This is a mountain and mole hill thing. Of course people that share similar beliefs will come together and discuss their respective agendas. As pointed out by others this is democracy in action.

The question comes down to whether the individual reader likes or dislikes the idea of religion entering into the political arena, and where the individual stands with their personal beliefs.

The Constitution (S116) makes it perfectly clear that there is no place in the Chambers of either Federal House for religion. Even daily Prayers in the Chambers really push the issue and are considered by many as unlawful.

I for one believe that those that are pushing the views of "the fairies at the end of the garden" have just as a legitimate view as the christians, the muslims, the marxists or fascists. Delusions are still delusions even if lots of people share them.

What is frightening is Runner's comment that the pollies required the assistance of their delusion/god in running the country.

'On the other hand they could provide a platform for a CEO on $3,000-an-hour(100 per cent increase in one year): who runs Australia’s biggest liquor retailer; who’s company is the biggest operator of poker machines in Australia; who cuts jobs in Australia and off shores them to Asia; who’s company was “found to have misled consumers”; which took “$500 million out of the pockets of milk processors and farmers, passed some of it on to consumers and pocketed the rest for its shareholders”; which had just been fined some $9 million for price fixing; and continues to be a major distributor of tobacco, much of it produced by child labour.'

Sounds as if the businessmen who Jesus reportedly kicked out of the temple may have been examples of moral correctness compared with this guy!

And what examples of moral behaviour did he have to contribute to the conference and, by extension, to the rest of Australia?

Leigh really must live in a vacuum. Scared about the threat of Islam eh? Well, my dear, you need to read more and meet more people. My friends who just happen to be Muslim are like the rest of th human race; they are interested in their children's schooling, morgage on the house, reading books, playing musical instruments, playing sport...surely you must understand that these are human beings?

Interestingly, Christian countries have just committed mass murder and war crimes in Iraq. A Jewsih nation has just done the same in Lebanon. Now, an Islamic country would be hard-pressed to top these atrocities. Nevertheless, I do not hold all the people in the atttacking nations' responsible for what their government have done. Heck, I am not repsonsible- though I now live in Australia- for the horror Howard has inolved us in in Iraq and Afghanistan. Neither am I responsible for the government and the flopposition's refusal to condmen Israel's war crimes.

You would have been rightt home in the Nazi propaganda era...though you are not alone in enjoying having millions of people that you don't know, and never will, to hate. This parliament has given you it on a platter.

Here's a thought- when you prick a Muslim they bleed. Racism by any name does not smell sweet.

Leigh, I agree with you. I love it when Christians and atheists can agree on something political. (Another example that springs to mind is the religious vilification laws in victoria).

Rex, the interesting thing about Jesus was that He showed grace and compassion to, amongst others, prostitutes and tax collectors.

The prostitutes were the "sexually immoral", who would probably be hated by the religious right today.

The tax collectors were the "financially immoral", who would probably be hated by the religious and non-religious left today.

Both types of people found acceptence (of themselves, not necessarily of their behaviour) in Jesus.

Alan, I hate it when Christians stand up and criticise other Christians. "They're not really Christians- they prefer the 10 Commandments to the Sermon on the Mount". Actually, God gave us both, and we're expected to live by both of them. There are much more important ways of approaching an "erring brother or sister" than spewing everything on a secular web site. If you have a problem, meet with the convenors and talk to them, I'm sure you'll get a lot more reasonable debate out of them than on this site.

Unless you care more about the politics of the situation than any possible reformation.

P.S. Leigh mentioned the threat of "Islam" not of Muslims. Islam is a religion, like Christianity, Bhuddism, Hinduism, etc. It's not a race. It is a system of philosophical and religious beliefs that is not a part of the human genome. You can't be racist by fearing the threat of a religion or philosophy.

Sunisle and others,
Leigh does make an important point about the relative threats from certain religiously based ideologies. There are no Christian countries or countries with majority Christian populations than ban the practice or propagation of other religions. Not so for Islamic countries. Right though Alan Matheson is to scrutinise the political activities of Christian religious groups, I know where the greater danger and need for vigilence lies.