Internet Censorship
At the instigation of the Moral Right and the Australian Christian
Lobby, the Australian Government is proposing, and is about to trial a
compulsory internet 'Clean Feed'.
From the outset let me say this, I fully applaud any attempt to curb
the trade of child pornography; but I appear to be out of step with my
Christian brethren because I do not believe that compulsory internet
filtering is the answer to the proliferation of this perversion. Such
material will still freely enter the country on CD’s and the
like and be shared freely on peer-to-peer networks, and even school
kids know how to circumvent filtering systems.
I believe that the only way to prevent perversion is a change of the
perverts heart, and censorship will do nothing. Drugs are illegal and
prevented from entering the country, but they are still readily
accessible! It is clear that you cannot legislate morality.
I won't even go into the technological difficulties, ineffectiveness,
and expense of this scheme.
What this system will do, in my opinion, is to open the floodgates of
thought suppression, such as exists in the repressed societies of Iran
and North Korea. Political censorship may not be on the minds of this
present regime, but compulsory internet filtering provides an opening
to the policing of thought. We don't even have a right to know what is
being blocked! Already on the proposed list are sites on controversial
topics such as euthanasia, suicide and anorexia. How do they seperate
the pro sites from support groups.
I believe in is religious and political freedom. How long before some
of my favourite sites are rendered inaccessible to me by beauracrats
and politicians who may not agree with my political or religious
leanings? I do not have to remind the Church that Christian sites are
already censored in Iran, North Korea and China.
It is time for the Christian Right to stop their support of this
ridiculous notion, and start doing as they were told by Jesus - to feed
the poor, clothe the naked, heal the sick. That is the way that we can
change our society, not by imposing rules, restrictions and censorship.
Even in my town people are still going hungry and are homeless while
we, as Christians, rely on the Government to do what is our God-given
responsibility. If Christians were to act in a manner fitting their
calling, people would be drawn to the Gospel, and the pornography trade
would die a natural death.
As it is, society sees us (Christians) as a group of generally
unhearing and aloof wowsers, seeking only to mandate and control.
The money being squandered on this scheme would be better spent on
giving law enforcement more tools to protect children from this abuse.
