Apprentice 2 Jesus

An Anglicostal Connecting to a Real World

This Day in History

Dan

There are dates that pop up from time to time that shock me. On this particular date in 2008 the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologized to aboriginal families that had suffered for 100 years because their children had been ripped from their homes. The children were taken from their families and forced into institutions where they were often not allowed to speak their native language. They were given new names and birthdates. Some estimates show that between 1910 and 1971 55,000 children were taken from their families.

There are events that need healing. There are times when those not directly responsible can stand up and offer repentance.

Daniel did it in his time. As did Nehemiah.

May we resolve in our hearts to truly love our neighbor in the power of the Spirit.

Tags:

Aborigines, Australia

Date:

February 13, 2011

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8 responses to “This Day in History”

Mark Stevens

February 13, 2011 at 4:03 pm

Wow, I am surprised any one outside Australia knows about this. It was atrocious what happened. I am glad our nation said sorry.

Reply
1. Dan
  
  February 13, 2011 at 4:57 pm
  
  Good thing the United Stats is as pure as the wind-driven snow!
  
  Reply
Craig Benno

February 13, 2011 at 5:01 pm

My wife is Aboriginal and her mum and sisters are part of the stolen generation. Her story is that my wife’s grandmother was sick and had 5 children. The officials came and said; you have to give 3 of your children up now! And within a few minutes of them coming to the door; they had 3 of the kids in tow..taking them away.

Big issues and the identity issues / wounds from this are immense.

Reply
1. Dan
  
  February 13, 2011 at 5:02 pm
  
  Wow. What an incredible story. What incredible pain.
  
  Reply
Craig Benno

February 13, 2011 at 5:12 pm

Yes; extremely incredible. Her mum was sick with TB; yet recovered 6 months later. The children never returned; with the excuse, white people are able to look after them better..

Many other children were automatically ripped from their families and shoved into missionary schools, foster homes etc because of this so called policy. Many of these kids suffered abuse, were treated as slaves, and many are still owed wages from the government for unpaid work.

What has really hurt my family is that my mother in law’s mum eventually moved to sydney and at one time only lived a few streets away… My MIL found out about this only after her mum had died and she was reunited with her lost sister.

Reply
1. Dan
  
  February 13, 2011 at 5:17 pm
  
  I deeply appreciate you sharing this story, Craig. My heart is so broken!
  
  Reply
Craig Benno

February 13, 2011 at 5:24 pm

Thank you for sharing this and your concern. I was at a reconciliation prayer event a number of years ago; where we repented of a church pastor publicly saying at one time that aborigine’s had no soul and therefore could be shot like wild animals…

This was one of the reasons behind some of the massacres that took place here… in the 1800’s. Man the church has got it soo wrong in the past… praise God that in Christ there is no national, social class or gender distinctions…

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Terri

February 14, 2011 at 11:41 am

Thank you for sharing your wife’s story, Craig. It makes it so much more real to hear a personal, recent story. Maybe it will encourage the Church to take this position of repentance more often so that we can see healing in Christ.

Reply