‘Offensive’ Kyle’s comments highlight hypocrisy of the politically correct brigade
If ever there was an example of the cultural left’s hypocrisy and double standards go no further than Israel Folau and Kyle Sandilands
Opinion
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If ever there was an example of the cultural left’s hypocrisy and double standards go no further than Israel Folau and Kyle Sandilands.
Folau has been vilified, attacked and condemned in the media and on social networking sites for arguing unless they repent drunks, adulterers, homosexuals, liars, thieves and fornicators would suffer in hell.
For expressing a sincerely held religious belief Folau has been sacked by Rugby Australia, lost millions in potential earnings and forced to take costly legal action to defend his reputation and, hopefully, restart his career.
Compare this to the response to a series of deeply offensive comments by Kyle Sandilands on KIIS FM over a week ago. When talking about the Virgin Mary, obviously a figure central to both the Christian and Islamic faiths as the mother of Jesus the Christ, Sandilands said Mary was not a virgin.
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Instead of respecting the religious narrative surrounding the Annunciation and the virgin birth Sandilands joked someone had “chock-a-blocked her behind the camel shed” and anyone who believed otherwise was talking “bull sh.t” as a well as being as “dumb as dog sh.t”.
One can only imagine the furore and backlash if Sandilands’ disparaging and insulting comments had related to LGBTIQ+ people, people of colour or the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. The self-righteous trolls in the Twittersphere would be in overdrive.
Yet the silence in response to Sandiland’s comments about the Virgin Mary have been deafening.
Clearly, such is the power and influence of politically correct ideology and group think that if you espouse a religious belief it’s open season and you are fair game. Vilify and insult religious beliefs for no good reason and you get a free pass and there are no consequences or sanctions.
To date, unlike Alan Jones who is another victim of corporate hypocrisy and virtue signalling, no sponsors have publicly withdrawn support and there has been no move to take Sandilands off air. And it’s not as though Sandilands doesn’t have form when it comes to making gratuitously offensive and insulting remarks.
In 2012 Sandilands abused a female journalist after she made adverse comments about his TV show. Sandilands stated at the time, “You’re a bullshit artist, girl. You should be fired from your job. Your hair’s very ‘90s. And your blouse. You haven’t got that much titty to be having that low cut a blouse. Watch your mouth or I’ll hunt you down”.
Even more disturbing than Sandiland’s comments and the hypocrisy of the politically correct brigade is the reality that religion, especially Christianity and Catholicism, is increasingly under attack.
Some years ago the painting Piss Christ was exhibited in Melbourne; a painting that depicted the crucified Jesus apparently covered in urine. More recently, in Hobart as part of the Dark Mofo festival an inverted cross was displayed with little regard for the significance of the cross to Christians.
In Melbourne over the last four years, three Catholic churches have been the victims of arson attacks. In response to news that one of the churches was reduced to rubble the Australian actress Rachel Griffith stated she was “quite elated”.
While it is understandable why so many are angry about the evil scourge of child-abuse that has plagued Catholic, Anglican and other Christian churches as well as secular organisations there is no excuse for insulting and demeaning one of the cornerstones of Australian culture and society.
Over 12 million Australians are Christian and religious schools enrol approximately 34% of students across Australia. Christianity underpins our legal and political systems and concepts like liberty, freedom of conscience, social justice and a commitment to the common good derive from the New Testament and Christ’s teachings.
And Sandilands in his belated apology where he tries to excuse himself only digs the hole deeper. Rather than expressing sincere regret and remorse Sandilands excuses himself by saying it was only a joke and his intention was only to make people laugh.
Such an excuse displays an appalling ignorance and insensitivity to the central importance of religious faith and the fact that millions of Australian’s venerate the Virgin Mary as the mother of the one true Messiah who suffered and died for their redemption and salvation.
Proven by Andrew Bolt being penalised by the Human Rights Commission for offending Aboriginal Australians and Hobart’s Archbishop Julian Porteous being made to answer to the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner for circulating a booklet opposing same-sex marriage it’s obvious that there are two approaches to freedom of speech.
While it is OK to vilify and insult religion, especially Christianity, make the mistake of criticising or insulting those the cultural-left identifies as protected and you suffer adverse consequences.
Dr Kevin Donnelly is a Senior Research Fellow at the Australian Catholic University and author of A Politically Correct Dictionary and Guide (forthcoming Connor Court Publishing).