It looks like it’s time for each international airport in Australia to put up signs saying “Welcome to Australia! Where we allow everyone to express themselves but not when it comes to peoples religion or race/culture”. There have been two major issues which has divided Australians, and being an Australian, it’s shaped how I view Australia. These issues are with AFL (Australian Rules Football) star Adam Goodes and Australian Rugby Union player Israel Folau. If you are not from Australia or haven’t heard as to why these are major issues in Australia, I’ll go through both issues a bit more.
Racism of Indigenous Australian Rules football star Adam Goodes
The AFL has a large number of Indigenous players in it’s national sport, Adam Goodes is one of them, each year the competition dedicates one round for the celebration of Indigenous players and culture.
On Indigenous round in 2013, a 13 year old girl (who was sitting in the front row) yelled out at Goodes calling him an ape. Now let me make it clear again, on Indigenous round in 2013 an Indigenous AFL player (Adam Goodes) was called an APE by a 13 year old girl who was sitting in the front row. Adam Goodes pointed this girl out and security escorted her out of the stadium, but the damage had been done. Adam Goodes tried to continue playing out the game, but was mentally hurt too much to continue. His team won, but he never joined his team mates in the celebrations.
In 2014, Adam Goodes was awarded the Australian Of the Year for his community work in Aboriginal communities, he took this opportunity to speak up about racism and yet was ridiculed for calling out racism in 2013.
In 2015, again on Indigenous round, he took the opportunity to express himself and his culture and did a war cry dance with an imaginary spear towards the crowd. After this, he was booed continuously by opposition supporters when he touched the ball, every week. Adam Goodes thought it was racially motivated and got extremely hurt by it, he had enough and lost his love for the sport and retired early. Many supporters of the AFL are saying they were booing him because he is being a baby by apparently acting to receive free kicks, but almost all players in the AFL competition act to receive free kicks.
Personally, the booing was indeed racially motivated because Goodes spoke up about racism, all other indigenous players did nothing at all. The fact the booing occurred continuously, each week, is bullying. Which is not on!
If a player does something which angers the crowd (say knocking out an opposition player) in that game, only then is it acceptable to boo that player for the rest of that game only.
Rugby Union player Israel Folau being targeted as homophobic after expressing his religious beliefs on an Instagram post
Israel Folau is an orthodox Christian Rugby Union player who posted a religious image on his instagram page that advices those who commit a number of sins to repent as they will go to hell if they continue. Due to this post saying homosexuals among others will end up in hell if they don’t repent, he had his Rugby Union contract torn and will never be allowed to play the sport he loves and he received a heap of hate from the public of Australia.
He took it into a legal battle with Rugby Australia, they reached a conclusion in which both Israel Folau and Rugby Australia were happy with, but the damage had already been done, more so the impact of how I see Australia with the behaviour of the Australian public.
As a Christian, I can definitely say that we do believe that homosexuality is a sin and they will go to hell if they don’t ask for God’s forgiveness. If another Christian believes otherwise, they will also go to hell as they are going against the bibles teachings. But that doesn’t mean I don’t respect homosexual people or people who have different opinions on the issue, its only when the verbal and physical attacks start does it become a further issue, and that’s exactly whats been happening here.
Then there are other things to consider, Raelene Castle (CEO of Rugby Australia) says Inclusiveness is one of their core values. How can they say they are inclusive of all people and then scrap a players contract due to their religious beliefs? That is far from being inclusive of everyone.
The post lists a number of sins, not just homosexual people are recognised as sinners. Why are people making it a problem when it lists a number of things not just homosexuality? I would consider it a problem if it was just targeting homosexual people, but it’s targeting a range of other groups.
Lastly, why are people complaining that people in this list are going hell? I thought everyone looks at heaven and hell as this mythical fake place unless they are Christian or Religious, no one should care about it only those who are religious.
You might be reading this and thinking that this has nothing to do with you because you are not from Australia. True, but this got me angry enough to actually show this is what society is now. But the question is… Why? Why is society so judgmental on peoples opinions? People have a right to express themselves in anyway they want. Everyone has a range of opinions and beliefs, it makes people unique and the differences need to be celebrated. Instead of degrading someones opinions, ask questions as to why they have that opinion, educate yourselves. People say to be yourself and express who you are, how can people do that anymore when we live in a society who is judgemental?
This is not on and society needs to change in someway. This kind of thing damages a persons mental health, like me (being a Christian and with a darker complexion) this has had a negative impact on me. I now see society differently and I'm very scared that I might one day be killed after attending church.
This is the world we live in and it’s definitely not on and we need to learn how to respect each other and recognise what makes us different.
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In the case of Adam Goodes I think he did the right thing and was never wrong about his action. The reaction to his goal celebration with the imaginary spear was not fair to him. He was just celebrating his culture and his goal.
HOWEVER, Israel Folau was totally out of line. He deserved to be sacked for what he said and it wasn't the first time either. He had already been warned for homophobic statements and then he took it further by including atheists and other people.
The thing he did wrong was to alienate people with regard to specific traits about them. This would be unacceptable in any job down to retail workers let alone someone on the world stage. He has the freedom to believe what he wants but he doesn't have the freedom to alienate others and discriminate against them.
He was sharing the bible. He has a right to do that. Your discriminating against religion when you attack and degrade someone based on their religion. It’s not right and you need to respect it. As a Christian I believe homosexual people will go to hell, the same with liars be it any sin that is committed. So are you saying I can’t express myself saying these things, expressing my beliefs. You make it would like you want everyone who has religious beliefs be killed, because we don’t conform to societies views.
I’ve had to deal with depression due to being attacked for expressing my beliefs and expressing the things I love. I have had thoughts of drinking bleach and ending my life because of it. Still right now I have flashbacks to these events and tell myself I shouldn’t be alive. I’m suffering for being myself, a Christian individual who wants to express what makes me the person I am. Its only believing in Jesus that actually keeps me going.
You are allowing homosexuals to have their own views and express themselves but then discriminate towards those who express their religious views, it’s not on! It’s either we all respect each other or with the way society is going, I WILL end up committing suicide.
You can't just hide behind a religion so you can say offensive things about everyone who doesn't believe what you do. That isn't how it works. That is discrimination and bullying. He was sacked for very legitimate reasons.
If he wants to believe all of the things he said, that's fine but the fact is that expressing those beliefs offended everyone because he had extremely offensive things to say. Offending people and alienating them is wrong. It is not acceptable in a workplace.
Do you understand?
So you are saying it's good to discriminate peoples religion because they don't conform with societies views cause it sounds like that.
Know what, I will kill myself. If people will continue discriminating me because I don't follow society, I don't deserve to be alive.
He is the one who was discriminating. You can't go out in public and condemn homosexuals, atheists, Muslims etc to hell.
You cannot tell a co-worker or an employee or your boss or a customer or a member of the public that they will burn in hell due to a personal reason such as their sexuality, religion, background etc. That is what we call harrassment and it is not acceptable under any circumstances. He is not being discriminated against because of his religion, he was being reprimanded for offensive and abusive behaviour. Do I make myself clear?
Again, all I'm going to say is he was expressing his beliefs. Something thats important to him. Why can't someone just express themselves without anyone judging them. I seriously thought society was better than that.
I've already said it, I'm committing suicide because if this is how people are treating christians because of our beliefs, I don't deserve this crap anymore.
You clearly don't get it. His tweets offended and singled out certain groups and individuals. Whether or not those are his beliefs that is not ok. He breached the code of conduct and it would be the same in any other professional environment.
If you hold crazy beliefs like that which will hurt people then you should keep them to yourself.
I'm sorry but discriminatory beliefs like that have no place in a progressive society. That is why there are protocols in place to deal with stuff like this.
A society must always operate by real world logic.
Well it just shows that society doesn't treat christians views with respect and so I don't want to live in a world that does this.
Good job though, you have changed my mind about killing myself.
Now I want to 100% end my life. :'(
Well that is only a specific and pretty extreme denomination of Christianity but yes and it also doesn't treat Muslims who say everyone who isn't Muslim must die with respect either. Along with any other extremist groups.
If you say offensive shit, you will get shut down. You can't hide behind a religion in order to hurt people so if you don't like it that's just too fucking bad for you. Go and have a cry about it.
So you are seriously continuing to target and degrade someone who is now having week mental health because you are discriminating their religion.
DO YOU HAVE ANY CARE FOR PEOPLE AT ALL!
I'M NOT HIDING BEHIND MY RELIGION. I BELIEVE ALL SIN IS TREATED IN AN EQUAL WAY AND ANYONE WHO COMMITS A SIN WILL GO TO HELL. EVEN THEN IT'S ONLY THOSE WHO ACTUALLY BELIEVE IN HEAVEN AND HELL THAT ANY OF THIS SHOULD EFFECT.
PLEASE STOP!!! I HATE SOCIETY IF THIS IS THE WAY PEOPLE TREAT CHRISTIANS!
I FUCKING HATE THIS!!!
You can't tell people that they will suffer in a make believe environment because of personal characteristics. That is wrong. It is harrassment.
It doesn't matter what you believe, you cannot say that to people. Simple human decency. Basic ethics.
It's what separates us from the other animals.
If your religion is affecting your mental health, perhaps it's time to rethink your life and life itself.
Yeah already rethinking my life. I want to end my life!
When you are suffering the most, Jesus and the bible always provides!!!
"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." (John 15:18)
And reading the rest of the passage just makes it all better.
"If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason." (John 15:19-25)
Thank you Jesus, you always provide, guide and help when I need you the most.
I'm not interested in this story book.
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