Folau - Whats this all about?
I have not been following but did read that a god-fearing Mr. Folau allegedly said "homosexuals, among other so-called "sinners", would go to hell"
Seems to me that we are all big enough to decide on whether we agree with various interpretations of various Gods or not.
I don't mind saying that I do not agree that the statement above makes a useful contribution nor that even if I believed there were a heaven or hell would people of this persuasion be assigned one place or another on the basis of that persuasion.
I do believe that people should be able to speak to their beliefs; that it is better to know what people are thinking than not and that as a society we should learn to differentiate opinion from compulsion to behave in certain ways and from fact.
Despite his beliefs Folau seems like a fine young man committed to and prepared to risk all for his beliefs. The only thing I could ask beyond that is that he and billions of others were sharp enough to take this God thing out of the equation...though that would be..."Godist", superior and certainly solidly PC.
The fundamental question being asked is whether Israel Folau broke his word. It is not an argument of freedom of religion as far as I understand. According to Rugby Australia, one of the key clauses in the code of conduct Folau allegedly violated says players cannot “make any public comment that would likely be detrimental to the best interests, image and welfare of the game, a team, a club, a competition or union”. Rugby Australia argue Folau’s comments about hell awaiting gay people risk costing the sport fans and sponsors - and there is no sponsor more valuable to it than Qantas and its CEO Alan Joyce.
Folau’s basic argument is, Rugby Australia violated section 772 of the Fair Work Act, which details all the reasons an employer cannot use to terminate a worker’s contract. Religion is one of them. My personal opinion is, even though I think Folau made mistakes, he is basically a good person. In his eyes, and as ridiculous as it seems to some (including myself), he was trying to help people, not hurt them. The disproportion of his punishment to his offence is absolutely insane. The idea that he should lose his ability to earn a living for the rest of his life for expressing his beliefs is grotesque.
I think this video provides a good argument for Folau’s case. A bit long but worth your while.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2RUZHVlJXI