DonRamsay

We've papered over the theocratic bit with a thick veneer of democracy but even if theocracy is well buried, the autocracy bit lingers on in every government instrumentality. Democracy in Australia would work better with a Bill of Rights that guaranteed our fundamental freeman status.

Democracy in Australia works moderately well despite the fact that it is fundamentally a theocratic autocracy. The ultimate authority in Australia is the crown and head of the Church of England. This is actually the single worst thing about our democracy. Being based on a heridtary feudal system, we are all the modern day equivalents of serfs and vassals. This awful system is manifested in our society by having zero freedoms other than those granted to us by licence from the crown. All crimes are crimes not against our fellow man but an offense to the Crown. Organisations like CASA get their power from the Crown and grant licences. Consider the USA where your qualification is recognised as such not just the benificence of the Monarch or their representative. Your training is recognised with a certificate not a licence. The monarchist system is the very reason why CASA acts like a despot. They grant licences and bestow favours or privileges. They want *us* to make the case that we should have a safer passage up the coast when it should be their job to show us the logic of restricting our access to CTA. They should have to justify their restrictions on our freedoms not us go begging on a blended knee for a privilege. Viva la revolution . . . Liberte Fraternite Equalite. Off with their heads and the sooner we can cease being vassals if the crown the sooner we can stand tall as free men and women . . . I may have just got a bit carried away. I think I need a lie down now.

Some non voters get creative and draw cock and balls on their ballot paper giving bored scrutineers something to chuckle about.

Sorry to be so late to this party but . . . I'm impressed with the democracy of the CPC. However, just one small detail seems to undo the theory that China is a "real" democracy. Of the 1,300,000,000 members of Chinese society, approximately 1,260,000,000 are *not* members of the CPC. Makes the claim of government of the people by the people more like you can fool some of the people all the time.

oooooo . . . so tempting to weigh in on politics and economics . . . . but I won't. It would simply serve to divide us with no useful outcome likely. I've already p1ssed off the christians, not sure I can afford to lose all the commos as well. Much happier trying to relieve people of their superstitions. But, politics in this country (and probably all others) is a form of religion about as productive as Ford Vs Holden or Jabiru Vs everything else. Somewhere around 35% are rusted on ALP/Greens (now indistinguishable) and 35% rusted on Libs/Nats. The other 20% are largely in the don't know don't care class and draw symbols (e..g. cock and balls) on their ballot papers. Then there are perhaps 10% who are thinking voters who use their judgement based on a sound education and keeping up with current affairs. Democracy remains the worst form of government ever invented apart from pretty well every other form (apologies to Chirchill). I once thought that Democracy could be vastly improved by making the vote a privilege that you have to do some work for to be granted that privilege. But then some wanker would figure a way of rigging the system and stuff it up for all. I also once thought that I'd like to see people having to prove their genetic worth before being allowed to breed. But, fortunately, we all come from a much bigger gene pool than just our parents so that wouldn't work either.

Now I seem to remember somebody asserting that our laws are all based on the ten commandments. Perhaps? Perhaps not. Let's get those two shining lights of political philosophy, George Washington and Sarah Palin, to explore this idea.

One big reason for learning another language is to develop a value and an understanding for other cultures. Few in Australia will ever need another language and that will only be more so in future as English acceptance as the world language continues to saturate the globe. But, it is fun to learn at least a smattering of another language or two especially when you travel to some places off the beaten track where English is not known. My wife used to teach a program at high school in Year 7 that involved a sampler box of 4 languages in one year: French, German, Latin and Japanese. Nobody was going to end up a cunning linguist as a result of that year but they had been exposed to other cultures and opened the door for some with a real gift for language to blossom. Back in the 1800s a wonderful fellow, Rev Threlkeld, set up a mission for the local Awabakal people. He learned their language and wrote a version of the Bible in the Awabakal language. That made Awabakal one of the best documented of all the multitude of Aboriginal Languages and ensured it would not be lost as hundreds have been. Sadly the mission eventually closed because there were no Awabakals left. They had moved on or been moved on by the rapidly expanding European community. The mission stood where the Toronto Hotel was built and there was another on the other side of the Lake at Belmont.

Having a qualified science teacher at a Primary School might just stop some of the uniformed BS that many primary school teachers feed the kids especially related to all matters green. Not against Green, quite the contrary, but it must be science based not folklore. The one thing we don't teach much in primary school is foreign language. Kids learn language very easily when very young when the brain is more pliable. By the time they get to high school, it's too late. Only way to get rid of unreasonable xenophobia is to study "foreign" cultures.

Come the revolution . . . . In my second year at High School, there were 72 in our class. No misprint, seventy-two. One teacher - a good one. Discipline was no problem as corporal punishment was freely available and freely applied. One day the teacher gave every kid in the class 2 cuts each with his cane. Did I mention he was pretty fit? Don't know if I'd recommend that set up for today but it did work and, to the best of my knowledge nobody had a nervous breakdown. All seemed quite fair and normal at the time. Do something you should not and instant and impressive retribution. By the time these same people got to senior high school - no cane needed and still no discipline issues. Only ever saw caning abused (used unfairly and excessively) once, by one teacher who was very lucky not to get his lights punched out and thrown off the third floor walkway. Could you imagine the outcry if a school was run like that now? Despite comments above, I agree. Some of our teachers are extraordinarily good and we'd all benefit from getting the best from them by giving them assistance. By the same token, we have some less than ordinary teachers who would benefit from being mentored by one of the really good teachers. This could be done with very little cost increase by doubling class sizes and having two teachers in every classroom. The kids would never need to be left unsupervised and there would be great synergy available (1+1=3). Teachers gain their education and qualifications largely solo and get very little instruction on how to teach. Most learn on the job (if ever) especially managing student classroom behaviour and motivation. A two-teacher system would be hugely beneficial in overcoming the current poor system. Not a perfect system by any means but there is an immutable 1st Law of Performance Management and that is "If you don't measure performance you can't improve performance". Make the NAPLAN process better but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. OMG we don't have that? At least in High Schools? Could not agree more. Sadly we have run the education system down badly over the last 50 years. Depressed teacher salaries lead to less interest in becoming teachers lead to low ability people being hired as teachers. Physical facilities I think have improved but the core to learning has been downgraded. Very stupid politicians voted in by very dumb Australians. Teachers Unions haven't always helped by resisting change at every opportunity.

First thing I'd do is get rid of all non state schools and put all kids through the one education system. Only merit would seperate and there would be genuine equality of opportunity so the brightest, hardest worker comes out on top where they ought to be. At the moment, we could have another Einstien born in Rooty Hill and he'd be lucky to make to year 12.

And that is a large part of the reason that creationists insist that people and dinosaurs were around at the same time. They can and do use dinosaurs to get the kids in. Personally, I'd ban any form of religious indoctrination of children under 18 years old but permit instruction without qualification on the nature of religions and the differences between religions and sects of religions. For example, you would look at the broad religious groupings of Abrahamic, Buddhist, Hindu and "others" (Scientology and other scans). Then, briefly examine the different sects of, e,g., the Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. I doubt that you would get time to or find much value in delving in to the sects of sects like the multifarious versions of Christianity. I think there would be considerable advantage in studying the psychology of people who prefer to arrive at a perception of life through belief systems in preference to thinking systems. My formal religious education was very narrow being almost exclusively on one sub-sect of the Christian sect of the Abrahamic group. I was very successful in examinations on this subject and later went on to privately research many other sects and religious groups. I found perhaps the most challenging and interesting thinking in that of Emannuel Kant. Added benefit of that was hearing the female psychology students correctly pronouncing his surname correctly but then I was a bit of a deviate even in my younger days.

And then there is all the good stuff written by the people who choose to think about things rather than take the easy way out and just believe what somebody else told them without any requirement for any kind of proof. All you need is faith and life becomes sooooo simple. Everything has an answer and there is only one mystery - the way God works.

Intelligent Design and Creationism were declared by the Courts (Tammy Kitzmiller, et al. v. Dover Area School District, et al. (400 F. Supp. 2d 707, Docket No. 4cv2688)) in the USA to be "not science". Teaching Intelligent Design in the USA is not permitted because to do so would breach their Constitution. There is no argument possible to support Intelligent Design or creationism as being Science. Believe what you like but know that Intelligent Design is just an act of faith and Evolution is accepted as established science which is true whether you believe it or not.

Not my own research of course, just pinched from the net. It's an extract from a letter to a jewish Radio personality who was going on about homosexuality being an abomination because Leviticus said so. Sadly, going muslim won't help because they also have the Bible as a holy document. Thing is only a very small proportion take this stuff literally AND act on it. The rest cherry-pick what they do and ignore the ugly stuff. No logic in that but just as well logic is not of any importance to the religious who depend on being told what to believe by somebody else.

Ahhhh, so that's it. And I thought God worked in mysterious ways - easy to see how I got that wrong.

Perhaps Gnarly Gnu can help us understand the inspired word of God (Bible) a little better and help us with answers to the following questions: I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. Considering inflations, what do you think would be a fair price for her? Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighbouring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Indonesians, but not to New Zealanders. Can you clarify? Why can't I own New Zealanders? I have a neighbour who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself? A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination - Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this? Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wriggle room here? Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die? I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves? My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? - Lev.24:10-16. Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14) I know GG has studied these things extensively, so I am confident he can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging. (Kind of makes Islam look like the Religion of Peace?)

Sad when they get that old, they are not so able to get out of the way. I hope it was quick Dazza.

Getting a few teeth removed does wonders for their breath as well. Ours looked like he was on his last legs but after a few (7!) teeth were extracted he bounced back to great vitality. And his mouth doesn't smell worse than his other end now.

If we wanted to be grown up and actually debate this matter then these are some good rules that no Christian could ever abide by. Much easier to believe than actually use your God-given brains and think.[ATTACH]47720._xfImport[/ATTACH]

Well, for the first three or four thousand years it was handwritten and not in the vernacular. There is no original version in the ancient Hebrew extant. All versions of the Bible currently available (you did say any Bible) then are copies of copies of copies of God knows what. For thousands of years there has not been one error in transcription nor one error in translation nor one error in interpretation and not one embellishment, not one addition nor one deletion. Every single Bible on Earth is exactly the same, word for word. It is the inspired word of an omnipotent being and is not subject to ambiguity or misunderstanding and contains no conflicting, mutually exclusive instructions. It is up to date as Kansas City and as relevant as Donald Trump. Not even the D3vil can quote the Bible to prove his point. I can accept that, if that were true, it would indeed be a grade one miracle. Sadly for the thumpers, it ain't true and they will tell you it ain't true. So how do you know which of the scores of Bibles is THE Bible and which are not THE Bible? Easy peasy . . . just find any minister/rabbi/sheik of any of the hundreds if not thousands of variations on Christianity, Hebrew and Islam and they will tell you it is their version and that all other Bibles are, God forbid, FALSE Bibles. Many will be prepared to put you to death just for asking the question so do be careful. So, where does that leave us? A whole bunch of people trying to tell us how to live our lives based on a book lacking provenance and known to be utterly false by many who have a similarly named but utterly false slightly different book. Many will not just tell you but happily kill you because you choose to think rather than believe everything a man in a frock tells you to believe.

The reason I heard for it being on the top is that it is consistent with the way they ask other questions. "None" comes as first option. Can you imagine your kids telling their kids that once upon a time, back in the olden days, the Government used to print out on paper millions of census forms, deliver them to every dwelling and Hotel room in Australia, have them filled in with a pen and then come back and collect them a few days later? They'll think they are having their legs pulled.

What about the other 603? And these are slightly different to some others I've seen. I'm familiar with No 10 is split into two with coveting wives and Asses separate. If you were setting up a society on a desert island, it would not take a genius to have rules that said No killing and no stealing. Adultery can be unsettling for any small community. An absolute no lying would put you in the situation of the movie "Liar, Liar" and look what a social disaster that turned out to be. A father recently doused his infant children in petrol and set fire to them. Nothing there worth honouring. Or the one that in the Bible was going to kill his son to satisfy a cruel and vindictive practical joking imaginary friend. Not my idea of an honourable Dad. Only two positives all the rest negatives.

I was gobsmacked that after more than 2,500 posts, somebody would trot out the 10 Commandments . . . again! What I did find funny is that there isn't even agreement amongst the various abrahamic sects as to what the words actually are. [ATTACH]47698._xfImport[/ATTACH] And then there is the interpretation: ISIS whose every waking hour is driven by the "10 commandments" seem to think that a temple in which nobody has worshipped in millennia should be destroyed because it comes under the heading of being in breach of Commandment No. 2 (depending on your preferred numbering system). While people cling to the 10 commandments like a drowning man clinging to a straw they probably have no knowledge of how they came into being or even their source in your preferred version of the Bible.

Not so much about Atheist humour but has at least an aviation tinge. Airborne approximately thirty minutes on an outbound evening flight from Glasgow, the lead flight attendant for the cabin crew nervously made the following painful announcement..: "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm so very sorry but it appears that there has been a terrible mix up one minute prior to take off, by our airport catering service... I don't know how this has happened but we have 103 passengers on board and, unfortunately, only 40 dinner meals... I truly apologise for this mistake and inconvenience." When passengers' muttering had died down, she continued.. , "Anyone who is kind enough to give up their meal so that someone else can eat will receive free, unlimited drinks for the duration of our 5 hour flight." Her next announcement came 90 minutes later... "If anyone would like to change their minds, we still have 40 dinners available."

The following may not have much to do with Aviation but at least it's a lot funnier than anything I've read here for a while. (Warning Gnarly, sinning below) The only way to pull off a Sunday afternoon 'quick bout of love making' with their 8-year old son in the apartment was to send him out on the balcony with a Mars Bar and tell him to report on all the Street activities. He began his commentary as his parents put their plan into operation: 'There's a car being towed from the parking lot,' he shouted. 'An ambulance just drove by!' 'Looks like the Anderson 's have company,' he called out. 'Matt's riding a new bike!' 'Looks like the Sanders are moving! 'Jason is on his skate board!' After a few moments he announced, 'The Coopers are having a root!' Startled, his mum and dad shot up in bed! Dad cautiously called out, 'How do you know that?' 'Jimmy Cooper is standing on his balcony with a Mars Bar.' 'There's a car being towed from the parking lot,' he shouted. 'An ambulance just drove by!' 'Looks like the Anderson 's have company,' he called out. 'Matt's riding a new bike!' 'Looks like the Sanders are moving! 'Jason is on his skate board!' After a few moments he announced, 'The Coopers are having a root!' Startled, his mum and dad shot up in bed! Dad cautiously called out, 'How do you know that?' 'Jimmy Cooper is standing on his balcony with a Mars Bar.'