A deplorable new bill put forward by the Andrews’ government will result in stiff fines and jail time for Christians:
The hardcore socialist and secularist state of Victoria is at it again in its ongoing war against faith, family and freedom. The hatred the Premier has for conservatives and Christians knows no bounds. Consider his latest act of pure tyranny. In a November 25 media release Daniel Andrews said in part:
Cruel and bigoted practices that seek to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity will soon be stamped out across Victoria, thanks to new laws introduced to Parliament today. The Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Bill 2020 will put in place new measures to protect Victorians from the serious damage and trauma caused by conversion practices. The Bill denounces such practices as deceptive and harmful, reinforces that the ideology behind these practices is flawed and wrong…. The Bill also puts in place strong criminal sanctions for people who subject others to change or suppression practices that cause injury or serious injury — with up to ten years’ jail for the latter. Those who try to get around the new laws by subjecting people to change or suppression practices which cause injury outside of Victoria could face a jail term of up to two years, while advertising these practices will incur a criminal sanction and a maximum fine of close to $10,000. https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/banning-cruel-conversion-practices-good
The 45-page bill makes for very scary reading. You can read the actual bill yourself:
www.legislation.vic.gov.au/bills/change-or-suppression-conversion-practices-prohibition-bill-2020
Let me offer some commentary on it. First it must be said that the very phrase being used all the time by these guys – “conversion therapy” – is their phrase and not ours. It is a pejorative term, one that prejudges the debate and demonises those who offer real help and hope. So we reject that term at the outset.
And by way of further background on all this, I have already penned a number of articles demonstrating how wretched these bits of legislation really are. For plenty of detail and documentation, see these pieces for example:
https://billmuehlenberg.com/2019/11/23/banning-conversion-therapy-and-the-war-on-choice/
https://billmuehlenberg.com/2019/11/29/on-conversion-therapy-and-rainbow-big-brother/
https://billmuehlenberg.com/2018/12/11/the-war-against-conversion-therapy/
https://billmuehlenberg.com/2018/04/15/rainbow-bullies-denying-help-to-those-who-seek-it/
https://billmuehlenberg.com/2016/01/25/our-victorian-gaystapo/
Of interest, that last piece was mentioned in an 82-page report put out by various government and homosexual groups. I and a few others, such as Lyle Shelton, were singled out as real evil dudes because we dared to question where all this was going. You can see it here on page 18: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580025f66b8f5b2dabbe4291/t/5bd78764eef1a1ba57990efe/1540851637658/LGBT+conversion+therapy+in+Australia+v2.pdf
The madness of all this is fully clear. Trans folks can tell us they do not like their sex and can try to change any time they want, all with plenty of help and finance from the state. But if someone is unhappy with his same-sex attraction, it is verboten for him to even think about change!
As I said in the second article linked to above: So let me see if I got this straight:
-A person unhappy with his same-sex attractions CANNOT get the help he is desperately seeking, and CANNOT choose that path.
-A person unhappy with his actual sex and wants to ‘convert’ has the full blessing of this government to make such choices.
And related to this: my wife asked me when I told her of the introduction of the bill this week: ‘Will those unhappy with their opposite-sex attraction be denied getting any help and counsel as well?’ Yes quite right. This is all just one-way traffic of course. It is about preventing anyone from daring to even question the homosexual agenda.
Indeed, the endgame of all this is to fully silence, once and for all, any and all criticism of the radical homosexual lifestyle and narrative. And as the militants know full well, at the very heart of this opposition to the anarchist sexual agenda is the Christian church.
So that is the true target here. Any pastor or church counsellor who dares to offer help and hope and prayer for those desperately seeking such help will be punished – and punished severely, with massive fines and years in jail. Likely Christian bookstores featuring books offering help will also be targeted. This has always been the final goal of the activists: the complete destruction of the Christian faith.
Sure, lefty trendy “Christians” who are so hip and cool and love the homosexual agenda will NOT be in the radicals’ sights. But all true Bible-believing Christians will be in the crosshairs. And of course some of us warned about this very thing for decades now. But our warnings fell on deaf ears.
True Christians must bear in mind just how insidious and diabolical this bill really is. Given that Christians do believe that there is such a thing as sin, then for those coming to a Christian counsellor to deal with their unwanted sexual attractions, the sin issue will likely arise.
And folks will always struggle when confronted with their sin. So when they are told that somewhere along the line repentance and turning from sin is part of the equation for full and lasting healing, that may well bother some folks. But notice the wording found in this bill: it is all about preventing people from being ‘harmed’ and ‘hurt’ by such therapy or counsel.
In fact, simply sharing the Christian gospel will always offend some folks, hurt some folks, anger some folks, and upset some folks. Soon enough simply quoting the Bible or preaching the gospel will see Christians dragged off to our secular Christophobic courts.
Thankfully some others are aware of how dangerous and damning this bill is. Some good commentary already exists on this despicable bill. Let me offer a few snippets from them. Vickie Janson for example has some good insights in her new piece:
Just this week the same sort of ban in three US states was struck down by the federal appellate court which concluded that such laws violate the free speech guarantees of the US Constitution. But for those with unwanted sexual feelings or confusion causing them anxiety and depression, banning therapies that support and help them in their life journey is more than just a free speech violation.
It violates the very principle of ‘do no harm’ we expect governments and clinicians to uphold. It violates the notion that people can change. It coerces public acceptance of sexual fluidity, but only and eternally fixed in one direction- away from heterosexuality and acceptance of the sex-chromosomes they were born with.
Under these types of bills, conversion therapy is defined as a ‘treatment or other practice that attempts to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.’
When we hear ‘conversion therapy’ it usually conjures up images of medieval torture but that’s not even happening in Australia. Professor Patrick Parkinson, University of Queensland, has confirmed that in Victoria there is no such ‘conversion therapy’ harm to address, and that such therapies have been banned or dis-endorsed and out of practice for over 35 years! Furthermore, the government has produced no actual evidence to the contrary.
She concludes:
The harm argument supporting a ban is no argument at all. This bill would do harm to fundamental freedoms, to adults with unwanted sexual attraction, to those with complex underlying mental health issues, and to community relationships between parents and teachers, between governments and health professionals. But most importantly it will set vulnerable kids on a harmful pathway of treatment that retards their ability to think straight, make decisions and navigate life ultimately ending in castrations, mastectomies and a whole host of other health issues. https://vickiejanson.com.au/blogs/news/conversion-therapy-don-t-give-me-the-harm-argument
And Mark Powell looks at ten problems with the bill, and concludes with these words: “All this is quite frankly, unbelievable. And incredibly, the mainstream media have been deathly quiet regarding it. Such is the power of the LGBTIQ juggernaut. They have become he/she/it who must be obeyed. Otherwise, it’s off to the gulags.” https://spectator.com.au/2020/11/prayer-illegal-in-australia/
Also worth reading is this piece: https://caldronpool.com/new-legislation-could-see-christians-in-victoria-jailed-for-10-years-for-attempting-to-convert-people/
This is a dastardly and ultimately demonic bill that must be fully resisted. All concerned citizens should tell others about this, and they should contact their Victorian MPs and express their extreme disgust with it, and urge them to vote against this bill. A full list can be found here: https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/about/people-in-parliament/members-search/list-all-members
And all Christians should certainly be praying fervently against this truly evil bill.
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