“The removal of these provisions raises the potential of discrimination claims being made merely on the basis of what is taught in a faith-based school.” – Email from the Christian Schools Alliance
At around 5am this morning the federal House of Representatives voted to strip Christian schools of the freedom to teach children the truth about gender and Christian sexual ethics.
You won’t read that in the media, but that is what happened.
If these amendments to the Government’s Religious Discrimination Bill pass the Senate, schools could be hauled before government tribunals and commissions and fined.
Parents will no longer have the right to educate their children in their values.
One of the main aims of the four-year post same sex marriage religious freedom review and legislation was to protect these freedoms.
It has backfired thanks to the votes of five Liberal MPs who crossed the floor to side with the Greens, Labor and the left-wing independents.
Activists, with their friends in the media, hi-jacked the agenda and framed Christian schools as heartless and bigoted places where gay and transgender children are marginalised and expelled.
Nothing could be further from the truth but that has never mattered in rainbow politics.
Sadly, virtually no politicians have had the courage to take on this narrative and counter it in public.
The silence of Christian and conservative politicians and Christian leaders means the traffic is all one way, the public only hear one side.
The Prime Minister siding with the false narrative of rainbow activists has not helped.
The Morrison Government’s already weak Religious Discrimination Bill is likely to be rendered almost meaningless after the Senate is finished with it today.
Here’s how the Christian Schools Alliance described what happened this morning in its email to ValuEd supporters.
In the wee small hours of this morning the House of Representatives passed the Religious Discrimination Bill and rejected the Opposition and Greens amendments to that Bill.
However, amendments by the member for Mayo, Rebekha Sharkie, in the same form as those proposed by the Opposition, were passed in a related bill after Liberals, Bridget Archer, David Sharma, Trent Zimmerman, Katie Allen and Fiona Martin crossed the floor to vote with the Opposition, Greens, and cross-bench MPs.
This amendment removes in its entirety section 38(3) of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984.
Described as protecting LGBTIQA+ students, the removal of this section mirrors what was proposed by the ‘Wong Bill’ (after Labor Senator Penny Wong) introduced in 2018, extensively reviewed at the time, and defeated by Parliament then.
The removal of these provisions raises the potential of discrimination claims being made merely on the basis of what is taught in a faith-based school. It also exposes schools to discrimination claims in relation to board appointments, inviting guest speakers and a range of other activities covered within the scope of the ‘provision of education’.
If a Christian school can’t teach Christian sexual ethics and appoint board members who believe and live them, it is no longer a Christian school.
Christian schools have been in the firing line since same-sex marriage was passed in late 2017.
Penny Wong’s first attempt was thwarted but the persistence of those who are intolerant of Christian sexual ethics and the science of gender has paid off.
Christian schools were the first sector targeted. It’s taken just four years to strip parents of the right to teach their kids according to their religious beliefs on sexuality and the science of gender.
Debate will continue in the Senate today where it is likely these amendments and further watering down of the bill will occur.
Faithful Christian schools and courageous parent communities will become political dissidents, risking fines and possibly jail.
If anyone thinks churches will not be next, they have not been paying attention.
While things look grim, in politics it is not over until it is over.
The Christian Schools Alliance is urging people to urgently take the following action:
All South Australians to contact Senators Patrick and Griff today –
Senator Rex Patrick
Email: [email protected]
Electoral Office: (08) 8232 1144
Parliamentary Office: (02) 6277 3785
Senator Stirling Griff
Email: [email protected]
Electoral Office: (08) 8272 7575
Parliamentary Office: (02) 6277 3128
All Queenslanders should contact Senators Hanson and Roberts today –
Senator Pauline Hanson
Email: [email protected]
Electoral Office: (07) 3221 7644
Parliamentary Office: (02) 6277 3184
Senator Malcolm Roberts
Email: [email protected]
Electoral Office: (07) 3221 9099
Parliamentary Office: (02) 6277 3694
Tasmanians should contact Senator Lambie –
Senator Jacqui Lambie
Email: [email protected]
Electoral Office: (03) 6431 3112
Parliamentary Office: (02) 6277 3614
We are wanting these Senators to:
Support the Religious Discrimination Bill 2021 as amended by the Government amendments
Oppose the amended Human Rights Legislation Amendment Bill 2021 that has been amended to mirror the ‘Wong Bill’ they rejected at the end of 2018 and early 2019.
Please continue to pray for our nation.
Lyle Shelton is Director of Campaigns and Communication for the Christian Democratic Party. A former managing director of the Australian Christian Lobby, Lyle was a spokesperson for and director of the Coalition for Marriage during the same-sex marriage plebiscite. He graduated from a Christian school and his four children attended Christian schools. To keep in touch with Lyle's political commentary, sign up here.