Christians bow to the LGBTQ agenda
There is a school of thought in the debate about redefining marriage that it is inevitable and that Christians should just sue for peace with the same-sex marriage activists.
Try and extract as many protections for religious freedom as possible and roll over.
To make it easier for us to capitulate, leading politicians such as Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, Attorney General George Brandis and Tim Wilson say same-sex marriage and freedom of religion can co-exist.
“I don’t accept the religious practice in this country is under threat,” Mr Shorten said this week.
What he is essentially saying is it is okay to go to church and believe what you like there.
But what is under threat, and what Mr Shorten is not telling us, is that religious practice outside the church, mosque or synagogue is under grave threat should the definition of marriage in law be changed.
Indeed, it is now Labor policy to use the law to punish anyone who does not conform to same-sex marriage ideology, unless they are professional clergy.
This change occurred at the ALP national conference in Melbourne in August 2015.
I was there as an observer watching LGBTIQ policy motion after LGBTIQ policy motion being moved and passed. There was no opposition. Just silence.
Everything from placing fines on the wedding service provider who declines to participate in a same-sex wedding to funding radical LGBTIQ sex education programs in schools such as “Safe Schools”.
One of the most bizarre policies adopted by Labor was for taxpayer funding of gender reassignment surgery.
Given that “Safe Schools” encourages children to access sex change operations “with or without parental consent”, it is an open question as to whether a future Labor government would fund this too.
At the end of the ALP conference, the rainbow flag was unfurled on stage with Mr Shorten and his leadership team proudly standing behind it as everyone stood and applauded except former union boss Joe de Bruyn and me.
The Liberal same-sex marriage rebels’ bill, put forward by Senator Dean Smith also offers no freedom unless you are professional clergy.
You see, the “T” in LGBTIQ stands for transgender and this is all part of the package.
It is naïve of the Attorney General and Tim Wilson to say, as they did this week, that freedom of religion and freedom of speech would be unaffected by the redefinition of marriage in law.
You’ve only got to watch Alex Greenwich from the same-sex marriage movement avoid the question when he was asked last Sunday on Sky News Agenda by Paul Kelly.
The same-sex marriage movement is not interested in freedom – you just have to read their submissions to the Senate Select Committee that was held over December January.
It is naïve to think Bill Shorten, Tim Wilson or George Brandis will protect freedom into the future.
After just 10 years of the same-sex marriage in Sweden the Swedish Prime Minister is telling religious leaders who do not wish to solemnise same-sex marriages that they should “get another job”.
After warning about this for years, it is pleasing for ACL to see Australia finally having a conversation about the consequences of redefining marriage in law.
But of course, our freedoms are ancillary to the real injustice same-sex marriage perpetrates.
And that goes to the rights of children to know the love and identity of both their mother and father – something same-sex marriage denies.
ACL is privileged to be part of the Coalition for Marriage and it is great working together with so many people from different backgrounds who wish to preserve marriage.
Most importantly, thanks to everyone who is praying. This is first and foremost a spiritual battle, it is not against people.
