Christophobic Protection of Sodomites' Feelings
New laws revolving around criminalising 'hate-speech' are like so many anti-discrimination laws of recent times; they exceed the boundary of what constitutes 'hate-speech' by reducing the threshold to merely 'causing offence'.
As one Christian lawyer points out, there is no clear definition of 'hate-speech': "The term itself is ambiguous. Does it mean speech “motivated” by hate? Or speech expressing hate? Or speech encouraging others to hate? ... what about expressing disagreement with moral choices made about sexual activity? Such speech might not be motivated by hate, but by concern for the bad effects of the behaviour, including contravening of divine law. Yet it might be perceived to be “hateful” by some who hear it."
In Victoria, new 'hate speech' laws are very troubling for Christians. Much of the activity it aims at banning relates to subjective experiences such as 'harm' and 'offence', and its enforcement relies on the judiciary evaluating concepts like 'reasonable belief' and 'public interest.'
In Victoria, new 'hate speech' laws are very troubling for Christians. Much of the activity it aims at banning relates to subjective experiences such as 'harm' and 'offence', and its enforcement relies on the judiciary evaluating concepts like 'reasonable belief' and 'public interest.' When sodomites are offended by hearing religious dialogue, religious teachers or preachers in Victoria will need to convince such a judge that they have 'proportionately' defended their faith - quite a problem since Victoria's judges are notoriously progressive and unlikely to be sympathetic to the Christian worldview.
Censorship in the name of 'Islamophobia'
Meanwhile, sins of omission are regularly committed by the media and authorities in the name of combatting 'Islamophobia.' When the Epoch Times, reported that forced marriages are Australis'a most commonly reported offence among human trafficking crimes, it described the warning signs and prevalence of forced marriage, mentioning cultural pressures' and the 'closed nature of affected communities'.
Missing from the report was the fact that forced marriage is almost exclusively limited to Islamic communities. Despite the practice being outlawed in 2013, the number of forced marriages in Australia is unfortunately rising, but we are yet to hear of a case of forced marriage among Christians.
One very sad case occurred last year in Victoria when a young woman who married against her will was murdered by her husband only 6 weeks after the wedding. The women's mother was later convicted on the charge of forced marriage. The website of the Australian Federal Police reported on the case, heralding the mother's conviction as Australia's first successful one, but as with media reports, it failed to mention that the family were Hazara - ethnic Afghans who are also Moslems.
Biased Judiciary
Late last year, it was reported that magistrates in Victoria have been instructed to show lenience when sentencing criminal migrants. This was said to be aimed at protecting the criminals from being deported under federal law. (Deportation applies to migrant criminals who receive a sentence of over twelve months, provided they have lived in Australia for less than 10 years.)
The guidelines, part of a professional development session, included the suggestion that criminals committing abhorrent crimes like drug-trafficking and sexual abuse of children could be sentenced to a mere 11 months and 15 days to avoid triggering the deportation law.
This means that not only are criminals being allowed to remain in Australia but they will be free to roam Australian streets and reoffend, while their Australian counterparts are - rightly - still serving time in prison. While this policy isn't directly related to religion, it is worth noting that 40% of Australia's migrants are non-Christian and that Moslems are overrepresented in prisons in Victoria and New South Wales. This means it shows all the hallmarks of being geared to protect violent criminals from 'Islamophobia' or 'racism.'
Traditional Catholic teaching which does not support the existence of Israel as a state could be captured by this new policy. Similarly, the revised definition bans criticism of Zionism: "For most, but not all Jewish Australians, Zionism is a core part of their Jewish identity. Substituting the word 'Zionist' for 'Jew' does not eliminate the possibility of speech being antisemitic."
Christophobia in the Guise of Antisemitism
Antisemitic attacks of various kinds have been increasing in Australia over recent months. These attacks range from synagogues being defaced with graffiti to riots and protests, all the way to an outrageous video made by two Islamic medical professionals in which they stated they would not hesitate to kill Israeli patients.
This escalation in offensive activities targeting Jewish people has led to a raft of legislation and policies aimed at combatting anti-semitism, and while inciting true hatred of any group of people is unacceptable, there is a danger that the new laws will capture Christians who merely state the deeply-held views of their faith.
For example, Australia's 39 universities have agreed to enforce on their campuses what they call "a new definition" of antisemitism. The section of the policy dealing with discrimination and intimidation is just common sense, but there are some areas which are problematic to Catholics: "Criticism of Israel can be antisemitic when it is grounded in harmful tropes, stereotypes or assumptions and when it calls for the elimination of the State of Israel or all Jews or when it holds Jewish individuals or communities responsible for Israel's actions. (Emphasis added.)
As can be seen here, traditional Catholic teaching, which does not support the existence of Israel as a state could be captured by this new policy. Similarly, the revised definition bans criticism of Zionism: "For most, but not all Jewish Australians, Zionism is a core part of their Jewish identity. Substituting the word 'Zionist' for 'Jew' does not eliminate the possibility of speech being antisemitic." (Emphasis added.)
This is highly problematic for those Catholics, including this author, who are concerned about the agenda of radical Zionists in the Holy Land as well as their influence on governments.
This trend is supported by the mainstream conservative media which seems committed to promoting the interests of the Jewish people at the expense of Christians. For example, Sky News Australia recently held an Anti-Semitism Summit at which all of the male speakers, including Catholics, wore kippot. The Executive Council of Australian Jewry used the occasion to launch its '15 steps to defeat anti-semitism' and as with similar initiatives, most points are merely common sense suggestions which are already in place to protect the average citizen.
However, some of the points, such as calling for the inclusion of anti-semitic education in school curricula, are quite problematic and evoke memories of the advice given by the anti-semite propagandist, Jules Isaac, to John XXIII. prior to the Second Vatican Council. That advice resulted in the Modernist belief, unfortunately now widespread in Catholic circles, that Jews can be saved without converting to Catholicism.
The uncritical support for Judaism among Australian Christians, particularly for the State of Israel, is quite disconcerting. As in indication of the degree to which contemporary Christians are promoting Judaism, Australia's most prominent promoter of conservative causes, the Australian Christian Lobby, includes anti-semitism in an article on the persecution of Christians.
One of the new anti-semitic laws which prohibits the obstruction of worshippers entering their place of worship is far less restrictive than the 150 m bubble-zones which operate around abortion businesses. This means that attending an abortuary is far more important to lawmakers than attending a church, mosque or synagogue.
Abortion bubble-zones
In the hierarchy of Progressive causes, there is little doubt that abortion ranks at number one. One of the new anti-semitic laws which prohibits the obstruction of worshippers entering their place of worship is far less restrictive than the 150 m bubble-zones which operate around abortion businesses. This means that attending an abortuary is far more important to lawmakers than attending a church, mosque or synagogue.
That aspect of the bubble-zone laws is true no matter which religion one practices, but another aspect is more relevant to Christians. When one considers that the majority of pro-life activists are Christians, especially Catholics, it becomes clear that they are those most likely to be captured by the laws. This was highlighted during the parliamentary debates which preceded the passing of the exclusion-zone law in Victoria, when, just as in the UK, the Health Minister stated that the law would apply to those engaged in silent prayer.
Everyday Sacrilege
It is not only legally that Christians are being targeted: the problem is also cultural with artists, comedians and the the media routinely insulted Christians and our God. One prominent example is Sydney's taxpayer-funded Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras which this year included an Aboriginal dressed as a stripper murdering a sacrilegious 'Son of God'. Catholics have been asking for years why it is never Mohammed who is mocked at these events and the question remains as relevant as ever. Anthony Albanese, the Australian Prime Minister, gave his tacit approval to the outrage by attending the event.
Another example shows that even Our Lady is not immune from insult. A clinic specialising in providing contraceptive services recently opened in suburban Melbourne, going by the name of "Ave Maria." The sign for the clinic features two hands in what could be interpreted as a gesture of prayer.
Perhaps if they faced a truly murderous persecution, such as that being carried out in Nigeria, the Bishops' graces of state would come to the fore. When one contrasts Western ecclesiastical lethargy to the courage of the majority of Africa's bishops, we are left wondering if the only effective antidote to apathy is the threat of martyrdom.
The clinic's owner, originally from Egypt, is a Coptic Orthodox who told one concerned Catholic that he wanted to 'honour' Our Lady with his choice of business name. Despite pushback from the Catholic community, the owner has not shown any willingness to change his position. The level of ignorance, if not malice, behind such a decision is startling.
Although the educational power of the legal system and media have played a large role in allowing Australia's anti-Christian attitude to thrive, the silence and complicity of the Catholic hierarchy can't be overlooked as a factor. Their indifference to the things of God combined with their willingness to 'go along to get along' have helped create the conditions for this soft persecution.
Perhaps if they faced a truly murderous persecution, such as that being carried out in Nigeria, the Bishops' graces of state would come to the fore. When one contrasts Western ecclesiastical lethargy to the courage of the majority of Africa's bishops, we are left wondering if the only effective antidote to apathy is the threat of martyrdom.
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