footy
club. Kids are going to pick this up somewhere. If they pick all their
values up from the TV it would be a bad day."
In a reflective mood in his ministerial office at 4 Treasury Place,
Costello handles with a mixture of disgust and incredulity the lyrics
to the song Kill You by American rap artist Eminem.
To Costello the song, which glorifies drug use, murder and rape,
typifies the sort of decay he believes is undermining society.
"Whenever I say anything about (this rap music) people write in and
say what a killjoy you are, but have you ever read any of these songs?
It is anti-women, it is pro-violence.
But to him, the more important thing is that he's struck a nerve.
"It's all part of engaging in debate about things that are important
to people. This is me engaging in what I think are important issues
outside the economic area."
"I just hope values like abusing women, idolising drugs, approving of
suicide aren't sold to young people as if they are cool and hip.
"I think it's important, particularly with kids, to say suicide is not
an answer, suicide is not a way out, suicide is not something to be
glorified, you should value life.
"We have got a problem with youth suicide in this country and we need
to reaffirm to our kids that there is nothing attractive about
suicide."
Acutely aware of the potent mixture politics and religion can be,
Costello nevertheless vehemently affirms his belief in the separation
of church and state.
"Governments are institutions that are not capable of promoting
religion. They should not and they never can. But I think individuals
can talk about it. I keep stressing that I'm not saying the Government
should be promoting this. I'm just saying individuals should, and non-
government institutions can and should promote this."
Costello is aware that not everyone agrees with what he's saying. Many
have found what he's had to say so disagreeable that they have felt
compelled to write to him.
But to him, the more important thing is that he's struck a nerve.
"It's all part of engaging in debate about things that are important
to people. This is me engaging in what I think are important issues
outside the economic area."
--
epicurus1*at*optusnet*dot*com*dot*au
apatriot #1, atheist #1417,
Chief EAC prophet
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~pk1956/
Apatriotism Yahoo Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/apatriotism
"Properly read, the Bible is the most potent force for atheism ever
conceived." - Isaac Asimov
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