I will critique Foxy's accepted world view of family. My wife and I have recently moved and we have had to downsize including our photo albums five albums of 135 foster children cared for in the 1980 -90's -the result of divorce, drugs, criminal activity and family violence. All of these children would have been better of if the family had, had loving and caring parents; they were damaged by their parents behaviors and were taken into temporary foster care. Try telling these children they are better off than having a stable family.

A person's political views and/or religious beliefs
should not exist in an impenetrable and inviolable
bubble where they are protected from criticism or
scrutiny. Beliefs as we've seen can be irrational,
unfounded and downright dangerous.

We should support laws that are meant to protect
individuals from discrimination and harm.

A distinction should be made between hate speech - which
amounts to an attack on a religious or political group
that is sufficiently hateful or extreme and may incite
violence and an attack on the group's believes which
should be permitted under freedom of expression.

One's religion or political beliefs should not fall
into the same category as one's sexual orientation, biological
sex, or race. People don't choose their race, sexual
orientation, or biological sex. They do choose whether or
not they want to adhere to and believe in particular
political or religious narratives. Therefore others have
every right to reject, and criticize these beliefs.

As stated earlier there's no such thing as freedom from
religious offense. If you live in the West, you should
accept that your religious or political views are not
sacrosant to those who do not share your faith or
beliefs.

We have laws that protect against calls for violence against
groups or individuals - "" I believe anybody who denies my
God should be put to death" or " Kill Jews, they are
the enemies of God," and so on. On the other hand, to
criticize religious beliefs should never be construed
as illegal hate speech - unless we give up our
fundamental human rights such as freed0m of conscience
( which includes freedom from religion) and freedom of
speech.

People have every right to practice their religious
and political convictions as long as they don't harm others and
the rest of us have every right to reject, and criticize these
beliefs.

There are very few things on which I agree with Foxy in word and spirit. There has been violence towards and from all groups seeking to change the perceived power structure- the purpose of democracy seems to be to allow sub-cultures to discuss their views freely to resolve their subjugation peacefully. The alternative is to resolve it by force. Force is often the result of force. Gays force gay priests the religious community forces back. If you can somehow claim and frame that you hold "the status of the innocent in the face of a violent tyrant" you can use the anvil of the tyranny of the Locke Liberal State to crush your opponents community. This is not a live and let live peaceful strategy.

George Pell recently faced this.

You don't look to 'rule of law' in the courts for justice or principle.

This is why communities need to manage themselves in terms of their own interest.

Balance between change and tradition, between repression and stability- a corollary of the human condition- perhaps only a human perspicacity. Over time my opponents will come to see my reality as superior or not- my results will prove my theory- and reality will change them- rather than myself- I take the risk for walking through the snow for the rich rewards- this perhaps is in the spirit of Liberalism in a sense- I'm sure that Liberalism itself will break itself on the laws of physics- while it seeks to break others. Ayn Rand had a fair bit to say on the Death Cults of Communist and Liberal Peoples Fronts and States- chaining life giving groups to the dead only creates death. And the Communists create more death than anyone.

Any community that fails to take steps to protect itself from the raging chaos outside will quickly die. There are those that attack everyone in the name of peace.

If we see a group (like the church) not our own that breeds considerate members and keeps to itself- and we see it under attack- good samaritans should step up and protect it

Thanks Josephus for your good example.

Communism has killed about 100 Million people in the name of peace and love.

Josephus,

I did say that family remains fundamentally important
to people throughout their life.

I pointed out
that today the reality is that there are different
family structures that exist.

Children need atability,
love, and care, so before we critique the current
family structures it is also wise to
remember that even in traditional families not all of
them were stable, and not all children received the care
that they should have. Domestic violence, child abuse,
alcoholic parents, drugs, are not a recent invention. Neither is
homelessness - (children running away from home). And the list
goes on.