Songofgloin,

Bullying is a real problem but like terrorism the answer to stopping it is not to comply with the wishes of bullies.

For years in schools bullies were allowed to do what they wanted. Victims would be sent to be counselled as to how to fit in and allow the bully free reign. I know because i was one of those harassed at school.

The answer instead is Zero Tolerance of bullying. Most rapists and murderers were bullies. So the bully should be imediately put in counselling to prevent this. Most bullies are abused by their parents, so the parents of bullies should be imediately under investigation. That's not just to protect kids of Gay parents (who already do exist and always have and always will exist so we should adapt to that reality rather than live in denial of it) but to make our society a better place with lower crime and lower violence!

Gays were an accepted part of society, respected even, in many parts of the world including Australia up until British anti-Gay attitudes and laws were imposed! They can be so again. So it's irrational to believe that it is impossible for what has happened in history to happen again.

Fight bullying and harassment and the problem is solved. And aren't we supoossed to be fighting bullying and harassment anyway? Don't we have to do so to save the lives of kids bullied into suicide right now?

Songofgloin, what about the same-sex couples where one has biological children? Raised today by same-sex couples? Shouldn't the other partner be able to adopt the child? To secure the childs welfare if the biological parent dies?

Bach,

Reading a theological article on the body by a sexually repressed (possibly even homosexual) clergyman would be like reading a review of paintings by Hellen Keller.

Based on all the bile coming from the Christians, I would consider a lesbian couple home more "normal" than fundamentalists.

Shadow minister your allegations of Pope John Paul II are baseless, malicious, hurtful, and derogatory. Your attitude speaks multitudes of your narrow mindedness, biased nature and ignorance. You're a hypocrite and have much to learn.

Bach,

Are you suggesting that JP2 was sexually active?

Secondly I did not allege (see a dictionary) he was gay, I only alluded to the possibility, and given the high proportion of homosexuals in the priesthood, (and paedophiles) the probability is significant.

PS you left out a few insults. I guess you have spittle mixed with the white out on your screen.

bach: all those catholic priests who sexually abuse children - do you think they believe in the link between love, sex and procreation?

I think you have a lot of work to do in your own churchyards, before you can judge others' sexual behaviours

briar rose i'm not too sure if they even believe in God to do something like that. However pedophilia is not only limited to a very small minority of priests but also rabbis and other religious clergy from other faiths.

Something to keep in mind is that pedophilia in the general community happens magnitudes more frequently than from within the Catholic church. It is a very biased and uneducated statement to make Briar Rose. It does thought illustrate how you've thought this through/