ALGOREisRICH

Your attack on the judiciary as 'corrupt' because of a decision you didn't like is as offensive as it is ludicrous. There are laws against discrimination on the grounds of sexuality, and they apply equally to all Australians - having a quaint and outdated belief in imaginary friends and undead Jewish magicians does not put one above the law, and nor should it. CYC breached those laws, and were punished accordingly.

I’d like to know what Boaz and runner and co would suggest other than secularism.

If it’s a theocracy, then how would they justify the implementation of such a system given that we know from past experiences just how murderous and repressive those dictatorships - by shear necessity - turn out to be?

And if excuses such as, “the past rulers didn’t implement it correctly”, or “they didn’t follow the true teachings of Jesus” are used to justify the idea of giving it another crack, then how is that any different from modern day Marxists using similar arguments?

McReal while we have public institutions and any public/community life there will always be issues in those spaces. The issues around origin's being a case in point - whilst many christains are able to accept the weight of evidence favoring an old earth and developmental process called evolution others see a serious conflict with their belief structures. How should a secular society deal with cases such as that when it comes to childrens education? Add to that the struggles around discrimination vs the right to live by individual beliefs. It get's very messy around the borders - eg Boazy's point about CYC being fined effectively for discriminating on the basis of sexuality and others being allowed to do so.

In practice our secular society makes value judgments about those issues which give different weight to different needs. While we make those value judgments and enforce them with the law those same judgements will be impacted by the effectiveness of lobby groups and public perceptions. The answer's won't always be fair or even.

As I said not perfect but better than the known alternatives.

R0bert

In the end it may not matter.

With the massive increase in UFO's being filmed due the availability of phone cameras we may soon find out what is really expected of us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEtTl9cGrJc

The fact that we have mentioned GOD in our legal documents or that the great American experiment is coming to a close, due to greed, won't change the way we may have to operate in the future.\

If Jesus was an alien I can't imagine him being very happy with the Christians who have misinterpreted nearly everything put in front of them.

Could this passage apply to the secularists and athiests?

Matthew 20:16 "So the last shall be first, and the first last."

OR this

Matthew 7:20-23 "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

Afterall many secularists and athiests have done very Christian things and not corrupted the word.

Having chaplains in schools defies secularism, not because religious education is undesirable but because they have been charged with indoctrinating children in supernatural beliefs.
Teaching children that superstitious myths are historic facts is brainwashing - in my opinion a severe form of child abuse.

Firstly, I am not a Christian, therefore have no Christian barrow to push. However, let us be fair ....

Australia is a predominantly Christian country. Christian charities have an army of unpaid volunteers who raise money and help many of the disadvantaged. If they stopped doing so, do you really think that the government could step in and provide this aid without massive hikes in taxation ... and, knowing government jealousies and hierarchy, they would do it much less efficiently, with less positive effect, and much more interference.

Again. If every religious school closed its doors, what a monumental disaster it would be. The financial load on the public sector ... just for erecting new schools ... Parents pay tax, and if their tax goes to supporting the private school at which their child attends ... why not?

Children who attend a state school are not compelled to undertake religious studies; they can be excused.

Religious organisations also help asylum seekers with no thoughts of conversion.

If one seeks to volunteer to a charity, the available charity is most likely to be a religious one.

Those who make endowments to institutions, or even set these up themselves, are often motivated by their religious backgrounds. This is especially so in the USA.

So let's be fair ...

... some may be fundamentalists ... and I detest fundamentalists of any persuasion ... but I doubt if they are prepared to help anyone other than their 'own' - that is certainly what I have been lead to believe.