Though I don't fully agree with you well said Chris. We tend to lead very insular lives these days and a return to a more extended family might help some of the problems we see, though it may create as many as it resolves.

"And please do not simply mindlessly believe all you are told by organised religion. Any truly humble pastor will tell you they don't know all the answers. You have to seek before you can find. Ask these questions of yourself. Maybe you'll find your own answers for today, rather than someone elses for yesterday. They're the only ones that are ever going to truly satisfy you. Looking might be scary, but I promise you'll live through it. Unless of course you don't. But that's inevitible some times. It happens to the best of us."

Hear, hear.
But there in lies the rub. People should be FREE to follow any religion they like - and with the(alleged) SEPARATION of church and state in this country, no one religion should prevail over any other; if it does, we no longer have a free democracy, but a government(whether left or right) with its own agenda, and we, mere pawns in their schemes.
Unfortunately, there are a great many pontificating twirps out there who require someone else's idea of morality to govern their lives because they lack the wherewithall to accomplish this themselves.
I certainly don't advocate under-aged sex, or sex between and adult and a minor, but the answers certainly don't lie in the bible(if it does for some, fine - your beliefs are your beliefs).
Morality isn't sourced from the bible, it is sourced from philosophy, Christian morality simply being one interpretation of what morality might be. The ultimate morality(in the context of human action)should be freedom of the individual, so long as that freedom doesn't impinge on the rights of another individual(rights here can only pertain to individual's legally recognized by law - minors are being under the legal umbrella of their parents/guardians) then the state has NO MORAL RIGHT to interfere; ESPECIALLY under the guise of religious morality.
To argue that all homosexuals are predatory isn't just narrow, its nauseatingly dogmatic.
But then I shouldn't be surprised. After all, it was the enlightened christian church that created the Inquisition.
Whilst the practices of the Inquisition have been left behind, obviously its prevailingling mindset remains in some of the more non-cosmopolitan backwaters of the planet.

Bottom line: one thing this forum proves is that its high time the citizens of this great nation got a constitutionally endorsed bill of rights.

Kenny..its not often that you and I AGREE..but this is one.
I'm all FOR extended families etc. But real ones, rather than fake ones. Blood is always thicker. It has some drawbacks but the sense of belonging and well being, support thru the hard times, etc etc.. all make it a wonderful approach.

I've only see fake families on the telly, are they the ones your talking about? Do you want to ban acting?

Breeding within blood is decidedly ill-advised, BOAZ. :)

Have a fine day,
Coman

You misread me Concerned Citizen, I was commenting on the ignorance of n0rm5kj not of Sen. Greig and the people of WA.

Religion is a PERSONAL thing that should not play any part in deciding the rights of our fellow citizens; remember, not every Ausralian is a Christian, and not all Christians believe that homosexuality should be illegal or deemed immoral. To put ones religious beliefs on a pedestal above the morals of other citizens is grossly pompous and ignorant.

If your beliefs mean you dont think gays should marry, fine, don't marry your mate, marry your girlfriend. But people shouldn't stop other people from marrying or having intercourse with the people they love. It won't hurt you, so what are you so worried about!?