I'm going to try to address the original topic here - what would a truly Christian Australia be like?

Firstly, there is the term 'truly Christian'. Is it the fundamentalists who are 'truly Christian', or the people who go for the 'spirit' of the religion? Is a 'truly Christian' Australia one in which every word of the Bible is carefully interpreted (by some miracle, correctly), or one in which the general message is enough?

I'm going to take the liberal side - I'm going to say that there is a Christian ethos which guides 'true Christians' but cannot be found through staunch and often hateful imposition of religious laws.

My ex-housemate once said to me that it is the duty of Christians to 'hate the sin, but love the sinner'. In this regard, a truly Christian Australia would be tolerant. We would maintain open minds towards each other and, though we would disapprove of 'sinful' behaviours, we would offer support to sinners rather than condemnation. Justice would be restorative rather than punitive - prisons would be used to maintain public safety rather than to punish 'bad' people. I suspect, unfortunately, that some sort of Gulag-style 're-education' would take place there, too.

What of non-Christians? Realistically, Christians have lived alongside 'others' for as long as their faith has existed. There have been misguided attempts at annihilation, but these do not reflect the Christian ethos I am trying to illustrate - rather, they reflect the very human hatred of 'the other'. Following in the spirit of 'loving one another', a Christian Australia would embrace difference. It would probably (once again, unfortunately) be very evangelical - all those souls out there to be saved and all that - but tolerance would have to be there.

In other words, I'm painting a bit of a utopia here. Has it ever existed? No. Will it ever exist? No. But the doom, gloom and hatred of some of the Christian states that have been suggested here reflects an interpretation of words, backed up by historical precedent. I don't think it reflects what Christianity is all about.

The principles of OT Judaism, some major elements of the Christian Church and Islam are based in Governments enforcing their laws upon a society. Laws are made for the lawless. Therefore God is viewed as Judge and administrator of punishments.

Jesus stated I came not to Judge but to give life. He was a physician to the soul and healer to the spirit. He viewed himself as coming not for the rightliving people but for those in need of a physician.

People are lawless because they cannot perceive justice and example in their parents and peers. To follow the teachings of Christ is so different to administering punishments upon the lawless; which is what laws are about.

As Otokonoko stated love the sinner despite his bad behaviour and demonstrate love by a beter way of living. Offer by example and practised education a better way of living rather than enforcing unpalatable laws upon the rebellious. The fact is the human spirit is rebellious and unreasonable when devoted to self interest. Jesus taught sacrifice for those who hated him is the only hope for change.

Chris Lewis said: There is no perfect political system. Most European democracies, like Australia’s Senate, also have proportional voting with its different models, which also gives minor parties greater power than warranted by their vote when there is a struggle for majority consensus on a particular issue.

I would like to suggest there was a politically near perfect system in place in the United Kingdom between 1372 and 1870, when lawyers were banned from Parliament for 498 years. 46 Edward III AD 1372 80. Lawyers and Sheriffs excluded from Parliament

Lawyers have their uses and I firmly believe they are like fire. They make wonderful servants, but as the Victorian Bushfires demonstrate, like fire, they make lousy masters. My good mate Jesus Christ reserved a special mention for them in His template for good government that has been a worldwide best seller since King James had it published in English in 1610. Luke 11 verses 46 and 52. The English took the Bible as their own special Constitution, from 1215 much to the disgust of the Roman Catholic Church, and its principles underpin the only successful republic ever formed, the United States of America.

Lawyers should be on the outside looking in to Parliament, not on the inside throwing stones at the population. Their use in society is in testing in the crucible of a properly conducted Christian trial, the legality or otherwise, of the deliberations of those who are elected to the National Synod. For the first time in nearly sixty years, Almighty God has given us a non Lawyer dominated Cabinet, and a Christian Prime Minister.

Chris Lewis is from a political school of thought propounded by Justice McHugh, and others of Roman Catholic heritage, that there is a Doctrine of Parliamentary Supremacy. That the divine right of Kings, supported by the Roman Catholic Church, is replaced with the divine Right of Parliament. Unfortunately in Australia we have nine of these Divine Deities, all competing to enslave their unfortunate victims. We should kick all lawyers out of Parliament and put them to work at a real job

*Philo*

What about equality of Rights for everyone in yr Jesus concept, which includes women and gays?

What about Mary? Was she *JC's* babe?

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Now, either the 2nd coming has not occurred, or it has occurred in a way which the mainstream Churches as of yet do not comprehend?

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*PtheB*

I am no fan of the legal establishement but I am not of the view that anyone should be excluded from participating in the political process but rather that their ability to excessively control and manipulate needs to be regulated to equality standing with everyone else, which obviously includes addressing their fees and the cost of participation.

DreamOn,
Show me a society where gays give a healthy, secure and balanced future to their offspring and I can compare where their society will lead.

Being a homosexual male in the Biblical sense means engaging in anal sex - i.e. having sexual relations with the same gender. It does not resuly in offspring and future generations do not come from them. However plenty of disease is spread as does having indiscriminate sexual partners among a population. Being homosexuality is an act not a person as many hetrosexuals also engage in the act of anal sex. So please identify what you mean by gay.

Obviously you if a male practising homosexual will also have a very unbalanced view of women. No healthy married woman wants to have sex with a practising homosexual partner whose penis has been dabbling in the body excreatre of another man.

I suggest you research Jesus views of women in his life. Compare John 8.