Thanks for this input Mr X; a pity that "alas poor yorick"...

Thanks for this input Mr X; a pity that "alas poor yorick" couldn't come up with something more intelligent to add.

As a practicing mainstream Christian I find the activities of some of these more extreme groups quite disturbing, but I also recognise that Christians as a group are under intense attack in these times when there is a real but largely unnoticed spiritual war going on in Australia. One of the strengths of mainstream Christianity is its recognition that the separation of church and state is essential to ensure that extreme ideas do not flourish. One of the strengths of a society like ours is that such ideas can be aired and accepted or rejected as the individual chooses. There are those who seek a more sinister thread in these sort of beliefs but I don't think that any of our major parties can be considered to be in the thrall of the religious right.