Israel Folau targets gays, transgender children in church sermon
Embattled former rugby player Israel Folau has intensified his attack on homosexuals and taken aim at youth undergoing gender treatment in a sermon at his Sydney church on Sunday.
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Embattled former rugby star Israel Folau intensified his attack on homosexuals and criticised youths undergoing gender treatment during a sermon at his Sydney church on Sunday.
Folau claimed homosexuality and gender fluidity is what the “devil is trying to instil in the world”.
It comes just a few weeks after Rugby Australia ripped up his $5 million contract over a social media post in which he referenced the Bible to tell homosexuals that “hell awaits”.
Speaking at The Truth of Jesus Christ Church in Kenthurst, in northwest Sydney, the 30-year-old spoke about an event he recently attended in Melbourne, where a person in parliament spoke about the gender fluidity legislation, among other issues, that was being debated.
“He spoke about nine points, one of the points … he is talking about the work of the sin, homosexuality, is in disguise to try and take over within this world,” he said.
“You see in today’s youths and everything, they are allowing young kids in primary school to be able to have the permission to change their gender if they want by taking away the permission of their parents. Now they are trying to take control as a government to make those decisions for young kids who are basically 16 years old or younger, they don’t even know what they are doing.
“This is what the devil is trying to do, to instil into the government, into this world, into society, and it is slowly happening. The sad thing is why a lot of people out there that are non-Christians say bad things about the church, is because a lot of the churches allow those things to happen.
“They say that a man and a man should be able to be married and there is nothing wrong with it. This buys into the theme of pleasing man rather than pleasing God and standing up for the truth.”
Appearing before the congregation at his father’s church, Folau also levelled criticism at the structure of modern-day Westernised churches. He told worshippers that officials of such churches were in the job for the wrong reasons.
“You see the modern day, the westernised church today, a lot of the pastors and the leaders within that church they do things to please whoever is the head pastor,” the former Wallaby said.
“They do things to climb the ladder. That’s what they do, because they are scared of what he thinks, or what the congregation thinks or what anyone thinks, rather than what is pleasing to God.”
Folau was presented with a book from the Australian Christian Lobby last week containing the names of 46,000 people who had signed a #IStandWithIzzy petition after his unceremonious sacking by Rugby Australia. During his 20-minute address Folau spoke about how his faith had created awkward moments with ex-colleagues.
“True believers in Christ, are we going to follow through and profess him wherever we go,” he said.
“Whether … through our actions or by our mouth.
Are we too scared because we might be cast out by our workplace or cast out of somewhere because we’re not liked or loved by those around us and don’t believe the same thing we do?
“You might be the only born-again Christian in that workplace, you might feel a bit awkward with your co-workers because they are in the world and you’re not.
We should feel blessed … because God has called us.”
Since being stood down Folau’s former Waratahs teammates have said his controversial social media posts derailed their season.
“It’s something that’s distracted us from our goal,” halfback Nick Phipps said.
Folau has lodged a legal challenge over his sacking from rugby, citing the Fair Work Act, which says it is “unlawful to terminate employment on the basis of religion”. He is seeking millions in damages, and he and Rugby Australia have been ordered by the Fair Work Commission to sit down to try and resolve their dispute.
Fair Work Commission vice-president Adam Hatcher ruled the case be set down for conciliation on June 28. Both parties will now have to come together to resolve the matter or it will proceed to a hearing.
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