The Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) held its second international conference in London in February this year. The first conference, held in October 2023, attracted 1,500 delegates. This conference was sold out and had over 4,000 delegates. The conference attracted a host of highly regarded international speakers, ‘thought leaders’ as they were described.

The underlying theme of the conference was that Western culture was at a “civilisational moment”, a phrase proposed by the philosopher, Dr Os Guinness. The conference sought to address the question of how to restore and revitalise Western civilisation. Many of the presenters spoke clearly of the debt that Western civilisation owed to Christianity and that a revitalised Christianity would help it re-find its way.

Our current Australian society reflects the Western civilisation which has been created over the centuries in Europe. It was bequeathed to us by the British who brought their own expression of Western civilisation to shape our Australian culture. While a Republican movement may propose cutting formal links with England, our governmental and social structures will still reflect our British heritage. Our history as a nation has been shaped by the Western civilisation that we have inherited.

Western Civilisation has its spiritual and moral roots in Christianity.

Whatever may be the shortcomings of our culture, it is true that so many of the freedoms and opportunities we enjoy in Australia have been shaped by the Judeo-Christian faith. If the efforts of secularists to remove these underpinnings are successful, our society would quickly disintegrate as it would lose its anchor.

There are two truths that are foundational to the Christian faith (and in common with Judaism) and they essentially shape our understanding of the nature of human life. These truths are key to the health and wellbeing not only of our individual lives but also of the quality of our culture.

The first truth is that each person has an inherent dignity. This truth is based in the account of creation given in the Book of Genesis which states that every person is created in the image and likeness of God. This is a radical truth, even if we have become very accustomed to it. Even the great Greek philosophers with their promotion of democracy could not see this. Aristotle believed that some people were destined to be the governors and others the governed.

It is this truth that ensures, for example, that all stand equal before the law. It is the basis for our recognition of the importance of free speech and the right to self-determination.

The second truth, which is often not alluded to, is that each person is also in a fallen state and subject to the effects of sin. Chapter three of the Book of Genesis recounts the story of the fall of Adam and Eve. This truth reminds us that we are not supermen. As human beings each of us are flawed. Accepting this truth enables a person to develop a more humble appreciation of themselves and recognise the need for help in living a virtuous life.

Knowing our own frailty fosters a sense of compassion towards others.

The example of Jesus Christ in his attitude towards those who were suffering and burdened has inspired Christians to initiate all manner of activities to assist the poor and those in need. This is a distinguishing element to societies whose roots are found in Christianity. It has resulted in societies that care for those in need.

There is one final and vital element to the way Christians understand the nature of human life. It is that we have not been left to cope as best we can with our frailties, we have been saved. The definitive act of God sending his Son, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to redeem lost humanity changes everything.

Christians live in the awareness that they can come under the saving grace of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christians believe that humanity is never doomed but that hope springs forth and drives purpose and meaning. Christians believe in the possibility of a better society and that a person can discover how to live not for themselves but for others.

The Christian emphasis on the primacy of love has been a significant influence in the way Western societies function. In his two encyclicals on love (Deus caritas est and Caritas in Veritate) Pope Benedict XVI argued that a truly human society needs more than justice.

Building a peaceful and harmonious society must be animated by love.

He says, “Charity goes beyond justice, because to love is to give, to offer what is ‘mine’ to the other; but it never lacks justice, which prompts us to give to the other what is ‘his’, what is due to him by reason of his being or his acting” (CV 6).

Pope Benedict explains that a truly healthy society will need to have love at its base. He explains that love “will always prove necessary, even in the most just society because there is no ordering of the State so just that it can eliminate the need for a service of love”.

If the influence of Christianity is further eroded, we will find our society becoming colder and harsher because love will dry up. The strengthening of our culture will depend on whether the Christian churches can, once again, become a force that shapes the spiritual and moral direction of our Australian society.

The ARC movement is a significant initiative as men and women of good will seek a restoration of what is best in Western civilisation. In the end it will be the resurgence of Christianity that will provide the key impetus for this to occur.