Dear Foxy,

I think I will let the autocorrect ride. Good is useful and rarely contested or refused.

Dear Josephus,

I don't know what 'more than an animal' means. I am an animal not a plant, fungus or microbe. I don't how I can be more than what I am.

In our multicultural society where Christianity is no longer the dominant focus for the majority of citizens, the recitation of a Christian prayer at the start of decision making meetings that affects those very citizens seems rather archaic.

BTW; Didn't the NOALITION have their 'Prayer Room' in Parliament House where they could go and fornicate to their hearts content, whilst praying to the All Mighty for forgiveness at the same time. Seems a fair compromise.

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What is it to be human ?

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According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica :

« The gap in cognition, as in anatomy, between humans and the great apes (orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos) is much less than was once thought, as they have been shown to possess a variety of advanced cognitive abilities formerly believed to be restricted to humans. »

Human beings, like all life forms, are animated matter. The OED defines “life” as :

« The condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms, being manifested by growth through metabolism, reproduction, and the power of adaptation to environment through changes originating internally ».

Life is a self-sustaining process. Birth is not the beginning of life. It is its continuance. And, as Shakespeare may possibly have said, had he been a biologist instead of a playwright : we are all just actors in a chain of events - from the cradle to the grave.

Here is a brief video on what separates humans from other animals :

http://www.britannica.com/video/193400/What-is-it-to-be-human
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On separation of church and state :

As a British colony, the Westminster political and legal system applied in Australia and has never been abandoned, even after the Australia Act of March 1986 granted us so-called full independence.

Despite our so-called “full independence”, what we still have in Australia today is the British Crown as our Head of State and the Westminster system.

The Westminster system is, of course, based on religious foundations. In addition, the British Crown is both Head of State and Head of the Church of England and has been since the 16th century.

I don’t expect that the separation of Church and State in Australia will be complete until we decide to become a republic and replace our old colonial constitution accordingly.

If and when that were to occur, we could shake off our final shackles and remove all religious practices from the political and public sphere, hopefully, without offending anyone.

Freedom of religion would continue to be guaranteed by the state in the private sphere among the various religious communities.

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Dear Banjo Paterson,

Thank you for that:

https://www.britannica.com/video/193400/What-is-it-to-be-human

The above video says well what I have been trying to say. We are an animal with particular characteristics, and all animals have their particular characteristics. The particular characteristics define us, but they do not make us higher or lower. The religious myth of creation in the Bible sets us above the other animals. However, it remains a religious myth and not reality.

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

The myth that we are put here to rule over forms of life has justified great environmental destruction. The recognition that we are part of nature and another species may serve to counter that destruction.

David f, your animal body is not really you, it has been created from plants, animals, and resources you have consumed. Every cell of your body has come from the Earth and other creatures and has been fully replaced every 21 years. So, what are you? You are the life you have lived and the impressions you have made while living, that remains as your history in the great scheme of history. You are HIS STORY!