@Rebecca "I see the whole world as being evidence of Intelligent design, it ticks all the boxes"

Which box did Smallpox tick for you, out of interest?

Hmm, Jimmy Jones..lol.the Aboriginal dream time is already taught to my children in a state primary school, not as a fact but a belief held by the Aboriginal people so too the rainbow Serpent - to keep their traditions alive - I have no problem with that.get up with the times.
And are you suggesting that God created smallpox - is this where you ditch your science to blame God for everything? Variola Virus spread through human contact, lucky for us the brilliance of mankind fixed it.
And seriously you are so off topic - Buddhists, Purana Hindus, Sikhs, Jainism, Ancient Egyptions, Aztecs etc all believed in some sort of creation be it by one God, many Gods or Animals/Monsters. I said, creation should be an alternative taught, you accused me of 'my'version, no, creation in general.
As to the commandments, do not kill (later described by Jesus as even hating) do not commit adultery - including lust; do not steal; do not bear false witness/lie; and do not covet - or greedily desire what another has(btw 'Slave' means employee/worker and 'ox' means possessions)...These things are worth teaching. You totally missed the point, our socio-economics are made up of respect for all regardless of sex, age, skin; the 'love thy neighbor' is our mateship and is dwindling in our society. Ask a lawyer where our legal system originated.
Also, come on...by saying creation ticks all the boxes you go straight to disease.. really? It ticks all the boxes cause i can marvel at the universe and not have to ask - why and where but simply say thankyou. I don't need to ask the unanswerable - where did I come from and why am I here. Very thankful for science and very thankful for the Bible, just love archeological documents. Just don't think we should throw away something that has been a part of our nation since it's beginning. I will not go away just because you criticize me.

Rebecca6,

If one believes that God is the "creator"- then it is reasonable to assume that they would believe that God also created bacteria and viruses.

It's not about "blaming God"- it's about accepting that humankind is only one of myriad lifeforms which compete for existence on this planet - including the Variola Virus.

As far as biological success goes, there is debate over whether it's more useful for a species to be smart or stupid.

Poirot:” As far as biological success goes, there is debate over whether it's more useful for a species to be smart or stupid.”

I can picture the teams - it would be a very short debate.

Last Minister I talked to was quite happy in their decision that God created the Big Bang. I think it’s the trademark of a successful religion being nice and flexible like that. It is a shame no Holy books warned us about bacteria a little earlier and why couldn’t the gods leave some kind of inventory list for us to check through every few years.

Trimmatom nanus CHECK!
Xanthorrhoeoideae CHECK!
Anthracite CHECK!
Cumulonimbus CHECK!
Prokaryote CHECK!
Imbecile CHECK!

Becca:” I will not go away just because you criticize me.”

OLO would be very empty if criticism sent everyone off tripping over their bottom lip.

R0bert that was really interesting, were you asking if the Christians will admit that this instruction in schools comes with the main intention of converting children to their particular faith? That’s not difficult for them to own though is it since it is done with the children’s best interests at heart – saving them from hell or purgatory and all that?

Re Tacitus on Jesus, Christ, and "Chrestians",

What Tacticus wrote is frequently qualified with "the information could have been derived from Christian material circulating in the early 2nd century." http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_jcno.htm

R. T. France concludes that the Tacitus passage is at best just Tacitus repeating what he has heard through Christians. Charles Guignebert argued "So long as there is that possibility [that Tacitus is merely echoing what Christians themselves were saying], the passage remains quite worthless".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historicity_of_Jesus#Tacitus

Dug,

Sorry about you early life experience, and sorry for my sometimes insensitive comments. No-one should ever have to go through what you have. I can now appreciate how reserved your comments have been, given the circumstances. Good on you for hanging in there. You deserve much, much better.

Children of the world, how can we best serve them all? It's a pretty big ask. So many different stories out there, so many situations, so many aspirations. It is a difficult time in which we live. We probably wish we could all do more, but have our own lives, problems, concerns. Somebody, some voice. There are so many "Egypt's" now, a global "exodus" in our time.

Oz is perhaps the clearest thinking nation, free, democratic, relatively good education system, healthy, progressive, sound economy, sound values. Our troubles are small in the global context, yet we seem impotent, transfixed, clinging to an unsustainable equilibrium. Give our kids the best possible education? Yes. With values, but free from competing overlays" Yes. "Faith", belief, descriptive of so many explanations of the ascent of human-kind, and providing hope. The future of human-kind? Is this in our hands? Are we at a crossroads? To embrace "humanity", to bury differences, to accept an inevitable blurring of origins, of culture, of "self"?

I am so weak, I can't decide without consensus. I am after all constrained by my imperfections and innate desire to support my "tribe". How can I expect more, and better, of others?