Last night I watched Chris Tarrant's journey of 1,000
miles across Japan. It was fascinating learning about
a very different culture and the Shinto religion.
He even met a celebrity station master - who happened
to be a cat.

Just goes to show the different belief systems that exist
in our very diverse world. Why do some of us insist on
everyone being exactly the same? Identical to us?
Not all religions are looking for converts - or to convert
others to their way of thinking.

Why can't we simply let people enjoy their identity and
culture, maintain and use their language, maintain their
kinship ties and in the case of our Indigenous people
why can't their maintain their distinctive spiritual
relationships with the land and waters in which they
have a connection?

Live and let live?

Yes, no more conflict, Listen, to Foxy you guys; instead allow ISIS to hold their views and practise their religion. Alllow Iran to carry our their religion. Just allow aboriginals to return to their pre 1770 life and beliefs. STOP TRYING TO INFLUENCE CHANGE! Foxy has the answer, listen - live and let live! Language is the curse that has caused conflict - stop communicating language!

Dear Josephus,

Didn't Jesus say to love your neighbour as
yourself?
for a self-proclaimed Christian you're not
very good at practicing what He taught.

david f: "Let us recognize that those Biblical and Aboriginal myths are Stone Age creations and move into the modern world together."

Well many cultures have moved into the modern world. What is proposed here is that we give equal adherence to the stone age myths as to the modern world beliefs.

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Paul wrote "We now have a new concept "benign racism".

Well Paul, its not a new concept. The term has been around for at least the last half-century. But its the type of concept that people like yourself and Foxy who practice it wouldn't recognise nor understand.

I find it fascinating that nobody here including the benign racists have even acknowledged the racism involved in turning a blind-eye to aboriginal domestic violence.

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Paul wrote:" Desmond Tutu in South Africa, a fighter all his life of "benign racism" ."

And another who practiced it. Check out his views and anti-Semitic attitudes.

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Foxy asks: "Why can't we simply let people enjoy their identity and
culture,"

Well I don't think anyone here has objected to people practicing their own culture. But the original proposal was that one culture needed to subsume its practices to that of another (lesser) culture.

mhaze,

You're right - our Indigenous culture is
being asked to subsume its practices to
another culture which you suggest is
superior and that of our Indigenous people's
culture as being "lesser" or "inferior."

Therein lies the problem.

What is being asked by our Indigenous people
is that they be consulted and have a say
regarding any laws that specifically affect only them.

Surely that's a fair request?

cont'd ...

mhaze,

Surely all of us should be able to understand that
our First People today make up less than 3% of
our population and in our system of government that
makes it hard to have their voice heard. It makes it
hard to influence laws that are made about them in
Parliament.

It is vital that they have a real say in the laws,
policies, and programs that affect their rights.

I support the 1st Peoples recognition in our Constitution
and I support their request. It's way overdue.
It to me seems like a fair request that they are asking
for a voice which can give advice to parliament about
Indigenous issues.

This group would make sure that the parliament hears Indigenous
voices when they make laws, policies, and programs about
Indigenous people. This would help parliament
make better and more effective laws for the Indigenous people.