If any Christian or Jew had written a similar article with a reverse slant in Egypt for example,ie making other religions equal to Islam,they would be quickly dispatched.

Religion is a curse born of our own insecurities and weakness.It has nothing to do with truth or reality,but tribalism,which pitches one side against another.Tribal elders find power,security and solace in the ignorance of the masses.Nothing has changed in our psyche in 5000 yrs.Will we ever learn?

Religion is the root of all evil!

But then...hang about....I too have a God. His name is "Conscience!"

One doesn't need to resort to the supernatural to learn about my God, though many years ago I did plagiarise a biblical quotation:

"Only to do the right, and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God." Mic.6:8

And that about sums up the extent of my religious indoctrination!

As for the rest - it's all spin - obsolete and fearful strategies to control the masses!

My what a lot of fuzy headed angry lot of people. Whether you like it or not the fact remains that it is not incorrect to state that Australia values were fundamentally judeo-christian in nature. Or do you fuzy headed wonbats want to re-write history? I also know what our nation was not founded on. It was not founded on female circumsision, it was not founded on the principal that religious conversion would be met by death, and it was not founded on the belief that all unbeleivers must die.

Dont waste your energy on such considerations of the past. The past is past. Instead lets all work to make the future a better place that it has been for all Australians.

Let's face it, there's not a lot of difference between the Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions. There is an invisible patriachal God who rules via a patriachal oligarchy who consult the appropriate patriachal texts. In other words, all three monotheisms peddle the same old tribalisms, misogyny and homophobia

However, modern Christianity is (on the whole) superior to both Judaism and Islam. This is because Christianity has been winnowed by the great scientists, philosophers and thinkers of Western civilisation. It has come out of its Dark Ages and is therefore more open, tolerant and feministic than Judaism and Islam who are still stuck in there 'Desert Tribe' mindset.

Christianity as a cultural package is therefore more in tune and beneficial to contemporary Australian culture. At least Australians don't have to put up with the likes of these idiots in mainstream religious culture;

'Wife Beating in Islam - The Rules'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp3Eam5FX58&mode=related&search=

'Wife Beating in Islam - only a rod will help'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWGA8i6scYY&mode=related&search=

However, having said all that, there are signs that the feminist wheels are turning at last in the Islamic world. This debate is strangely refreshing;

'Debate on Wife Beating as instructed in Quran'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nUI3TUdFCk&mode=related&search=

Now, I'm a 'soft' atheist so I'd like to turn every temple, church and mosque into a museum. However, since we're obviously stuck with monotheism until more people learn to use their brain properly then I would choose Christianity over the other Judaism and Islam any day. At least it's tribalism, misogyny and homophobia has been mediated by a long list of free-thinkers and dissidents.

Has anybody noticed the cartoon on the OLO home page? ("Why geeks like computer games") I wonder what unrecognisable avatar Irfan might choose?

Judeo-Christian-Islamic have the same abrahamic root

But who cares about tradition - mainly point-scoring politicians who are trying to cash in on cultural fears about difference.

look to the future - not the past