Joe,

"
Certainly, we should dip our lids to Christianity but move on."

We have already moved on, and that's been one of our biggest mistakes.

The way that I see it, the biggest problem between the Maori and Christians, or the Australian Aboriginals and the first settlers is simple. One did not extinguish the other.

We talk of "religion" as if it were a preferred shop. I might prefer coles to woolies, or kmart to target, or athiesm to christianity. Religion is much more a culture than a shop and should be recognised as such. The 10 commandments were not given to the Israelites while they were under Egyptian rule, but rather after they had fled to be used as a foundation of a new nation.

Christianity is designed to run independent of government. If lived properly, and I repeat properly, it would create amongst the believers a new nation, a new society that would look totally different to what we have today.

This is not to say that one is better that the other, but to simply say that they would be, and are supposed to be, different. It is in the big picture, the macro-societal results of those differences that would show, in the short-medium and long term which was "better".

Two cultures are not supposed to be able to dwell in the same land united in all things. Because, obviously, if they were united in all things they would be one culture not two. Thus when there are differences there will be conflict. Where there is conflict there is hate. Where there is hate there is rejection.

A good example is the Jews. For thousands of years they lived without land to call home, yet they were still Jewish. Even those who live in modern day Israel that are not very religious are still Jews and recognise how their nation came to be.

Dear Joe,

<<Can you name a single present-day dictator who you would be happy to live under, and for the rest of us to live under?>>

What an unfair question, akin to "Whom do you love more - Mom or Dad?".

For the individual at the receiving end of the stick, it matters not whether the dictator is a single person or a democratic majority.

Had I been an Arab/Muslim, then I would certainly want to live under King Abdullah of Jordan, well over any Arab democracy. Morocco under King Mohammed VI would also be a good option.

The fact that I personally wouldn't fit in the Arab culture has nothing to do with the type of regime. Assuming I HAD to live in an Arab country, then Jordan would be my first choice, followed by Morocco.

---

Well said, Prebs:

"Two cultures are not supposed to be able to dwell in the same land united in all things."

Yet this does not preclude people of different cultures from living in the same land while NOT united in all things. When each has their autonomy, where's the need for conflict and hate?

Interestingly that's where government and law come into effect. For anything that the two [any number] of cultures are united in then there is no need for laws. Every law that has been put into place since the dawn of Australia as we know it has been because of a difference in culture, a difference in opinion in what is acceptable and what is not.

PeterForde, spot on, conservative christianity is the best system in world history by a country mile. the left just hate the workers getting a fair deal.

Loudmouth, poor Joe, democracy is not & never ever has been a work in progress. the basics are written in stone, have been for centuries, every time you members of the ruling, left wing elites work on it the workers get poorer.

ttbn, correct again.

Prebs, perfect assessment but the Aboriginals & Polynesians don't need to be destroyed just learn from us. Add the best of conservative christianity to the best of their culture & we all move on together, as we were before Multi Culti was invented.

Yuyutsu, Multi Culti was invented by Trotskyists at the height of the cold war to create conflict & hate so our society would fail.

Prebs again, we brought a complete set of laws with us when we arrived. all changes in law over the last century were designed by communists to create poverty.

Dear Imacentristmoderate,

I didn't mention "Multi Culti" or this Trotsky of yours, nor do I want conflict and hate, but if in order for your society to prosper it must force itself on other people who live on the land who are not interested in its ways, then I look forward to the downfall of that society (that of course includes Trostky's own communist society, which already collapsed, thanks be to God).