Like many, I have been watching the Christian Fundamentalists in the USA with growing horror and trepidation. The long-established separation of Church and State is crumbling over there, with predicable consequences. But luckily, we don't have the long history of Christian fundamentalism here that they do, and we are on average better educated and informed. Still, there are worrying signs.

I see the intentional running-down of public schools, and the corresponding increased support for 'private' schools as an attempt to 're-Christianise' our country. How many secular private schools are there? One of the major reasons parents send their kids to private schools is for a better education. I went through the public system after Whitlam worked his magic, and they were all excellent with wonderful teachers. The current state of our public schools is government policy, and designed to funnel our little blighters into good Christians, future grist for the mill.

I live near the Paradise Church in Adelaide (a Pentecostal, Assemblies of God church like Hillsong). Even all those years ago when I was in high school, they had a large following of young people. Their 'church' is more like a concert stadium, with a state-of-the-art media centre and film studio. There is not a cross in sight, no statues or priestly robes, nor any altars or Holies. They present a very friendly, secular front end, with speaking in tongues and adult submersion baptism out back. The Family First political party was born in this crucible, and with a very similar ethic. That is present a very normal, secular front end, hiding a fundamentalist Christian agenda out back. It is this more subtle approach that worries me, rather than bible thumping and 'faith healing'

We don't need another Christian political party anyway, we have the Liberals.

CJ... that was a very articulate example of 'vilification' .. it was very skillful.. why ?

aah..because you included 'truth' along side 'lie' and that is where propoganda (to the unthinking) becomes effective.

You claimed organized Christians are, WARLIKE..... yet in the same post you claim 'Islam is not a threat' to Australia....

Yet.. ALL the evidence points in the opposite direction...
Lets analyze

'Christians' on trial for alleged terrorism right now "0"
'Muslims on trial for alleged terrorism right now ....13 Melb 11 Syd
'Reported death threats from Christians toward politicians. "0"
'Reported death threats from Muslims toward Politicians/Spokespeople' "2" (that I know of Nile and Zrieka)

If that alone does not show the stupidity and denial, not to mention gross and indeed malicious misrepresentation of Christians very little ever would.. specially to the closed minded.

So..how you come up with this WAR-like accusation... must be totally fanciful.. if only...no...it has to be malicious because you are obviusly a bright bloke.

BARNEY25 Hi.. and welcome. Mate.. the real problem is ...on what grounds do we define 'narrow' morality. Sure.. if we oppose people marrying dogs and cats... to those people we are 'narrow'... each person defines 'narrow' as 1 inch inside their own preferred moral comfort zone. We will continue to promote values precious to us.. SOMEone will always be annoyed by that....unnavoidable.

If only world religious leaders like the Pope and the Dalai Lama would stop their messages of intolerance, bigotry and hate, just think what a peaceful world we could have. If only there were more good atheist leaders again like Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Ceaucescu, Pol Pot, Ho Chi Minh and Milosovic - peace, democracy, good will and reason would surely reign.

Boaz,
I think you had better clarify that you are speaking of "free-range" terrorism, not the State-sponsored kind that we all seem to ignore.

I think that too, there are still a significant amount of terror attacks still happening against US interests in South America by the way, but somehow they don't get the same news coverage in our media.

The problem I have with the political Christian right is that they think they can legislate righteousness. Jesus taught that the best policy was example, tolerance, love, and authenticity. He taught to shun the accumulation of money and wealth, to focus our attention on the poor and needy, and to be the servant of all. He taught to avoid judgement of others, to pray for our enemies, and to spread the good news of the gospel. You don't legislate these things. You just do them.

Christian views are being taken seriously for political not principled reasons. I'm grown up enough to understand that much.

Christians will always try to throw their weight around in a yearning for the good old days when the kings and bishops called all the shots.

With few exception most religions are absolutists in their approach to life - given their druthers most would be fundmentalist in their approach - and they have no place in politics

- having said that it is a free country - they are free to dabble in the political process - but it must always be remembered that our freedom is rooted in a secular not a religious struggle

- the last thing I need to be is enslaved again by adherents to the philosophy of the Hillsong brigade promulgated by cashed up bogans or indeed the pronouncements of the Panzer Kardinal from Rome .