Instead of expending energy on verbal brawling with the Christian taliban and theocrats, gay and lesbian people should stop awhile and consider how much the world has changed in the past thirty years.
Savour the fact that year by year our human rights improve. Small setbacks occur but the path is ultimately forward and upward.
Savour the fact that the generation coming up behind X and Y is by and large more broadminded and tolerant and they actually KNOW gay and lesbian people (as opposed to critiquing them from a distance). A small percentage of them may be attracted to cults that encourage mass hysteria like "talking in tongues" but by and large even a lot of the self-confessed Christians among them have an open-minded view of the world they live in.
Savour the fact that there are gay and lesbian people in parliament who have the courage to be out and proud. Savour the fact that there are out and proud gay and lesbian people in every walk of life, despite the all the best efforts of the Christian taliban and theocrats.
Savour the fact that young gay and lesbian people are growing up in a world in which their families and friends are much more likely to support them and nurture them and assist them to lead happy, productive and fulfilling lives instead of being depressed and adopting destructive lifestyles.
Savour the fact that most Australians don't like god botherers telling them how to live and what to think.
Savour the fact that eventually we will have complete equality, even marriage if you must have it (though shouldn't we have our own traditions instead?).
Thirty years ago a lifetime as a gay man or lesbian in Australia seemed an awful prospect. That's certainly not the case to day. Savour. But always remember that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance. Always keep your eye on those who seek to merge their religion with the state. Just look what they do in places like Afghanistan when they succeed.

chunky
the chrisitan taliban are FRED PHELPS...
not conservative evangelicals.

And savor this, there is a growing political and social awareness going on right now among CE's and it may well show up very much more in the next election. Victoria in 2006 and Federal whenever it happens. But then, it could go the other way.. we all have to watch.

I think that the day when a gay person went to a church in Sweden, and felt so offended at the Pastors message from Romans 1, and his passionate and colorful application, and managed to get him Jailed for a few months, was also the day when a world wide awareness by CE's awoke that were are a persecuted minority by a secular and gay promoting world. It was also the day when a lot of people turned from 'apathetic' to passionate.

Of course everyone should be vigilant. The majority of gay people I know consider that an appalling abuse of the law, as stupid as vilification legislation to stop people voicing ugly opinions. Or taking Sam Newman to court for making a (bigger) dickhead of himself. Freedom belongs to everyone.

mattbyrne, you are a breath of fresh air. Boaz_david and his ilk have become so tiresome as they continue to eyebash (earbash) with their beliefs. They should be aware that repetition is simply boring and not converting in any way. Condemnation of the beliefs of others while claiming that they are tolerant (well, as tolerant as Jesus), is simply hypocritical. A healthy society is one that is inclusive as well as tolerant. I have been observing many christians as stating that atheism is a religion, wadderloadda! As you stated, a religion requires ritual and it also demands faith rather than facts. I expect a major drubbing from Boaz after this - come on baby, I'm waitin' for ya.

RINGTAIL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy now ? :)

I dont want to give you a drubbing mate.

God bless

Kenny, I have read the source - not that that changes anything...Children are still far worse off with gay parents.

mattByrne, Christians are not concerned with excluding gays from society. We believe they are made in God's image like everyone else and should the same protection under the law as everyone else. What Christians object to is the homosexual lifestyle and their militant social agenda. If we are intolerant of anything it is the militant homosexual lobby groups trying to redefine our law and education system in order to grant gays rights that they do not deserve (eg. access to IVF, foster care, adoption etc) and their attempts to indoctrinate our children through various school curricula and paint the gay lifestyle as a normal healthy option when in fact it leads to a lonely painful death at an early age either by AIDS, drug and alcohol abuse or by domestic violence (ie. one of multiple gay partners beats you up and kills you).

AK