Category Archives: Australia

An article recently published by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age makes the claim that Israel Folau’s “controversial” Instagram post was a “misquote of the Bible.” The piece attempts to prove this point by suggesting Folau’s post was a citation of Galatians 5:19-21, a passage which makes no mention of “homosexuality” or even “hell” for that matter. “Note however, that Galatians 5:19-21 does not, in any translation, mention homosexuals,” the author said. “Folau and whoever wrote the original post have projected homosexuality into the promiscuous category. That is their bias.” “You will notice that there is nothing in the…

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An article in the Spectator Australia by Terry Barnes applauded Scott Morrison’s squishy love Gospel and harpooned Israel Folau’s fierce “fire and brimstone” Gospel. It juxtaposed the two Pentecostals as altogether different brands of Christianity: one of unforgiveness and damnation, the other of forgiveness and love. Naturally, having carefully crafted such a context for comment, Terry praised Morrison’s interesting as it is an ambiguous exhortation, “Wherever you are, be who God made you.” Barnes inferred from this a divine endorsement on the entire list of Scripturally prohibited behaviours which Folau quoted, contrasting the “heartless” footballer’s meme and the Prime Minister’s positivity.…

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The 2019 Synod of the Uniting Church of Victoria and Tasmania has recently voted to allow the practice of euthanasia in all of its health care facilities. As their website records: Today’s major order of business was to decide on the response to the Victorian Voluntary Assisted Dying legislation. Key points from the resolution included: There was a range of faithful Christian responses to voluntary assisted dying. Exploring, accessing and conscientiously objecting to voluntary assisted dying were all within the rage of faithful Christian responses to the Victorian Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017. To give permission within Victoria to UCA…

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Last month was Pride Month, so it’s a fitting time to reflect on the last decade and what made it such a revolutionary period in Australia’s history.  Consider just a few of the radical things that have happened… 2016-17 — The Safe-Schools fiasco 2017 — Same-sex marriage is legalised 2019 — The Australian Human Rights Commission releases its ‘Guidelines for the inclusion of transgender and gender diverse people’ When you look back, it is unthinkable that same-sex marriage would have been legalised even ten years ago! In fact, just read this 2010 statement from Labor Party’s Penny Wong: The party’s…

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There are well-substantiated rumours that Australian Rugby is seeking to produce a coffee table revision of the Christian Scriptures, to be called the New Rugby Revised Version (NRRV). Some of the contents have had to be changed. Sodom and Gomorrah are showered with blessings, and Lot’s wife is turned into a pillar of the PC establishment. No real place could be found for John the Baptist, who has been relegated to a footnote while Herod Antipas receives an unusually favourable press. But the enduring message remains the same: Christ Jesus came into the world to try to make people nice.

Four miners have died while a Government safety committee sat idle for months after failing to reach their female gender quota. Queensland’s Mine Health and Safety Advisory Committee was dissolved in late 2018 before the spate of deaths, taking the mining fatality total to six over the last year. Labor’s Queensland Mines Minister Anthony Lynham said the committee had not met this year because of challenges meeting gender quotas. “Certain representation has to be made on the committee, you have to make sure that gender representation is respected,” Lynham said. “Because of the significance of the appointments, that has been…

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Eric Abetz gave one of the most important short speeches in Australian political history this week. Yet few Australians would know he even spoke a word, let alone know who Abetz is or what he stands for. Eric Abetz was born in Germany in 1958 and came with his family to Australia in 1961. In the 1980s, Abetz worked his way through ‘University as a part-time taxi driver, and farmhand. Once completing his law degree, he went on to practice law in Hobart’s northern suburbs’. He joined the Liberal Party in 1976 and was appointed to the Senate in February…

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When Israel Folau is asked to swear on the Bible before he gives evidence in the High Court, will someone from the legal team of Rugby Australia object that it is an example of ‘hate speech’? That’s a serious question now because as Miranda Devine reported in The Sunday Telegraph, even if Folau had simply “photocopied the passages that referred to in the posts… that would have caused a problem.” What follows is a copy—supplied by Devine—of the transcript from Folau’s code of conduct meeting in May: Q. What about when the Bible requires him to tell the good and…

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Like Australia’s Israel Folau, Felix Ngole from the UK, is a litmus test regarding freedom of religion, as well as freedom of speech, in the Western World. And for all those concerned about the future of freedom of speech in this country, it couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. As John Steenhof, the managing director of Human Rights Law Alliance Limited, wrote in The Sydney Morning Herald: Britain’s second-highest court handed down a decision on religious freedom yesterday that will send chills down the collective spine of Rugby Australia. In contrast, Israel Folau and his team will be…

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A new mural has been unveiled on the wall of a Sydney hotel, mocking Israel Folau and depicting the former rugby star as a self-righteous, money-hungry beggar. The Australian Family Coalition shared photographs of the mural on social media today, pointing out that hidden within the artwork is the phrase, “Go to hell, a–hole.” The mural, painted by Scott Marsh on the side of the Botany View Hotel in Newtown, shows Folau sitting on a milk crate in front of a Lamborghini begging for donations to put towards his property portfolio. “The righteous shall taketh from the punters, for the…

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The Australian Human Rights Commission has just released its Guidelines for the inclusion of transgender and gender diverse people in sport dated June 2019. According to the Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Kate Jenkins: The federal Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) (the Act) prohibits unlawful discrimination on the basis of sex and gender identity in certain areas of public life. The Act has recognised the non-binary nature of gender identity since 2013. The Guildlines provide information on the operation of the Act, and practical guidance on how sporting organisations, their staff and volunteers can promote the inclusion of transgender and gender diverse…

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Wayne Swan is the former federal treasurer who promised a budget surplus over and over and over again but never delivered a single one. He retweeted this tweet in response to the Government’s new tax rates. That the office cleaner and the company executive will pay the same rate of tax while one takes home two or three or five times as much as the other, does not just entrench inequality, it masquerades the powerful’s exploitation of the powerless as “economic policy”#auspol“ This is either idiocy or willful ignorance. It’s simplistic propaganda to sell socialism, using sneaky and manipulative language…

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Under current defamation law, social media users can be held legally responsible for third-party content on any post they make. The guiding rule seems to be: You posted it. You incited it. Ergo, you’re responsible for it. In other words, anything someone posts on my timeline or writes in the comments section, that is deemed offensive, defamatory or “hate speech” could end in a lawsuit. For those who only have a private Facebook account, there is currently no mechanic to prevent this from happening. The only real preventative measure is to keep an eye on comments or keep your friends…

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In May, the UK government rejected a proposed definition of Islamophobia that was so vague it would essentially prohibit all criticisms of Islam. The definition, proposed by a cross-party group of MPs and adopted by the Labour party, states: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” The proposed definition was backed by more than 750 British Muslim organisations, 80 academics and 50 MPs. Naz Shah, Labour MP for Bradford and shadow minister for women and equalities, argued the definition is crucial for fighting the rise of the far-right…

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A response to Claire Harvey, deputy editor of the Sunday Telegraph: “I’m more of a Christian than Israel Folau is. I’m more of a Christian than anyone at the Australian Christian Lobby – and I don’t even go to church.” There were two people in the temple – a journalist and a footballer. The journalist could hardly be bothered going in because she was superior to all those inside. But on this occasion, she deigned to stoop down and enter. ‘I thank you, God, that I am not brainless like all those who worship you as this footballer does. I…

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If you were one of the 20,000 people “who donated to Israel Folau’s bogus fundraising campaign” then you are a hard-core homophobe. At least, that’s what Claire Harvey, the deputy editor of the Sunday Telegraph thinks! According to Harvey, she is the only true believer whereas everyone else is just religious pretenders. As Harvey writes: Here’s the truth: I’m more of a Christian than Israel Folau is. I’m more of a Christian than anyone at the Australian Christian Lobby — and I don’t even go to church. I say you professional Christians are all fakes and phonies, and you’re riding…

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Israel Folau has graciously come to the defence of his latest critic Magda Szubanski, urging his followers not to attack her for her criticisms of Folau and Christianity but to continue the debate in love. “Hey everyone I totally agree with Julia Baird,” Folau tweeted on Sunday, “please stop the anonymous online attacks on Magda Szubanski who has entered this debate very respectfully. She is entitled to express her views – let’s all have this important discussion with love in our hearts.” Hey everyone I totally agree with @bairdjulia – please stop the anonymous online attacks on @MagdaSzubanski who has…

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It’s clear that Israel Folau is the latest target of media elites, intellectuals, and woke corporate executives. Just take a look at Mark Powell’s recent post and you’ll get a glimpse of how far their attacks have gone. While many support Folau’s right to express his convictions, what’s not clear is how we are supposed to go about doing this. Here are five practical ways you can be supporting Folau and his family at this time: 1. Pray for Israel, his family, and those who are persecuting him We ought to be praying for our brothers and sisters in Christ;…

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Since the re-definition of marriage, no one is denying the validity of the “slippery slope” argument anymore. Instead, they’re simply shaking their heads and wondering, “Has the world  gone mad?!” It seems as though the world is hurtling down the slope faster than the Gadarene swine. According to The Australian, even Gillian Triggs, the former head of the Human Rights Commission, has accused the corporate sponsors of Maria Folau’s netball team of “bullying”. Media pundits, business leaders, as well as current—and former—sporting heroes all seem to be in front of the pack but, as Andrew Bolt rightly points out, one…

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Israel Folau has appeared on Sky News for his first televised interview since he was sacked by Rugby Australia for sharing a Bible verse on his Instagram account. Speaking with host Alan Jones, Folau revealed that Rugby Australia offered him money to remove his offending Instagram post. “As a Christian, I feel it’s my duty to share it,” Folau said, “and that’s part of who I am and what my purpose is… I’m wanting to share that message of love God is trying to extend to all people.” WATCH:

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