DM has raised the case of the two Christian pastors found guilty on Friday of vilifying Muslims under the Victorian Racial and Religious Tolerance laws. This is very worrying, as it seriously erodes our precious Freedom Of Speech. It seems they quoted many verses from the Koran [or is it the Qran] and this was noted by 2 Muslim converts who had deliberately planted themselves in the Seminar audience to "spy" on the pastors. Sounds like what happened in churches in Nazi Germany in the 1930's. In any case, how much criticism has been levelled at eh Christian Churches [especially the Catholic Church] in the mass media [not in the restricted environment of a Seminar] and yet the Catholics or others didn't run whingeing to the State Government!

These "Tolerance" laws exist or only one purpose, to silence criticism of minority groups by the majority of ordinary citizens and majority religions and mainstream groups.

They work hand-in-glove with "political correctness" to undermine Christian Churches and organisations.

This decision is an attack on our Freedom of Speech, and should be criticised in the Press and Talkback by all who value our traditional freedoms. Once we lose our Freedom of Speech, we can never ever get it back.

The irony is that this law was passed by a LABOR Government. How many times have I heard Left wingers proclaim how we must be able to say what we think. They used to love quoting Voltaire who famously said "I disagree strongly with what my opponent says, but I will defend to the death his right to say it". It's up to us to do some defending of our rights in 2004.

And where are all the civil libertarians who usually come out of the woodwork when issues like this arise? Isn't this just the type of case they would normally go to bat for?

With his very first sentence, I warmed to this author immediately, and at the end of the article thought to myself that, in the words of the poet: "Common sense ain't so common these days".

This issue should not be turned into a beat-up on multiculturalism. We live in a diverse culture - this does not mean denying Christian ideas, but integrating them into that diverse culture.

I am not a Christian, but recognise that Christmas is an important and meaningful time of the year for nearly all Australians. Repressing the Christian message at Christmas time will only result in an ugly counter-reaction.

Instead of watering-down Christmas, why don't we start celebrating (at least on a small-scale) other religious holidays. I am not Christian, but I love Christmas. Are we such a tolerant society that we could celebrate other religious holidays?

I consistently see evidence that people from other cultures and religions willingly accept and tolerate the celebrations of Christmas.

A boy from a Hindu family asked me to tell him the story of Christmas. His family bought a Christmas tree and displayed pride in their son's interest in Australia's annual celebration. A friend who lives in Pascoa Vale each year sees Muslim women buying Christmas decorations. As a storyteller I have told stories in East St Kilda where Jewish parents and grandparents bring their children and stay to hear the performance.

I am also consistently asked (by Australians) to provide storytelling programs at Christmas that do not mention Jesus, Christmas or Santa. On one of these occasions the group of children appeared to be mostly Anglo-Celtic Australians and only three Asian children - one Chinese and two Indian. I spoke to the mother of the Indian children after the session. She told me her son was in Prep and no longer in pre school but he had stayed away from school to attend the storytelling with his sister. He wanted to hear the stories of Christmas. He clearly enjoyed the session but he did not hear the story of Christmas. Ironically he (or at least his sister) must have been one of the children the organisers decided would not want to hear the traditional stories of Christmas.

People who act on the assumption they are doing good deeds without stopping to think would do well to slow down, ask questions and consider the long term consequences of their actions. Less help more heed is required I think.

I refer DM and Big Al to todays Online Opinion piece about the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal decision. It was by none other than Waleed Aly, who they so heartily applaud on this page, and it reveals how the hateful pastors concerned did far more than simply "quote the Quran."