Australia's Morrison calls for more prayer and religious freedom

[snoop1130]

Australia's Morrison calls for more prayer and religious freedom

 

FILE PHOTO: Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks to the media during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, March 20, 2019. AAP Image/Andrew Taylor/via REUTERS/File Photo

 

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia needs more prayer, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, a devout Christian, has said, vowing that his administration would do whatever needed to be done by way of legislation to protect religious expression, now at the center of a national debate.

 

Australia has no bill of rights or explicit protections for religious freedoms, but Morrison’s conservative government is considering such measures in the wake of a high-profile rugby player’s sacking over religious posts on social media.

 

“We’ll do what we must do from a legislative point of view and the law,” Morrison, who described his election victory in May as a miracle, told an annual conference of the Hillsong Church in a stadium in Sydney.

 

He prayed and said religious freedom needed to be “nourished and protected” in remarks late on Tuesday to Australia’s biggest evangelical gathering.

 

“There’s a lot of talk about our freedoms as Christians in this country and they should be protected,” he said.

 

“Australia is a free country. There’s nothing more fundamental than the freedom of belief, whatever that belief might be, whether you have one or you don’t.”

 

In May, footballer Israel Folau was dismissed by Rugby Australia after he posted on Instagram that hell awaited “drunks, homosexuals, adulterers” and other groups.

 

The ensuing scandal and calls from religious leaders for a legislative response have imparted further significance to Morrison’s outward displays of faith, which are unusual for an Australian political leader.

 

More than half of Australians call themselves Christians, census data shows. Last year, Morrison had said his government would write a Religious Discrimination Act, but political momentum for it had ebbed until Folau’s sacking.

 

Morrison, a Pentecostal Christian, invited cameras to film him praying at his local church during the campaign, but did not announce his appearance at Hillsong, where participants greeted him with cheers in footage posted to YouTube on Wednesday.

 

“I speak about my faith ... because I want everyone in this place to feel comfortable about talking about their faith,” he said to applause.

 

The nation needed more prayer, he told the audience earlier, and sought divine aid to end a withering drought.

 

“Lord, we just pray for rain: That your rain will fall on this nation,” Morrison intoned. “Lord, that you will restore those communities, and that you will see a prosperity in this nation from the rain.”

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-07-10

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[legend49]

Christian my ass. Look at the treatment of refugees held on islands by Australia.

[bendejo]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

“Lord, we just pray for rain: That your rain will fall on this nation,” Morrison intoned.

Perhaps he should be asking why his lord has stopped it from raining.  Maybe lord is sending a message, Morry.

 

One thing I hate is a bible-thumbing hypocrite.  Sorry to see this type of American-style nonsense spreading to down-under.

 

“I speak about my faith ... because I want everyone in this place to feel comfortable about talking about their faith,”

 

Ok, I take back what I said.  Allahu akbar!

 

 

Edited July 11, 2019 by bendejo

[geoffbezoz]

Always thought the Ozzies had more b$lls than most.  However I must be wrong as they have voted in a  religious hypocrite as a prime minister. Sad days for Oz. Doubly so as today you will be whopped at Edgbaston by the old enemy. ????

[phantomfiddler]

57 minutes ago, legend49 said:

Christian my ass. Look at the treatment of refugees held on islands by Australia.

But surely this is just a question of illegal immigrants trying to enter Australia, nothing to do with religion ? and the calling for more religious freedom a good thing except that this feeling is NOT shared by one particular faith, right, Abdul ? ????

[car720]

God, just what we need, another Billy Graham.

Don't we have enough religious zealots in the world?

 

[ballpoint]

1 hour ago, phantomfiddler said:

But surely this is just a question of illegal immigrants trying to enter Australia, nothing to do with religion ? and the calling for more religious freedom a good thing except that this feeling is NOT shared by one particular faith, right, Abdul ? ????

You can't have things both ways.  Either it's god's will that these immigrants should try to enter Australia, just as it's his will that the country should be stricken by drought, so what's the point of trying to change his mind by prayer, or you accept that there is no god and get on with practical solutions to the problems.

[wreckingcountry]

Morrison believes that so called “Christians” can attack different sexuality groups ! He never condemned Folau! You Aussies got the equivalent of the US religious Christian fundamentalist bigots! Of course he’s a friend of Trump as well! Australia marching backwards


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[Emdog]

"More than half of Australians call themselves Christians"

and 30% report they are of "no faith".

Freedom of (and from) should be a right. I do take issue with idea that hateful speech (which is a crime in Australia) is okay if you wrap it up as part of your religious beliefs

[mfd101]

I don't think ScoMo's a hypocrite. That would mean he's only pretending to be a pentecostal Christian. But he isn't pretending. He really is one, good or bad or indifferent as that may be.

 

He also says: Don't worry about the process. Judge me and my government on the outcomes.

 

Which seems fair enough to anyone half sane.

[Old Croc]

And so it starts.

In 2010, on my list of reasons to emigrate, I strongly featured the fact that "Friar" Abbott was likely to become PM. He did, and quickly proved his true toxic nature.  Before him the devout PM, Howard, placed a pedophile coverup, priest into the Governor General's job. 

Now the idiot middle class has elected a lying Pentecostal, would be Trump. 

They deserve what they get.

[expatfromwyoming]

Obviously, like Trump is to the American bible belt, Morrison is "Gods man" in Australia. 

Raises the question ( in what should be a privately held belief) - Why do religious people all have the need to evangelize?

My theory is because religion doesn’t have either evidence or consistent experience to base itself on. Lacking this, they rely on reciprocal reassurance: I assure you it’s true, and you reassure me that it’s true. The more people you have to reassure you of its validity, the easier it is to maintain that belief. This is where the desire to spread one’s religion comes from — the need to speak about it is required to find those others that can provide reassurance, and the need to create lots of people to provide that feedback explains the need to evangelize.

[Benmart]

3 hours ago, legend49 said:

Christian my ass. Look at the treatment of refugees held on islands by Australia.

Your ass is visible in your own words.

[jany123]

on the bright side, if SoMo makes a complete ass of himself, (this sort of crap qualifies), his own party will vote “no confidence”, and give him the boot. No need to wait for another election for a change in leadership.

[Cats4ever]

How did we end up with a happy clapper PM? Religious freedom - well they are free from tax which is very welcome to a lot of religos.

[TPI]

5 hours ago, geoffbezoz said:

Always thought the Ozzies had more b$lls than most.  However I must be wrong as they have voted in a  religious hypocrite as a prime minister. Sad days for Oz. Doubly so as today you will be whopped at Edgbaston by the old enemy. ????

So you say! We've got more sandpaper?  ????

[GreasyFingers]

6 hours ago, expatfromwyoming said:

Why do religious people all have the need to evangelize?

Well if you read most of the posts it is the non believers that show the need to evangelize. Cannot understand why you feel the need to criticize. If you do not believe why try to convert those that do, unless you are insecure in you non beliefs.

[Sujo]

8 hours ago, phantomfiddler said:

But surely this is just a question of illegal immigrants trying to enter Australia, nothing to do with religion ? and the calling for more religious freedom a good thing except that this feeling is NOT shared by one particular faith, right, Abdul ? ????

wrong. I live in malaysia and am treated very well.

 

But he is a hypocrite. If those people on manus where white chtistians they wouldnt be treated that way.

 

We didnt even treat the vietnamese boat people that bad at the height of the hysteria about that.

[JemJem]

Hmmmm. Why now ?

 

I wonder if the reason is Israel Folau.  Maybe Morrison wants to express his support for that bigot in such an (indirect) way.

 

I hope this is not the case.

[White Christmas13]

13 hours ago, legend49 said:

Christian my ass. Look at the treatment of refugees held on islands by Australia.

Crap

[Ozman52]

While you're writing your legislation, I suppose it would be too much to ask for a bit of protection FROM religion for those of us who are non-believers. 

For starters you could make it illegal to go knocking on people's doors trying to push your beliefs onto others.

Edited July 11, 2019 by Ozman52

[Sujo]

33 minutes ago, Ozman52 said:

While you're writing your legislation, I suppose it would be too much to ask for a bit of protection FROM religion for those of us who are non-believers. 

For starters you could make it illegal to go knocking on people's doors trying to push your beliefs onto others.

There is a freedom from religion. You can ask them to leave, if they dont you can have them arrested.

 

in state schools you can have your child opt out of religious teaching.

 

Though in that regard I have had issues, my step child opted out but because of short staffing they had him sit at back of the class facing the wall, still hearing the bullshit but essentially ostracized by the class for doing do.

 

needless to say I hit the roof.

[wreckingcountry]

In May The electorate gave the LNP loonies the chance to do what it wants

 

 

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[mfd101]

People get the governments they vote for. Most federal governments in Oz do some good things, some stupid, some arguably poor ... In ScoMo's case The People made the sensible decision that he & his were preferable to Little Billy & his slightly more than less Socialist Left.

[BritManToo]

22 hours ago, geoffbezoz said:

Always thought the Ozzies had more b$lls than most.  However I must be wrong as they have voted in a  religious hypocrite as a prime minister. Sad days for Oz. Doubly so as today you will be whopped at Edgbaston by the old enemy. ????

Voting for a Christian leader is the only opportunity left to oppose the Muslim invasion.

[ncc1701d]

On 7/11/2019 at 3:58 PM, Cats4ever said:

How did we end up with a happy clapper PM? Religious freedom - well they are free from tax which is very welcome to a lot of religos.

I would say it’s collateral damage to them being voted in on account the left has gone too far.

[Mac98]

If Muslims, Christians, feminists, PC advocates, and vegetarians continue to get their way then life in general will be very boring, if not illegal.