Twitter mob does Magritte: this is not a debate about freedom of religious conscience

Israel Folau and his wife Maria Folau at Kenthurst Uniting Church after a Sunday service. Picture: Hollie Adams

Folau’s folly; nothing to do with freedom of belief, Twitter, Unions Tasmania’s Jessica Munday, June 21:

Rich homophobe wants public to pay for his right to spout hate.

Rugby Australia chief Raelene Castle, rugby.com.au, April 15:

This is not a religious discussion, this is a discussion around the employee- employer relationship and the values in the contractual arrangements within that agreement.

Sally Rugg of Change.org, Twitter, April 11:

Re: Israel Folau, before people start: everyone is free to hold the opinion that gay people are going to hell. Please consider by way of example, the prime minister of Australia. This is a case of breaching a social media policy, not holding an opinion.

Social commentator Van Badham, Twitter, June 21:

Can ANYONE tell me just how Israel Folau’s “religious freedom” has been breached, at all? As a believer, I’ve never been obstructed in any act of worship or devotion in Aus­tralia. Breaching your contract & blaming it on Jesus is about many things, but faith isn’t one of them.

ABC News, September 13, 2017:

… rugby star Israel Folau has tweeted that he does not condone same-sex marriage, a day after the Wallabies pledged support for the Yes vote in the postal survey. (He) is a devout Christian, who grew up as a Mormon before leaving to join a smaller church in 2011. In his tweet … he said he loves and respects everyone for their opinions but that he would not support same-sex marriage. He followed with peace sign, heart and prayer emojis.

The Daily Telegraph, June 26:

Israel Folau’s star netballer wife has found herself in the firing line of the ANZ bank, which has called her employer and issued a public statement condemning her … Maria has made no statement on the Folau furore, and has only shared a post (her husband) made appealing for funds.

Gentleman conservative Gray Connolly, Twitter, June 26:

Have donated to help @IzzyFolau in his fight, not because I agree with him, but because (1) freedom means the freedom to say what you think and to be wrong & (2) those going after @MariaFolau have crossed a moral rubicon that is destructive of Marriage … The Nazi law of Sippenhaft: not only you are guilty of crimes against the regime but so, too, are your family. Today it may be Maria Folau for standing by her husband but no one knows who is the regime’s next target. It is why we fought wars — and tried & hanged the leading Nazis.

Mark Latham, Twitter, June 24:

During the SSM campaign, Lefties scoffed when I said the absence of Religious Freedom Protections would lead to a reign of terror against Christians … The greatest threat to our freedoms is from excessive use of corporate power and spiteful revenge of Left-wing identity politics — both on display with Folau.

Miranda Devine, The Daily Telegraph, June 26:

The fact is that Rugby Australia started this fight. It provoked Folau by needlessly conflating sport with politics when it became a cheerleader for the same-sex marriage cause. Did it not occur to anyone in the rugby hierarchy that more than half of all players — from the grassroots up to the Wallabies — share Folau’s Polynesian heritage and fundamentalist faith, and might hold a traditional view of marriage as being between a man and a woman?