It would appear that some of those on the left are having difficulty grasping the horrible truth that Australia is basically a white society and if you want to rise out of your pit, then you must attempt to conform to the norms of this society. You may even get help from a whitey, but at the end of the day, it is your own endeavors which are the ones that matter. People like Stephen and Noel Pearson seem to have grasped that fact, but their efforts are decried by those who are too slothful to get off the welfare teat and throw away the tinnie.

David

Perhaps Aboriginals should try and learn a few lessons from Crazy John. He didn't exactly come from your stereotypical Aussie background, (A muslim already), but he made a fortune and didn't hesitate to give some of it back along the way.

David

Alwas was and always will be Aboriginal land.

"The pain of the mind is worse than the pain of the body."

And apparently that's all we're ever going to hear about from Aboriginals.

Pain, pain, pain.

Thank your lucky stars you met polite bumbling Englishmen in 1788 and not Germans looking for Lebensraum in 1939.
It could have been a *lot* worse!

As for Jesus being compassionate.
He was a subversive revolutionary who wanted to tear the world apart.

He told people he didn't like to "go to Hell". (Pharisees? Those scumbags!)
He was such a threat to civil order that the authorities executed him.
Today, he'd be labelled a terrorist.

He also heretically told people the "Kingdom of God" was *within* them.
In other words, they had the ability within themselves to overcome any obstacle, heal any pain, achieve any goal.

The power was theirs, but only if they took *personal responsibility*.

When you stop blaming the "Devil" (in this case, white society) for your ills, you just might be able to heal yourself.

I think the main underlying problem is "black guilt".

Other people colonised by Europeans fought back.
The Native Americans, Africans and Maoris were true warriors.
They fought bravely for their land.
They lost the fight, but not their *self respect*.

Aboriginals, for the most part, passively moved on when white settlers appeared.
Their "guilt" at their past passivity is the true cause of all their problems.

How they are going to get over this is something only they can figure out.
But blaming everyone but yourself for your troubles is not going to help.

Nor is wishing that somehow it had all never happened.
("If only" those ships had just kept sailing on.)

Shockadelic

I can't decide which topic you know less about - Christ's philosophy or Australian contact history.

Why is it that those with the least to say say it most often?

Go read something on both topics (after you've finished reading about the White Australia Policy).

FrankGol,

I apologise for inferring your hate for anything 'Christian'. The frustration I feel is that anytime anyone opposes the symbolic gestures in relationship to reconciliation that they are usually said to have no compassion especially in relation to the aboriginals plight. NO doubt on such a hot issue opinion even among Christians is divided. I doubt whether any humane person on any level of politics could not be moved by what they see in aboriginal communities. Different world views certainly determine how people view how the lives of indigeneous people can improve. What is obvious is that whatever has happened or been tried in the last 100 years has had little success. Maybe it is not just Mr Howard who needs to rethink their position but everyone else as well.