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Israel Folau should be given a chance to defend his views

Roar Guru
3rd May, 2019
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Roar Guru
3rd May, 2019
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Israel Folau is in a mess for which he is largely but not solely responsible.

Reactions to his Twitter feed are overblown and much of the rage is confected. He should be brought to account, but that is not what is happening.

Folau has said by way of Twitter, a remarkably limited format, that hell awaits drunks, fornicators, adulterers and gays unless they repent and seek God’s love. He seems to genuinely wish to save us from this outcome.

Let me say three things about this, two with total certainty and one with high conviction.

Firstly, Israel Folau does not really know who, if anyone, is going to hell or if it exists.

Secondly he is not in any position at all to affect the admission policy to hell.

Thirdly I think his statement is wrong. I have a high conviction on that point but of course I can no more prove this than he can prove his statement.

What I also think with high conviction is that Folau should be accountable for his statements but not punished for his statements. There is a very stark difference.

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He should not be punished for exercising his right of free speech but he should be asked to defend his views and presumably do so in an interactive setting – something which exceeds Twitter for nuance.

He should not be allowed to throw this mini-bomb and walk away.

He might, say, seek to point out to his critics what basis in scripture there is for this prognostication, indeed to explain to his critics why scripture even has any authority.

He will then need to assess the extent to which the Christian gospels – the New Testament – do or do not supersede the harsh judgments made in the Old one.

There is not a lot of cheek turning in the old book, not much forgiving your enemy and none of simplifying the message of scripture into faith, hope and love.

If Israel can find a word from Jesus on homosexuality then he is doing better than me – I say all this as a Catholic, the Christian sect least known for actually reading scripture.

Israel can do his best in public to explain why people will be sent to hell for something they were born with.

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Maybe he will make a strong case. I doubt it but he should take the chance.

Would his failure to do so be reason enough to tear up his contract with his various employers in rugby? I do not think so.

I have no doubt he is an annoyance of the highest order to Wallaby and Waratah organisers alike, but the outrage is ridiculous.

Israel Folau

Israel Folau (Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)

There seems too much enthusiasm to take offence. The comments could have been ignored other than for the mood of hypersensitivity in which the world is presumed to have the thinnest of skins.

Diversity and tolerance are not negotiable virtues – except that apparently conservative Christians have no place in the rainbow and are a rather a bit too much to tolerate. Who decides where the limits are?

Let me unpick some of the explicit arguments against Israel’s comments and the man himself, along with some that are floating unsaid.

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That Israel’s comments will outrage the major sponsors of the sport, especially Qantas
I am pretty sure that if Qantas can hold their nose and form major alliances with the Sheikhs in the Emirates – who have homosexuality in their crime statutes – then they can definitely look the other way when a player uses Twitter to repeat old school Christian assertions.

If they cannot then they should say so out loud. Are rugby authorities going to take up this argument with their sponsor? I doubt it. This is not really about ideas.

That Israel Folau’s comments on ‘gays’ will isolate them from supporting the game
I have spent a lot of time at rugby matches. Of the groups damned to Hell by Israel I can say that we, the drunks, are the main demographic.

I cannot as easily identify who the fornicators and adulterers are but between them I think these outnumber the gays that Israel is judging. They seem not to be offended.

Is there really a solid reason why the countless alcohol sponsors and one presumes the gambling sponsors are not up in arms about this slight against their customers?

Perhaps they see it as more of us should, as a very unimportant story that should have lasted one news cycle.

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That Israel Folau’s statements will bring discomfort or even threaten the mental health of the young uncertain person struggling with their sexuality
I accept this is a serious issue but the chorus of empathy for such a person and the universal damnation of Folau’s outburst really should gladden their hearts.

He has flushed out endless empathy for people in this category, I cannot speak for how they feel about this but why should they not be encouraged?

Is it possible they will be forever isolated from knowledge of the historical hostility to homosexuals in most religions?

I doubt anyone thinks that such isolation is possible or is indeed the business of Rugby Australia.

Eric Liddell’s stance against running on the sabbath was given much reverence in the movie, Chariots of Fire.

The popular perception of Muhammed Ali is near saintly for his commitment to of all things Louis Farrakhan’s Nation of Islam.

I still thank God that Michael Jones would not play on a Sunday against the Wallabies in the 1991 Rugby World Cup semi-final.

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Israel Folau is being excoriated for his unfashionable religious beliefs. He should be given more access to public forums not less.

He should explain himself not defend himself.

His ideas, like all of ours, need to stand up to rigour and examination. The outcome of this process, not likely to be agreed in black and white, should not affect his eligibility or ability to play rugby.

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