Stay out of religious views

I played rugby for 32 years, refereed over 1200 games, coached countless kids and colts for 43 years, ran a rugby academy on the Sunshine Coast for three years and I love the game.

I am an atheist and I don’t have a religious, homophobic or racist thought in my mind. I write to say how appalled I am at the treatment that Rugby Australia and its sponsors are dishing out to Israel Folau and his very religious family. An employer should never contract or in any other way attempt to deny a person the right to merely express their religious beliefs, whatever sponsors think.

Rugby Australia seems to fail to comprehend that an expression of religious belief is never on its own vilification. All Izzy said was that he wanted the mentioned transgressors to change their ways, so that the Christian God would admit them into Heaven when they died. How could that possibly be interpreted as a position of hate and vilification? It is a position of complete love, albeit that we might not agree with the premise upon which it is based.

John Rivett, West End, Qld

Notwithstanding that the Australian Constitution has limited protection of freedom of religion and the laws of all states and territories make it unlawful in varying degrees to discriminate on the basis of religion, many leading opinion-makers concur in the move to sack Israel Folau by Rugby Australia, with some notable exceptions, including Alan Jones (“Rugby throwing devout Christian Israel Folau to the Lions”, 16/4). This grave step of seeking to sack Folau, and greatly weakening the national team, is taken on the grounds that his understanding of the nature of God constitutes actionable “hate speech” that requires that he must be deprived of his livelihood.

Let there be no misunderstanding about the cultural point at which we have arrived: it is now widely accepted that people may be sacked, vilified and driven from the public square for views that are commonplace in all major religions.

Along with a good many others I am uncharmed by Folau’s utterances. But the test posed of our national character by the heavy-handed response can only be passed when Rugby Australia, and its sponsors, acknowledge they are not entitled to sanction Folau for his religious views. For reasons of indispensable principle — won at the cost of many millions of lives — it must be that it is just none of their business.

James Miller, Sydney, NSW

I began studying public relations in 2002. The opening paragraph of my first textbook contained an arresting statement: “One of the most important principles of communication is don’t offend your audience.”

In my opinion, Israel Folau’s recent social media post falls into this category. If he hopes to convert people to Christ, a digital sucker punch might not be the best approach.

D. Chan, Blackburn South, Vic

This is not an issue about freedom of religion. Most people are able to practise their religious faith without posting social media comments that denigrate other people’s lives. Surely Israel Folau’s media posts are not compulsory behaviour within his church. No one is preventing him from practising his faith, and we can all see him doing that as he goes about living his life. But he now chooses to turn himself into a martyr and deliberately post provocative messages knowing full well what the repercussions will be. It’s a cynical use of his fame as a talented footballer.

Mary Roberts, Wollstonecraft, NSW

Our laws should certainly ban speech that incites violence. But as Alan Jones points out Israel Folau has merely told his Twitter followers that Jesus loves sinners of all kinds (defined in several New Testament passages) and they will be saved from hell if they repent. You can hear the same message in any Billy Graham sermon.

Roslyn Phillips, Tea Tree Gully, SA

I live in wonderful Victoria so I don’t give a hoot about Israel Folau’s sport; nor, indeed, do I know much about the man. Yet reading his tweets I do wonder if Rugby Australia or Qantas would be making such a drama were he of Islamic faith. Perhaps Australia should adopt a royal inquisition into the beliefs of all its athletes?

Yet, I’m still wondering about those silent drunks, adulterers and thieves who are apparently off to hell so I’m going to the local pub at closing time to ask how many are offended by Folau.

Simon Inglis, Ararat, Vic