Israel Folau doubles down on bushfire comments
Image: Israel Folau. Photo: Israel Folau/Facebook.
Former rugby player Israel Folau has doubled down on his linking the bushfire crisis to same-sex marriage and abortion, telling churchgoers to 鈥減reach the truth without fear鈥�.
In a fifteen-minute sermon at the聽Truth of Jesus Christ Church in Sydney on Sunday, Folau warned we are living in 鈥減erilous times鈥� and urged his congregation to 鈥済o and do the work that [God] has called you to do鈥�.
鈥淲e must have the spirit within us to be able to stand up and preach the truth without fear,鈥� Folau said.
鈥淓very single day we must continue to rely on what God says, and what his word is. Because that鈥檚 final, that鈥檚 authority, and that鈥檚 what gives us the power to be able to go forth and do what he asks us to do.
鈥淭he walk is challenging, as we can all see 鈥� As it says in [the First Epistle of Paul to] Timothy, 鈥榩erilous times shall come鈥�, and we are in those perilous times.
鈥淎t some stage your faith is going to be tested. Your faith is going to be tested whether at work or at school. You might not think it鈥檚 going to be tested, but it will at some stage.鈥�
Folau was sacked by Rugby Australia in April for posting homophobic and transphobic comments on social media. He , claiming he had experienced religious discrimination, and raised over $2 million to fund his legal battle.
Last week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison slammed Folau鈥檚 comments as 鈥渁ppallingly insensitive鈥� and told him to 鈥渒eep it to yourself鈥�.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a free citizen, he can say whatever he likes, but that doesn鈥檛 mean he can鈥檛 have regard to the grievous offence this would have caused to people whose homes have been burnt down,鈥� Morrison said.
Opposition Leader Albanese said Folau was 鈥渆ntitled to his view鈥� but called the comments 鈥減retty reprehensible鈥�.
鈥淚t would be good if people thought before they spoke. These comments certainly won’t bring anything positive or constructive to the debate,鈥� Albanese said, adding that anyone with 鈥渁 bit of common sense鈥� should 鈥渞eject those comments鈥�.
Last week, a vegan restaurant in Auckland where Folau and his wife dined announced it had donated his bill to an 17c起草社区 group, Rainbow Youth.
鈥淩ainbow Youth donation from Israel Folau … Seems strange doesn’t it?鈥� Gorilla Kitchen wrote on Facebook.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 turn anyone away at Gorilla Kitchen, because we love everyone, not just animals. So when Israel and Maria came in again a couple weeks ago, we happily served them.
鈥淲hat they didn’t realise was their money spent at Gorilla Kitchen was going to be donated to Rainbow Youth, an organisation that embraces diversity and offers support for our young and vulnerable rainbow community.鈥�
You May Also Like
Sounds like coulda woulda shoulda. He thinks he coulda captained the team. He’s so far up himself. Why doesn’t curl up with his comic books and go away?
Just let this hate-filled homophobic bastard keep on spouting his hatred and displaying his total lack of intelligence.
Folau, like all extremists within Christianity, doesn’t know a thing about what it is to be a Christian. They are all so filled with hate and ignorance that they have completely missed the whole point of what Jesus taught.
Let Israel chatter on, the more hatred he spreads, and the more ill-conceived, so-called thoughts he has, the deeper the hole he is digging for himself and eventually people will simply regard him as being what he is: a total, complete and utter joke.
Israel Falau is such a turkey, don’t be a turkey this Christmas! ????????????????????????????????????????????????