The demography problem we all face

[Strw23]

The three fastest growing religions in Australia are still minorities in a country mostly composed of Christians and atheists.

... in the five years to 2001 ... this was the last official census

The number of Buddhists had increased by nearly 80 per cent, to 357,000 people.

The growth among Hindus was 42 per cent, reaching a total of 95,000 people.

The number of Muslims had grown by 40 percent, reaching 280,000 people.

The Australian population as a whole only grew by 5.7 per cent in the same period.

The next census is expected to show roughly the same increases due to our immigration policies.

So you're much more likely to see a buddhist temple appearing than a mosque.

With these increases in different religions I was just wondering if any of the articles mentioned whether the increase comes from immigration or Australians converting?

Scott

 

[Bobby]

Nightmares for me are religious Zealots.
Bob.

 

[It's Snake Pliskin]

Hi Snake:

Interesting post. In (6) above you say: "younger women love to shop. It is all they like doing" etc etc.

There is that same group of rather vapid, silly young women here also but I doubt they are the majority.

Does it apply in Japan, as here, that there are probably more young men and women whose intelligence and general application towards their future prompts them into a university education with clear aspirations for a fulfilling career to follow? Or are you saying that Japanese women's main aim in life is to marry and have babies?

I guess the above is entirely possible, given the intense focus on the apparent need for a male heir to the throne in Japan!

Cheers

Julia

Hi Julia,

Thanks for your interest.

Generally people go to university because 1. they are expected to by their parents or 2. because they would like to fulfill a career. Some parents are doctors etc. so their children must be doctors etc. That`s how they can think over here. "why are you studying to be a dentist?" "Because my parents told me to". I hear this a lot.

I was chatting to a married lady who had quit her job recently. I asked her what she was learning English for and she said she wanted to work using English in some sort of job. There were no clear goals or objectives, just "I want to use English". Most of my students are like this and they are all females 24ish to 35ish married or unmarried and appear dissilusioned with the current working environment and culture in Japanese companies. I think the lure of foreign languages etc. are a way for them to escape the rigid structure of society and prolong their freedom before marriage or during marriage by dreaming.

I think most women would want to have babies but find other issues that stop them from getting married etc. as I outlined above and because of an increasingly changing society. Marrying a man with a low salary is not what most would like. Status in society is very important. That means money is very important. A lot of relationships are based on what is good for your status rather than wether love really exists. :bad: So being able to speak English in work might attract that wealthy male who is also worldly.

It is a complex society and culture that requires a lot of understanding and research. What I have said is what I see and hear in daily life and is generalising to an extent that I don`t know what everyone is thinking and never will.

I hope the weather is nice. :bekloppt:

Regards
Snake

 

[Rafa]

retroaugogo, thanks for putting some perspective on the figures...

i think tho, its fair to say being overrun by buddhists is not something that will worry a lot of people, whilst being run over by the current version of fundamentalist islam is a BIG concern...

Christians used to be pretty fundamentalist too once upon a time, its not so much the religions fault, as it is the leaders who twist the truth to serve their purpose...

maybe muslims as a whole will moderate eventually... maybe it will happen once they succumb to the power of capitalism and free market... and turn into those japanese women than Snake talks about... enamoured by consumerism... and new handbags, shoes and gadgets...

then we can all live happily ever after.... with our new shoes and new gadgets... and our twice weekly visit to the shrink to work out the meaning of life…


except for those not rich enough to buy stuff, have kids, have a house, etc... and then maybe they might take up arms and rebel and blow themselves up...

who knows..

i'm raving along like nutcase now... sorry... its monday!!! :goodnight

 

[It's Snake Pliskin]

Nightmares for me are religious Zealots.
Bob.

Maybe religion should be outlawed and replaced with societal values and an understanding for what is really happening in this universe.

Think back to Gallileo and how he was jailed because he discovered things.
:sleeping: This is most religions.
:bigun2: This is fundamental religions.

 

[Happy]

You wouldn’t like to be in burial business in Japan, as people handling corpses in Japan are regarded as half human or at least lower class.

 

[Happy]

Came past info a while ago, that humans after discovering death were too upset to live, hence different inventions of life after death were introduced.

Now, being deeply religious you have an eternity in front of you in different forms, which is great.

 

[Rafa]

Came past info a while ago, that humans after discovering death were too upset to live, hence different inventions of life after death were introduced.

Most religions are more than purely providing answers to life after death... tho that is their primary aim. They actually do have code of conducts for living in a society....

eg in Christianity, the 'societal values ' that it espouses are 'love your neighbour as you'd would like them to love you'... and then the Ten Commandments... the other religions also preach on ways to live, which in the most part, have common themes....

if everyone followed these teachings, things would be fine...

fundamentalist zealots/terrorist leaders, etc use religion to build their power bases... there are two ways to easily build your power base.... play the race card, or play the religion card...

its based on the principle of divide and rule... put simply, is you get people fighting about their perceived differences and next thing you know... you have free reign to do what you want and thousands of loyal followers willing to do all sorts of things for you, united by a new common enemy...

now... do you blame the fact there are different religions/ the fact there are different races.... or do you look at the people who spread the prejudices for their own gain!

 

[Bobby]

Maybe religion should be outlawed and replaced with societal values and an understanding for what is really happening in this universe.

Think back to Gallileo and how he was jailed because he discovered things.
:sleeping: This is most religions.
:bigun2: This is fundamental religions.

Go Snake !,
Yep people should go & study cosmology first before this :couch stuff !.

Bob.

 

[It's Snake Pliskin]

eg in Christianity, the 'societal values ' that it espouses are 'love your neighbour as you'd would like them to love you'... and then the Ten Commandments... the other religions also preach on ways to live, which in the most part, have common themes....

....such as blow up yourself in the name of :grenade: ......and to hate Jews and Christians.

Yes all in the name of peace, only if you are one of them.

 

[Happy]

Frightening and democracy ties up hands, will be interesting to see the development.

Strange segment shown on 'Today Tonight' yesterday, how ‘stupid’ Aussies pay for multiple wives and scores of kids accommodated in housing commission houses.

But if in their countries multiple marriages are allowed, this is only normal that they will bring their customs with them and with single mother with children status being supported by the government, will be impossible to stamp out.

If nobody scratches their head now, I would b e surprised, but probably sweeping under the carpet will be preferred solution, after all they only run 3 years at the time, why worry?

 

[Bobby]

Frightening and democracy ties up hands, will be interesting to see the development.

Strange segment shown on 'Today Tonight' yesterday, how ‘stupid’ Aussies pay for multiple wives and scores of kids accommodated in housing commission houses.

But if in their countries multiple marriages are allowed, this is only normal that they will bring their customs with them and with single mother with children status being supported by the government, will be impossible to stamp out.

If nobody scratches their head now, I would b e surprised, but probably sweeping under the carpet will be preferred solution, after all they only run 3 years at the time, why worry?

Happy that story on -today tonight - I missed it but was told it was about some muslim bloke setting up different homes with so called wives to breed kids & all contrived to rip off social security !

Can you or some one who else who watched it tell the details ? please.

Bob.

 

[Happy]

Yes, Muslim bloke 2 wives several kids in 2 housing commission houses few hundred metres apart on single mother with children benefit and in a process of opening veggie business.

Bloke on invalid pension and his first wife was captured on hidden camera saying that she will breed as many kids as she can until menopause (suppose she did not hear about invitro, so we might be up for some correction to plan).

She blatantly said, Government at least will feed and educate them.

Also there were voiced suspicions that this is not isolated case, well they were let in and we forgot to tell them what local rules are, now too late all we can do is be spectators.

 

[Bobby]

Yes, Muslim bloke 2 wives several kids in 2 housing commission houses few hundred metres apart on single mother with children benefit and in a process of opening veggie business.

Bloke on invalid pension and his first wife was captured on hidden camera saying that she will breed as many kids as she can until menopause (suppose she did not hear about invitro, so we might be up for some correction to plan).

She blatantly said, Government at least will feed and educate them.

Also there were voiced suspicions that this is not isolated case, well they were let in and we forgot to tell them what local rules are, now too late all we can do is be spectators.

This stuff sh*ts me :swear: .
Why are we so stupid to let such abuse of our welfare system ?.

Bob.

 

[Julia]

Maybe religion should be outlawed and replaced with societal values and an understanding for what is really happening in this universe.

Think back to Gallileo and how he was jailed because he discovered things.
:sleeping: This is most religions.
:bigun2: This is fundamental religions.

I've been trying to remember who it was who said:

"If religion didn't already exist, human beings would have to invent it".

Perhaps there could be a philosophical connection with Thoreau's observation: "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation."?


There were some thoughtful comments on this whole topic of religion etc. on another thread a couple of months ago, I think called: "Serious question - do you believe".

Julia

 

[Happy]

There was followup on Today Tonight last night and it even gets bit better.

How about this- Australian Government does not allow poligamistic arrangements.
Centerlink on the other hand, Government run department caters for such arrangements quite openly.
Appears on ‘humanitarian grounds’ but nevertheless allows.

So, anybody interested in running harem or studrem will get Centerlink blessing, and with many many partners and children one can make a fortune too and control quite a slab of public housing all government funded.

And if practice is widely spread, quess which religion will double every so often?

If you ask my opinion, one word - JOKE

 

[anon]

I've been trying to remember who it was who said:

"If religion didn't already exist, human beings would have to invent it".

Perhaps there could be a philosophical connection with Thoreau's observation: "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation."?


There were some thoughtful comments on this whole topic of religion etc. on another thread a couple of months ago, I think called: "Serious question - do you believe".

Julia

Voltaire said that.

You can see the logic behind that thinking. It led to development of morals and an orderly development of societies.


Lenin said "Religion is the opium of the people." That sort of thinking led to extermination of millions of people.

anon

 

[noirua]

Voltaire said that.

You can see the logic behind that thinking. It led to development of morals and an orderly development of societies.


Lenin said "Religion is the opium of the people." That sort of thinking led to extermination of millions of people.

anon

Lenin's views, from what I can remember, were based on separation of Religion from State absolutely. His views were that religion was a private affair and an individuals right. Don't blame Lenin, after all France has similar legislation.

 

[Bobby]

There was followup on Today Tonight last night and it even gets bit better.

How about this- Australian Government does not allow poligamistic arrangements.
Centerlink on the other hand, Government run department caters for such arrangements quite openly.
Appears on ‘humanitarian grounds’ but nevertheless allows.

So, anybody interested in running harem or studrem will get Centerlink blessing, and with many many partners and children one can make a fortune too and control quite a slab of public housing all government funded.

And if practice is widely spread, quess which religion will double every so often?

If you ask my opinion, one word - JOKE

Yes its Cr*p, Try doing this if your a blond headed Aussie !

Bob.

 

[anon]

Julia said -

I've been trying to remember who it was who said:

"If religion didn't already exist, human beings would have to invent it".


My apologies, Julia. Voltaire didn't make the above quotation. He made the one below.
Refer to google, search argument - voltaire god.


If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.
Voltaire

French author, humanist, rationalist, & satirist (1694 - 1778)


Julia's other quote was -

Perhaps there could be a philosophical connection with Thoreau's observation: "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation."?


Did he have women problems?


anon