Boazy: "Thus did the Pharisee pray...with himSELF..... Onya CJ :)"

Just between you and me Boazy, there's quite a distinction between the universal human activity of thinking and the cultural activity of praying. I used to try and "pray" when I was a kid - but then I grew up and didn't need imaginary friends any more.

I'm glad that you mentioned 'imaginary' CJMorgan because the most tragic imaginary creature in the whole of religious mythology is the BURAQ. This winged-donkey-like-creature is responsible for magnifying the Arab/Israeli conflict a million fold. The human misery that this strange and unreal beast has caused is enough to make any rational person weep.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buraq
http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Contrad/External/aqsa.html

There are some aspects of religion that deserve to be loathed.

TRTL I did make reference to Fred Niles call in another post.

You are correct... I disagree with specifically 'Christian' political parties in principle. I don't have a lot of time for the Christian Democratic Party on those grounds. Not that I don't subscribe to many of their prinicples of belief I'm sure. But to politicize those beliefs over and above the general democratic rules we live by, is going beyond scripture in my view.

My position is that a party should represent the people. If it chooses VALUES which are Christian, then thats good, and they take it on the chin at the ballot box, they win or they lose based on those values. But as Jesus said "My Kingdom is NOT 'of this world'"

Freds call to halt Islamic Immigration is one I share, but not on "Christian" grounds, purely cultural, social and security ones.
But at a push I'm sure I can find a "verse". (Beware of Wolves in sheeps clothing, false prophets etc)

We can have a government which lives by Christian principle, but we should not have a government which tries in any way to legislate 'personal conviction and faith'.

CJ don't mind me, I could not resist that little dig, because your words trumpeted so much like hmmm lets say the roar of a cyclone in impact, but you just didn't catch it :) No offense.
Imaginary friend ? Well thats always a matter of personal choice and faith. It only takes one degree of intellectual distance "I WON'T believe" for cynical faithlessness to thrive in a persons mind and heart. The classic example is the report of the blind man Jesus healed. The Pharisees did not WAN'T to believe in Jesus Messiahship, so they simply blocked it out of their minds.

Their biggest challenge consisted of the Blind mans words "Whether this man is a sinner or not, I don't know, but one thing I do know, once I was blind, and now I can see"

Probably some of the most powerful words in Scripture. May the scales fall from your eyes.. amen.

It would be a far better world without religions, at least the ones we have in conflict in Australia.
That is what we have growing conflict, Christians, most of them at least on hearing I do not believe would feel sorrow for me and maybe try to save me.
Some even most if I made my claim in some parts of my country Muslims would claim I should be killed.
My freedom to live my life is impacted far too much by religion, while I want them to have the right to worship in any way any God are my rights assured?
My country lacks the leadership to question why we continue to grow apart in the name of religion.
And why multi cultures is challenging my rights to my culture.

ol' Irf is always good for a laugh. Now he wants some "Christian" Pollies hypercritical blather to be seen in the same light as the Bali bombers, 9/11, 0r 7/7. It's nothing more than thinly disguised religious bigotry in action. Christian haters, Muslim haters, whats the difference?
Irfan the defender of Islam making statements about other people judging Islam by the acts of terrorist has no problem of attacking Christianity in the name of fair play. As if being concerned for social and national security and discussing necessary measures to defeat Islamic extremist wishing to capture headlines by blowing up the Sydney Opera House is equal to some nutter spouting off about limiting Muslim immigration. Typical. Terrorism is happening somewhere in the world every day and is a genuine fear. Limiting immigration is never going to happen, so no fear at all.

I dont have much of a problem with what Irfan has written. Religions have no place trying to influence government. But there is a huge difference between what the religious right etc may be doing and what the Islamacists believe should be the way and are agitating for.

I was very interested in the previous reference by some one, to the St.Petersburg Declaration. It makes eminent good sense and would be difficult see how anyone, other than extremists, could object to signing up to it.

Similarly for the document by Tom Zreika on Australian Imams in "The Way Forward", also makes good sense for how Islam should be organised in Australia

http://www.lma.org.au/Australian_Imams_Report.pdf

http://secularislam.org/blog/post/SI_Blog/21/The-St-Petersburg-Declaration

Despite all this apparant progress, it appears that the new council will re-elect that idiot Hilali as the Grand Mufti. Now what does that say about their intentions and agendas. Pity.