Australia rocks!!!!!

[Bro. Curtis]

ARTICLE

SYDNEY (AFP) - Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law have been told to get out of Australia.

A day after a group of mainstream Muslim leaders pledged loyalty to Australia at a special meeting with Prime Minister John Howard, he and his ministers made it clear that extremists would face a crackdown.

Treasurer Peter Costello, seen as heir apparent to Howard, hinted that some radical clerics could be asked to leave the country if they did not accept that Australia was a secular state and its laws were made by parliament.

"If those are not your values, if you want a country which has Sharia law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you," he said on national television.

 

[MargoWriter]

That's great !

Someone had to stand up and be a ... er ... I guess countries are referred to as female, what? Well, anyway, someone had to say it. I'm proud of Australia!

 

[LadyEagle]

Me, too. There are quite a few terrorist web sites coming from Australia, though. Hope they give those the boot, too!

 

[Pete]

Now if only we could get rid of little johnny and the rest of the polis we would be right...

 

[Johnv]

I'm curious. Should Christians who want to live under scriptural law be required to leave Australia as well? I try to live by scriptural law, and my right to do so is constitutionally protected. Too bad it's not likewise protected down under.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

You mean if you say, "Christian law, or death!!!"...?

 

[Squire Robertsson]

I think Mr. Costello would say the same thing to Christians seeking to set up "Scriptural Law". However, he is not having to deal with that situation.

 

[Johnv]

Perhaps I jumped the gun here. Certainly, those Muslim radicals who want to impose their own law over the secular government laws should be "invited" to go live elsewhere. Those persons should not, though, be confused with persons who want to adopt NT law, Rebbinnic Law, or Sharia Law as matters of local or personal adherence. Such person should certainly be allowed the right to do so under the concept of personal religious liberty.

 

[Squire Robertsson]

The good news is most Christians and Jews have come to accept the idea of a secular state. Islam is just now coming to grips with that concept. Just think, how long did it take for "Christians" to accept a secular state?

 

[Johnv]

Squire, I've said that before. Christianity and Judaism have gone through their theocratic periods. Islam is going through theirs. It takes time. Those who alive at the birth of brave new worlds are typically the ones who have the most difficult time living in them. I think this is what we're seeing now.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

Originally posted by Squire Robertsson:
The good news is most Christians and Jews have come to accept the idea of a secular state. Islam is just now coming to grips with that concept. Just think, how long did it take for "Christians" to accept a secular state?

The first Christians were born into a secular state. Not until Pope Innocent IX (June 25, 1243, to Dec. 7, 1254) did a Christian state start to emerge.

Am I on, or way off ?

 

[Johnv]

Originally posted by Bro. Curtis:
Am I on, or way off ?

No, you're right. But once Christianity became theocratic by societal nature, it was difficult to break, and didn't come overnight. The result hundreds of years of countless lives lost and endless corruption of the government.

 

[Ben W]

What you have to bear in mind is that because a country is anglo saxon in appearance, it does not mean that culturally they are anything like the same. Australia, U.S, New Zealand, Canada, all appear similar but are culturally diverse in some quite dramatic ways.

Aussies are easy going by nature, and we have a common thought that everyone deserves a fair go, we love sports and we hate politics.

What caused the decision on Islam was the fact that Aussies will react if you threaten their way of life and pick on someone that is weaker. Terrorists are Cowards, and Aussies really do not like Cowardice.

We do not want anyone comming into our nation and preaching hate against our nation, I wish that other nations stood up for the same, it is one thing to have freedom of speech, it is another to use that freedom to incite hatred and to call for cowardly terrorist acts.

People are welcome to practice Islam in Australia, the first mosques that were built here were done so when the Afghan Cameleers brought their camel trains here in the days of colonial settlement and opened up the outback to settlement, Islam has its place in Australia right from the begining, Yet the type of Islam in Australia has always and hopefully will continue to be Moderate Islam which their leaders attest can and will live peaceably in the west, remains to be seen I suppose.

My attitude to Islam migration is genrally that God has opened up this opportunity that they mght hear the Gospel, the Christians in western nations need to get real with God and get about the Fathers business!

 

[Bro. James Reed]

So, Ben, what you are saying is that our Australian friends are like those of us from the South, Southwest, and Midwest in America.

I knew there was something I liked about those Australians.

It reminds me of something that Comedian Ron White said about Texas. "If you kill someone in Texas, we will kill you back."

We're not that different, Ben, except maybe in areas of gun control.

 

[Ps104_33]

Ben,

How would Aussies react to a group of malcontents burning the Austrailian flag on a street corner? Would that be condoned as an act of free speech? Or would a group of rough, tough, and full of beer muscle rugby players give them a lesson in Autrailian patriotism.

 

[rivers1222]

Originally posted by Ps104_33:
Ben,

How would Aussies react to a group of malcontents burning the Austrailian flag on a street corner? Would that be condoned as an act of free speech? Or would a group of rough, tough, and full of beer muscle rugby players give them a lesson in Autrailian patriotism.

------------------------
Cant answer for Ben. However, I would guess the answer would be the same as if you would ask that of an American. "It depends on whose street corner it is being burned on. Dont try it in my neighborhood".

 

[Ben W]

Originally posted by Ps104_33:
Ben,

How would Aussies react to a group of malcontents burning the Austrailian flag on a street corner? Would that be condoned as an act of free speech? Or would a group of rough, tough, and full of beer muscle rugby players give them a lesson in Autrailian patriotism.

Setting fire to an Australian flag may well happen occassionaly, yet it is important to realise that we are a small nation of 13 million adults, and it is seen as an absolutley abhorrent thing to do, thus the cause that is being protested about is garanteed to fail.

In Australia in respect to free speech is our ethos that everyone gets a fair go which results in people saying what they think, yet using that opportunity to marginalise or attack someone else is seen as gutless and seldom happens for that reason.

 

[Su Wei]

well, i think certain comments by their ministers could have been little more diplomatic so as not to fan un-neccessary fires.

Anyway, is "kicking them out" really going to solve anything? Look at the London bombings. those guys were as British and average as anyone else.

I guess Australia is still hurting from the Bali bombings.