Reason,
Christians have been at the forefront of gaining liberty, equality in justice and freedom of expression. It is not known what some might do who call themselves Christian that do not follow Christ's teaching.

A true follower of Christ would or should do just that - follow Christ. For that answer I suggest you read the accounts by his followers of his teaching in the New Testament. Maybe some research by attendance at several different Christian Churches might help in gaining current attitudes and behaviour of Christians to the law. However ignore the unintelligent who may border on psychopathic attitudes [as exists in all communities] and seek out the opinion makers and shakers in the Churches.

Reason, speaking for the Christian point of view (though I can only speak for myself), I of course believe that Christian laws should be instituted in society.

Religion is an inescapable concept. Everybody is religious. Laws will always be based on a people's religious worldview, their basic framework of assumptions regarding metaphysics, epistemology and ethics which they take on faith, whether it is a worldview revealed by a transcendent authority (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, etc.) or whether it is arbitrarily invented by a self-appointed elite (Humanism). Since laws are by definition religious, Christians are quite justified, just like everybody else, in trying to have their laws reflect their religious worldview.

We have a democratic system where people can decide under what laws they want to live. I believe I am well within my rights to pursuade my fellow citizens to abide by Christian moral precepts. But it is of course against Christian doctrine to force our religion on others against their will. That's why we must rely on the democratic system to offer the most agreeble situation whereby the religious worldview of the majority hold sway.

Thankfully, the Christian prohibitions of such things as rape, theft, and murder still largely carry weight. However, things are slipping, and pre-natal murder is now accepted by an apostatising society. This is a reversion to a paganistic devaluation of life, where pre-Christian societies practiced cannibalism, sacrifice, exposure of newborns (very late-term abortion), gladiotorial games, suttee, etc.

But Christians are in agreement that fighting this moral decadence must be carried out while respecting the democratic process. That, after all, is the Christian thing to do. Unfortunately, different religious worldviews do not necessarily respect the democratic process as much as Christians do.

Thank you Danny for writing what many of us are thinking. I am a white-skinned migrant and I feel too that we can successfully live together if we assimilate. I also agree that we have to be careful that we don't give away our freedom. Many countries that have used appeasment are now paying the price, including France. I remember what history told me about the way the world tried to appease Hitler. Look what we ended up with?!

The notion that Australia is not racist is wishful thinking. Thankfully it is mostly latent because racial minorities have generally been either relatively peaceful or well assimilated or both. There is the possibility that anger and resentment will again build up both within and against groups of young, non-anglo males leading to another Cronulla situation. Such events are likely to be isolated, however a level of simmering resentment that has some racial or cultural basis is likely to continue. This is not unexpected or very alarming, neither is it proof that multiculturalism does not work. The ethnic group mainly involved here, Lebanese, will eventually mature into their place in Australia and any trouble and resentment will fade out.

As one of Australian birth and anglo origin, I have married an asian born and have a mix race child. We joined the ethnic community group which ran a self-sufficient school teaching the language, culture and religion of the parent's birth. The child relates well to both countries and families. In a tiny way, Australia and the other country are both better off because of this child's education and the opportunity in a multicultural society to have the best of two cultures.

There are countless other examples like this with a happy outcome. We just don't hear much about them in the sensation-addicted media. I don't believe that multiculturalism has failed or is 'dead'. Long may it continue.

Brazuca puts the nail on the head, religion. Until such time religion is disassociated from society, including its laws as Brazuca attempts to do, will only serve to continue to promote the divisions and prejudices.

Religion is a private thing and belongs to the individual, to institutionalise it, promotes clubs from those 'saved' from the 'unsaved', infidels to gentiles.

Lets gets on with living in this beautiful country of ours without introducing religional factions that is the basis or the justifications for the powerplays we see around the world today and for millenia.

Arguments used by Brazuca belongs in another world, not Australia.

Religion has its place in society. At its best it can be liberating, : the writer of the great Christian hymn 'Amazing Grace' was a slaver, who was comnvinced by his faith that slavery was wrong, and wrote the hymn as a celebration of his own liberation from slavery.

Religion is everything when it comes to salvation. We cannot force others to accept our path to salvation.

Getting back to multiculturism, which includes religion: I guess that many of us want to feel comfortable, to experience what we consider to be 'the good life', for some of us it is about feeling 'at home' where we can be ourselves, with our friends and family.

I guess the same is true of people from other cultures. For some the idea of 'at home' means to be able to expand into others' spaces.

Well, my idea of the god life means not having to accept other peoples' world views unless they have carefully convinced me of their value. This goes as much for the drum beating Brazillians on Bondi Beach to the trendies of Leichhardt at their Flicker-fest.

I don't feel that I have to accept a militant religion, whether it is Seventh Day Adventists and Mormons or Islam telling me that my Western Liberal Deomocracy is decadent and deserving of jihad.

Another big problem that I have, and Irfan may be able to deal with this, is that my understanding of Islam is that it also lead to less tribalism, less violence and greater acceptance of 'the other'.

Does this mean that the 'Lebanese Gangs' have simply bypassed Islam in their progress towards the 21st Century? And if they have why are not more people from their own community giving them up to the authorities?

Or is it a matter that they prey on their own just as much as they prey on others? Just remember the Edward Lee killing and what happened to the Lebanese woman who considered justice to be more important than clan tribalism. Irfan, I am sure that you are aware of this particular matter.