This has been a long discussion with good points on both sides but how consistent have the arguments been. Should we engage with people with whom we disagree in order to influence their ideas or should we isolate them in order not to be tainted and to indicate our disapproval.
For many years we had no ties with South Africa because of their racial discrimination. Did this make a scrap of difference? Would it have made any difference if we had engaged?
Nixon decided that isolating China was counterproductive so opened up a dialogue. Has this helped with the human rights violations? I am not sure but it has certainly helped China industrially.
Personally I think engagement is more often a good thing than otherwise but I have no proof, just a perception. Of course there are exceptions where there is clearly nothing to be gained for either party and something to be lost but in general isolation is not really helpful in my opinion.
So then, if a Christian is invited to address a group of people with whom he has a fundamental difference of opinion what should he do? Should he engage and attempt to influence them in order to enlighten them or should he isolate them. Should that not be his decision as long as his attitude is clearly stated?
In recent days both the prime minister and Peter Costello have been criticised – for what – for meeting with a person who spoke at a group of people who were self confessed anti-semites. So what was the PM,s and the treasurer’s sin? Association… well the PM associates with the Chinese government who engage in terrible human rights abuses. Is he being criticised for that? Why not? I have heard Danny Naliah speak on several occasions and far from neive he is intelligent and astute, but neither is he an anti-semite but he is generous and tolerant. If anyone can engage minds and hearts to open them to a more tolerant attitude then Danny is that man. I think we should applaud him rather than criticise him and I urge the Prime Minster and the Treasurer not to back away from this one but to call the critics to task for their hyprocrasy.