Australia Bans Christianity

In Australia, the government doesn’t regulate the sexual activity between two consenting adults behind closed doors, but what they will now regulate is prayer as New South Wales (NSW) has criminalized counselling those with unwanted sexual tendencies or desires.

Contained within the Conversion Practices Ban Act 2024, a bill that came into full effect this week in NSW, makes it a criminal offence to “encourage someone to believe their sexuality or gender is defective or disordered,” or even to “pray with or over a person with the intent to change or suppress their sexuality or gender identity.”

“Conversion practices” in the legislation are broadly defined as actions, including prayer-based practices, intended to alter or suppress a person’s sexuality or gender identity. Outlining the specific settings where this type of prayer and/or guidance can be found resides on the NSW Anti-Discrimination website which states that Bible study groups, mentoring, counselling, and even camps or courses are all areas of concern.

And whilst prayer isn’t inherently illegal, “praying with or over a person with the intent to change or suppress their sexuality or gender identity” has now been deemed unlawful.

Shockingly, the law extends itself to voluntarily requests prayer, as well as stating that if a person tells someone to practice celibacy or put an end to sexual activity when they are in a same-sex relationship, this too could be considered unlawful.

Removing Christianity from the equation, the bill still holds devastating language for the parents of NSW who could be imprisoned for five years if they seek out help for their child who is suffering from gender dysphoria or if they provide help to their child!

NSW & Canada Collide

NSW isn’t the only place in the world that has criminalized specific forms of speech. In 2022, Canada’s Bill C-4 came into play which, similar to NSW’s bill, has direct implications for communities of faith, family units and individual freedoms as well.

Bill C-4 renders illegal any therapy or counselling — when voluntarily sought out by an adult or child— which encourages or directs an individual to reduce non-heterosexual attraction or behavior, as well as counselling services that want to help individuals detransition.

There is a spirit behind these legislative moves. Their intent isn’t to help the hurting but to distort God’s most prized and valued creation – humanity.

And just as with Canada’s and NSW’s bills, we can all agree that forced, coercive or physically damaging methods of trying to change someone’s feelings about themselves is never the solution. Another point by which logical consensus should be obtained is that removing any opportunity for those who identify as LGBTQ from being able to freely seek whatever counselling they wish is wrong.

This move is an affront on the rights and freedoms of those in NSW and in Canada who may wish to curb unwanted sexual behaviors.

Why is it that governments so happily promote initiatives to encourage individuals to “come out” whilst pushing for criminal penalties against those who seek to help the hurting through prayer? It’s a question worth asking.

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