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Code Description
6999 Divine Light Mission
2911 Divine Science
0003 Do not attend church
0003 Do not profess
7010 Don't follow any
0003 Don't know
0003 Doubtful
6011 Dreamtime
6132 Druidism
6132 Druids
6071 Druse
6071 Druze
0002 Dualist
2252 Dutch Australian Reformed
2252 Dutch Christian Church
2252 Dutch Church

Judging by some of the responses that get assigned a coding number they do not only count recognised religions e.g. Doubtful or Zilch (which means nothing).

Yawn. This is old old old. Go look at here to find out the Australian Bureau of Statistics response.

Every properly designed survey has a defined set of coding rules used to code and therefore analyse the responses. If you want to see trends over time, then you try not to change the coding rules significantly from census to census, so the current definitions might simply reflect historical attitudes about religion in Australia.

Let's not forget that Australia is just a penal colony. Why should prisoners have the same rights as a free man?

The new Americas were also a dumping ground for the criminal elements of English society. Australia just didn't get the religious nutters exported. We also didn't get messed up in that nasty Slavery business.

From the Australian beareu of Statistics 7.5 million Australias are first or second generation. Out of 19 million total population that is a fair chunk. If you extend that back the actual percentage of Australians who can claim to be penal is relatively minute. The massive flods of migration during the Australian gold rush, and post world war II see to that.

Considering the crime rate and the incarceration rate is much lower in Australia then it is in the USA, your statements appear either un-informed, malicious, or an excrutiatingly bad attempt at humour. I suspect the latter, but you pissed me off.

I was thinking of working in the US at one point, but your crime rate, murder rate, religious overtones and corporate ownership of government scared me off.

As for the current anti-tech government in Australia, at least they don't assume that they're the government of the world. (DNS error on "www.whitehouse.gov.us" "www.whitehouse.gov" does exist. "www.fed.gov.au" does exist)

Check out that link to see what disarming the honest citizens has done.

Reality check - most Australians didn't have firearms (through choice) in the first place. The laws that were introduced were mainly aimed at standardising gun laws across the states/territories, and limiting (or removing) access to automatic/semiautomatic firearms. Those laws were supported by the vast majority of the Australian public who, unlike certain lunatics in the United States, believe that it is a far better society that isn't armed with guns.

Armed robberies are up 44%. Numbers don't lie.

Don't they? Yours just did. You have unsubstantiated figures - ie., they're made up. I'm going to give you some real figures and what's more, I'm going to provide references where you can further research those figures yourself (oh dear, truth - the enemy of the NRA):

• whilst "armed robbery" increased by almost 20% between 1997 and 1998...
• ..."armed robbery with a firearm" actually decreased by 6% during the same period; this represented the lowest point in six years (38% in 1993, 18% by 1998).

But why stop at armed robbery, with or without a firearm? Murder was also at a six-year low (all categories of "homicide" decreased between 1997 and 1998).

Prior to the introduction of Australia's new uniform gun laws there were a number of horrendous massacres (Hoddle Street, Strathfield, Port Arthur, ...). Since then, things have been much quieter, thank you very much. That's what happens when you take unnecessary guns out of society. Since that time, it's become almost a weekly event reading of yet another massacre in the United States.

No, you will never get rid of all guns; yes, some criminals will still obtain and use them - but overall fewer lives are lost, and that's what the Australian public wanted/demanded. If the United States chooses to keep its citizenry armed, then that's their decision - they have every right to blow the crap out of each other. Australians, however, have purposely chosen to live in (relative) peace; don't knock it 'til you've tried it.

Oh, and the statistical references?

• 4510.0 ABS reports increase in most types of crime
• Australia Now - A Statistical Profile; Crime and Justice; Firearms

Check out that link to see what disarming the honest citizens has done.

Reality check - most Australians didn't have firearms (through choice) in the first place. The laws that were introduced were mainly aimed at standardising gun laws across the states/territories, and limiting (or removing) access to automatic/semiautomatic firearms. Those laws were supported by the vast majority of the Australian public who, unlike certain lunatics in the United States, believe that it is a far better society that isn't armed with guns.

Armed robberies are up 44%. Numbers don't lie.

Don't they? Yours just did. You have unsubstantiated figures - ie., they're made up. I'm going to give you some real figures and what's more, I'm going to provide references where you can further research those figures yourself (oh dear, truth - the enemy of the NRA):

• whilst "armed robbery" increased by almost 20% between 1997 and 1998...
• ..."armed robbery with a firearm" actually decreased by 6% during the same period; this represented the lowest point in six years (38% in 1993, 18% by 1998).

But why stop at armed robbery, with or without a firearm? Murder was also at a six-year low (all categories of "homicide" decreased between 1997 and 1998).

Prior to the introduction of Australia's new uniform gun laws there were a number of horrendous massacres (Hoddle Street, Strathfield, Port Arthur, ...). Since then, things have been much quieter, thank you very much. That's what happens when you take unnecessary guns out of society. Since that time, it's become almost a weekly event reading of yet another massacre in the United States.

No, you will never get rid of all guns; yes, some criminals will still obtain and use them - but overall fewer lives are lost, and that's what the Australian public wanted/demanded. If the United States chooses to keep its citizenry armed, then that's their decision - they have every right to blow the crap out of each other. Australians, however, have purposely chosen to live in (relative) peace; don't knock it 'til you've tried it.

Oh, and the statistical references?

• 4510.0 ABS reports increase in most types of crime
• Australia Now - A Statistical Profile; Crime and Justice; Firearms