Panellists clash in TV debate over Israel Folau

Peter FitzSimons became involved in a tense stoush on live TV today when discussing the Israel Folau saga that has divided the country.

Former Wallaby Peter FitzSimons has clashed with journalist Miranda Devine on live TV over the Israel Folau saga.

The rugby star is waiting to find out what his penalty will be after being found guilty of a high-level breach during a code of conduct hearing in Sydney following his Instagram post that quoted a bible passage saying “hell awaits” gay people. There’s every chance he will have his $4 million, four-year Rugby Australia contract torn up or he may escape with a suspension and/or fine.

FitzSimons has been vocal on TV and in his newspaper columns saying Folau must be sacked because he’s broken a commitment not to spread homophobic messages on social media after a similar incident last year. He reinforced that view on Channel 9’s Weekend Today.

“He has lost the dressing-room entirely,” FitzSimons said.

“You can’t do what he did.

“There is no other organisation in Australia that could possibly countenance one of their employees, the person they put on the poster in the shopfront window, posting that.

“And there is no sponsor, there is no corporation in the country that would say, ‘Hmm, (we) want a bit of that. Take $5 million, we’ll associate ourselves with that’.”

Devine, a columnist for The Daily Telegraph, hit back at FitzSimons and said Folau has more support in the Australian rugby community than people realise.

“More than half the players in Australian rugby from the grassroots on up are Polynesians and also devout Christians like Israel Folau and I can tell you, they do not agree with what you are saying,” Devine said.

“I don’t understand how you can just crucify a man for his Christianity. All he has done is quote the Bible and you seem to think that it’s OK to destroy not just his job, but his livelihood.

“If you are going to tell every person of faith — which is the majority of Australians have some sort of religious faith — if you are going to tell them that they cannot express their faith for fear of losing their entire career, their entire life, their entire livelihood, then I don’t know that we live in a free country.”

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Israel Folau’s case has divided the nation.

FitzSimons responded by saying Folau wasn’t being criticised for his faith but rather because he was spreading “homophobic slurs”, and said society understands not everything in the Bible should be taken literally.

He also referenced the plea from Ian Roberts, the first Australian NRL player to publicly came out as gay, who last week on TV said young, gay people were taking their own lives because of comments about sexuality like Folau’s.

At various stages in the segment, FitzSimons asked Devine to let him finish his point when he felt he was being interrupted.

“We have to understand that some kids are born with blond hair, some with black hair, some kids are born gay,” he said.

“As Ian Roberts said last week, kids in the suburbs, particularly teenagers, are taking their lives because of vilification.”

However, Devine stood firm and said Folau is free to believe what he wants, arguing he spread his message out of love, not hate.

“You are trying to dictate to him what he should believe,” Devine told FitzSimons.

“Do you think of the young Christian teens who might be hurt by your constant tweeting about the big daddy in the sky? You criticise Christians all the time.

“There were lots of sinners named in there … most of Australia would fit into one of those categories that Israel Folau described as sinners.

“He didn’t say, ‘I hate you people’, he did it as (Wallabies legend) Nick Farr-Jones said, in love.”