Condemning Islam is easy to do from the typical Aussie Christian-centric view.

Those who can, and are willing to, equally condemn Christianity, Judaism and other religions for exactly the same crimes will make the greater difference to ensuring respect for diversity and the support for freedoms and individual rights.

Islam is not the problem, it is only a symptom of the wider disease known as religion. There is very little to differentiate Yasin from Fred Nile, but I know which one most Australians would want deported first.

David you last paragraph says it all. “However, mainstream Australia is less concerned with anti-gay violence and more worried about general security issues. And general security issues, not gay acceptance, win votes. In other words, it is better all round not to touch the subject. As usual, the gay community will have to deal with this problem on its own.”

It should be that way. I would say that the majority of Australians have no problem with gays, but they find it offensive that the gay community constantly tries to push its values on to us, against our wishes.

I have gay friends, but they are real people who live their lives within the community and contribute without whinging. They also agree with the majority of Australian people, being totally against the adoption by gays of children

This has nothing to do with being gay, but it being an unbalanced relationship. They also like me, believe that parenting should be balanced between a man and womans influence and not singles or single sex relationships. I disagree with single people being able to adopt children because of the lack of balance. It doesn't mean that gays can't be good parents, but it begins an unbalanced upbringing, just like heterosexual single parents do on the whole.

What you are doing David is trying to hijack reality and turn it into your fantasy. There is no difference between the Muslim zealots and the attitude to homosexuality and the Christan religious right, they are all terrorists in that regard and are all the same. What the gay community along with the rest of the sane community should do, is stand up and get rid of the religious morons that do all in their power to disrupt our way of life and enforce theirs.

You must be feeling terrible inadequate and confused if you have to keep pushing your empty barrow around trying to tell people it is full. You seem intelligent, why don't you use that to improve the image of your peers, rather than trying to force confrontation and degrade you current acceptance.

Yes indeed. David is a bit shrill on this one; Islams take on homosexuality is no surprise. But in an environment of suspicion and overt hostility a more measured approach to criticism is warranted - and I have long since tired of the "How dare you!" kind of defence when lifestyles, choices etc are attacked; people dare because they have a different take on things - we should learn to live with that fact and get on with life.
The Gay lobby should really take a bex and lay down for a while; less and less of us really care anymore about sexual orientation. These days it only becomes an issue when some gay individual takes offense at old prejudices being aired - and there will be those that will harbour those forever.

The Alchemist says:

"What the gay community along with the rest of the sane community should do, is stand up and get rid of the religious morons that do all in their power to disrupt our way of life and enforce theirs."

What do you think the article was about? DUH! Read it again but slowly.

And as for "forcing values" on non-gay people well, believe me I'm not particularly interested in that. I only wish Sheikh Yasin, Brian Houston and other religious extremists would return the favour. In this regard I am particularly saddened by the plight of young gay people who have to suffer religious fundamentalist households whatever their denomination. Fortunately, the organisations I have been involved in over the years have made considerable headway so it is easier for young people to come out compared with 10 or 20 years ago. In the wider scheme of things, the Hillsongs and the Yasins will be temporary nuisances that can be overcome.

David,

It is a pity that the terrorist problems have increased not only tensions between Islamics and Christians, but hypocrital fundamental laws common to both religions are being used, as you say by Islamic mullahs, to virtually abuse our homosexuals, whom our modern democracies have graciously given the rights to live in our society as normal citizens.

The sad reality is that we have America in command of our globe, with extreme right wing Christians, saying the same thing about homosexuals as certain Muslim mullahs. Indeed, it leaves political philosophers with a deep belief that for the time being to save our planet, it might be best if we locked out all religious beliefs while these terrorist problems are with us, and focused our minds on the true causes of modern terrorism, but going back to the Ten Commandents just one more time. “Thou Shall not Covet thy Neighbour’s Goods.”

In 19th century colonial terms, the Commandent surely includes hegemon and contraband, along with occupying another’s territory, as again is happening in Iraq, and as happened after WW1, with a revolt necessitating 10, 000 Iraqis having to be killed with mustard gas by the RAF, so British Petroleum could have the oil.

Talking as one going on 85 with not much time left, isn’t it about time we woke up to ourselves, and began taking many more lessons from history such as the above. Even the very coldblooded-pragmatic Churchill declared that when looking at world problems we need to look far further back than we look forward. Right back to the early Greeks, would be a good idea, the way the world is now. Yet some of our Forum contributors are calling the lessons of history, just so much twaddle and old pap.

Yes, David, I really understand what you are on about. But knowing that your gay associates would be up with it in historical knowledge and the lessons thereof, turn your resentments to help making it a more thoughtful and understanding world, which you must agree is so much needed.

George C, Bushbred, WA

Hello, 'alchemist'; you experience the opinions of gays as intrusive? Raised in a fundamentalist cult (quite legally, because forced religious observation does not constitute formal child abuse), my own experience is that unpleasant religious bigotry is extremely destructive, and demanded a 'god-given' right to much more of my time and attention than ever the creative and often inspirational invitations-to-thought of lesbian and gay activists have.
And please consider, when you assert the 'balance' of heterosexual upbringings that the overwhelming majority of domestic violence sufferers are women (it's not a balanced 50-50, I can personally assure you) - women attempting to protect their lives and sanity and their children's well-being. The harsh 'masculinities' we've promoted under patriarchy don't do much for any argument of 'balance' re: the product of heterosexuality.
Anna