Should Folau be permitted to express his opinions?
Israel Folau, the brilliant Australian rugby full-back, made a statement in an Instagram social media post that has ignited world-wide fury.
“Hell awaits Drunks, Homosexuals, Adulterers, Liars, Fornicators, Thieves, Atheists and Idolaters.”
As a result he has been suspended by both the Waratahs and Rugby Australia, and will lose his lucrative four-year contract unless he can provide ‘compelling mitigating circumstances.’ His career is being killed off by those who object to these views.
The issue then spread to England when Billy Vunipola said that he liked the Folau post, adding that Folau was only saying that,
“. . . how we live our lives needs to be closer to how God intended them to be.”
Vunipola could also face disciplinary action that could kill off his career as a rugby player. Yet Vunipola’s own post was liked by other England internationals including Manu Tuilagi, Ellis Genge, Courtney Lawes and Nick Isieke. Are their careers also going to be killed off?
The question is whether a public statement of beliefs is wrong. Should people be warned that persistence in alcoholism, homosexual acts, adultery, lying, stealing and rejection of God means that such people will face God’s judgment. Should the careers of those who warn others be killed off because they speak out about their concerns? Is free speech being killed off? Should gagging clauses be used to prevent people speaking out? Questions need to be asked as to why some people hate such warnings.
Unfortunately this has always been the case. Say something that the rulers of many countries or organisations disapprove of, and you can be heavily persecuted. Jesus himself was persecuted and eventually killed for such reasons. He said,
“The world . . . hates me because I testify that what it does is evil.” John 7:7
Paul, one of Jesus’ apostles, wrote something very similar to Folau in his letter to the Church at Corinth, who also lived in a promiscuous and hedonistic society.
“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9
Paul was eventually executed for expressing what God sees as evil behaviour, warning people of the consequences and explaining that there is another way! Do we really want to live in a society where ungodly activities are encouraged? Our creator is a holy God. Jesus himself warned us that it is not only outward behaviour but how we think that tarnishes people. Should Jesus have been killed for saying such things as the following?
“For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean’.” Mark 7:21-22
When we look at ourselves, who can stand under God’s scrutiny? Whose internal thoughts are above reproach? The Christian answer, which is strongly evidence based, is that there is only one hope for us. Paul continues in his letter to the Corinthian Church,
“And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 5:11
There is hope. Jesus said to the accusers of a woman caught in adultery who was at risk of being stoned,
“If any of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” John 8:7
The accusers all drifted away. Then Jesus said to the woman,
“Then neither do I condemn you. . . Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Our society faces a choice. Will we accept that God is the arbiter of ethical thought and behaviour or are we alone in the universe? If we reject God we need to refute all the evidence about Jesus, his resurrection and the Old Testament prophecies about God’s Messiah. If we are going to freely eat of the ‘tree of knowledge of good and evil’, against God’s will, there will be massive consequences. Nietzsche foresaw that this decision to kill off God means the powerful in society will dictate their own ethical, or unethical, standards to others.
It is significant that the question about the killing of those we disagree with has been raised at Easter time.
The International Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 states,
Article 18
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
Article 19
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
For these reasons people in the public eye may surely speak out on subjects that are dear to their hearts, they also have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, as well as freedom of expression.
BVP
