OK, so the militants are not saying it quite as clearly as that, but this is exactly what they are after: to fully and finally shut down the churches – at least all churches which still take the Word of God seriously. The radical secularists and homosexual activists know that they must silence Christianity if their social engineering agendas are to proceed.
Thus in their push to remake society in their own image, they know they must ensure that Christians are stripped of their rights: rights of conscience, religious freedom, and freedom of speech – to name a few. These are all under direct threat because of the activists.
This is especially seen in what they say about rights and discrimination laws. Some of them deceptively say that they may allow a few “exemptions” for churches, but they are lying through their teeth. They know full well that if the state has the power to make exceptions and exemptions, then the state has the power to take them away.
Thus any proposed legislation which speaks about such exemptions must be resolutely opposed. I dealt with this in detail here: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2012/02/09/let%E2%80%99s-con-those-gullible-christians/
But what is even far more frightening is how many activist groups which have come out and admitted that they do not want any religious exemptions whatsoever. Dozens of these activist groups have insisted that radical agendas should proceed, and church groups should be granted no exemptions at all. They have been quite candid about all this.
One simply has to read their submissions for example. The recent inquiry into anti-discrimination laws has been very revealing in this respect. In one submission after another the militants have admitted that they do not want there to be any religious exemptions, and all religious folks must fully comply with their agenda, or face the consequences.
But don’t take my word for it – simply read the submission. But, you say, I don’t have time to go through all these many submissions. OK, fine, then we can thank those who have, and make use of their findings. One such brave soul is Pat Byrne who has taken upon himself the thankless and daunting task of reading all these submissions.
And what he has unearthed is quite shocking. He shows how the activists are almost unanimous in their objection to any exemptions for religious bodies. The activist groups have effectively declared war on religion. Byrne begins his article on this as follows:
“The Gillard Labor Government’s inquiry into new anti-discrimination legislation has become the source of a concerted attack on churches, independent schools and government funding to church-based welfare organisations. In keeping with ALP promises made at the last federal election platform, the department of federal Attorney General Nicola Roxon is holding an inquiry into consolidating the Commonwealth’s four separate anti-discrimination laws — the Racial Discrimination, Sex Discrimination, Disability Discrimination and Age Discrimination acts — as well as the Australian Human Rights Commission Act (1986) and provisions in the Fair Work Act 2009.
“Ms Roxon issued a discussion paper inviting comment on a number of questions, including issues relating to possible exemptions clauses for churches and community organisations in any new anti-discrimination legislation. The Attorney-General promised that exemptions would be allowed.
“However, The Australian newspaper’s national opinion writer Paul Kelly, in commenting on similar politicians’ assurances that churches would be exempt from any new same-sex marriage law, warned that only a fool would accept the idea that ‘exemptions’ for the churches would be effective and lasting.”
He provides plenty of quotes from the activist groups. Most have made it crystal clear that they want all church groups and religious bodies to have no freedom of conscience or freedom of religion in so many crucial areas. Here is just a sampling of these many statements:
-Legal Aid Queensland: “… argues for the removal of those (i.e., religious) exemptions”.
-Legal Aid NSW: “… does not support the retention of any exemption on religious grounds”.
-Public Interest Law Clearing House (Vic) Inc: “The Consolidated Law should include no exemptions for religious organisations in relation to the protected attributes of sexual orientation and gender identity.”
-Discrimination Law Experts Group: “We recommend that the religious exceptions be repealed.”
-ANU College of Law “Equality Project”: It “rejects permanent exemptions on religions grounds for institutions or individuals”.
-Human Rights Law Centre: “These exemptions are manifestly inappropriate and inconsistent with Australia’s human rights obligations and international best-practice.”
-HIV/AIDS Legal Centre: “Remove entirely any religious exemption to discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity.”
-The National Association of Community Legal Centres: “The consolidation bill should not provide for religious exemptions in relation to the protected attributes of sexual orientation or gender identity.” However, if there are exemptions, they “should not be applicable to organisations or services in receipt of public funding”.
-Young Workers’ Legal Service [SA unions]: “… religious institutions would be required to ‘opt-in’ for exemption under federal anti-discrimination laws”.
-Australian Lesbian Health Coalition: “There should exist no blanket exceptions or exemptions for religious bodies.”
-National LGBTI Health Alliance: “Religious bodies should not be granted exemptions from anti-discrimination legislation for their activities in the provision of services, such as aged care, health services and education.”
-The Diversity Council of Australia “… does not support general exemptions for religious bodies for any acts and practices”.
-Lesbian and Gay Solidarity (Melbourne) says that the federal government must “withdraw its religious exemptions from all its anti-discrimination laws”.
-Equality Rights Alliance: “… exceptions for religious organisation … should not be included in the consolidated Act.”
-Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO) says there should “be no religious exemptions in the new consolidated anti-discrimination law”.
-The Coalition of Activist Lesbians Australia Inc. recommended “the complete removal of exemptions for religious organisations with regards to sexual orientation”.
-Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group said that it “does not support any legislative exemptions or exceptions that are specific to sexual orientation of gender identity and presentation”.
-Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby said that it “opposes any exemption granted to religious bodies that would permit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity”.
-Women’s Electoral Lobby Australia said: “Legislation should remove automatic exceptions for religious and other bodies from all anti-discrimination legislation, and that if any exceptions are made that they be limited to a two-year period, with no automatic extension of exemptions.”
-Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby, Embracing Equality: “Excluding special measures, there should be no religious exemptions or exceptions to Commonwealth anti-discrimination laws.”
-The Australian Sex Party: “The Consolidated Act should not include religious exceptions that apply to discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity…. If the Act does include religious exceptions, they should apply only to the ordination or appointment of priests, ministers of religion or members of a religious order.”
And these are just some of the statements being put out by these groups. What they are saying is that their radical agendas should be fully enforced by the heavy hand of the law, and any religious persons or groups that dare to disagree should be dealt with swiftly and harshly.
So much for equal rights for all. So much for religious freedom. So much for freedom of speech and conscience. This is more Big Brother radical activism. This is a secularist jihad being declared against religion in general and Christianity in particular. If all these activist groups get their way, be prepared for plenty of fines, prison time, and job losses.
And that is exactly what is happening all over the West as these activists get their way. See here for example where I provide over 50 recent examples of this very thing: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2012/05/15/homosexual-marriage-everything-will-change/
So a war has been declared against faith. Will people of faith – and lovers of freedom – wake up to this and respond, or will we just sit by and allow the end of religion in Australia?
http://newsweekly.com.au/article.php?id=5191
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