Folau also a victim of bigots
Hiding behind scripture to clobber gays
Now Brian Tamaki has come out in support of Israel Folau’s lashing out at ‘‘cry-baby gays’’, agreeing that the LGBTQ community is going to hell, adding: ‘‘Jesus didn’t apologise for offending people when speaking God’s word.’’
How glibly the conceit to be speaking for god falls from these men’s lips, and how selectively. Perhaps they deem it politically incorrect to over-emphasise that their beliefs consign the bulk of humanity to hell for being human. How quickly these men of colour forget slavery was also justified by reference to scripture.
Gays, however, have become the new Jews; for evangelicals the new thing to hate. Christians spent centuries persecuting and killing the Jews – all justified scripturally, the Jewish race being held collectively responsible for Christs death (Matt 27:25).
It was Christians who laid the foundation for the Nazi holocaust. Now fundamentalists are moving on to the next bug up their proverbial – homosexuals. Words matter. Putting aside the social purgatory Christians have tried to confine gays to for centuries, gay youths are overrepresented in suicide statistics. This fact alone would impel us to speak out following Folau’s words.
We are done being doormats to those who in their breathtaking arrogance think to criticise them is to criticise god, who tell us to ‘‘take it on the nose’’ when they would translate beliefs into persecution the moment they had the power to do so. Darren A Saunders Waltham
Harden up yourself, Israel
I was surprised to see Israel’s ‘‘cry baby’’ tweet and that he said that gays should harden up.
It’s funny, but I have yet to read a comment from a gay person. I have read a lot from gay supporters, but I have yet to hear a gay whinger, as he would have us believe. Maybe HE should harden up. I wonder what Australian rugby league player Ian Roberts would have to say to Israel.
And isn’t it time we stopped giving the likes of Falau and Tamaki air time to pedal their rubbish? Keith Moyes Belfast
The definition of a bigot is a person who is intolerant towards those with different opinions. Poor Israel Folua! He is the victim of bigotry.
I am a Christian atheist. I happen to believe that God is a woman and, without doubt, a Jew. I am sure Mr Folua disagrees. He is entitled to his opinion, as am I. If some are offended by this, so what! I am offended by virtue-signalling hypocrites every day, but no-one has the right not to be offended. Not so, say all the bigots who want Israel sacked, shut up and wiped from the map of the rugby world. He has just made a statement, one I believe is wrong, but he has not dumped on those whom he does not agree with. Pity they are not tolerant towards him. Paul Grainger Merivale
Let’s tolerate his anti-gay view
Yesterday’s editorial hit the crux of the matter with the line ‘‘there is surely room for all shades of opinion’’ (The Press, Apr 20). Reading through the mountain of comment on this issue I cannot help but think very few get that. Fundamentally this issue is about tolerance and freedom of speech. Our discussions would be much improved if we remembered two crucial factors: There will always be others with beliefs we abhor. That will not stop. And, possibly more importantly, tolerance does not require agreement. Duncan McEntee Woolston
He has a right to be silly
Why the fuss about Israel Folau’s condemning homosexuality? Looking like an idiot is punishment enough. Your editorial rightly calls his views ‘‘archaic’’, but they are archaic in two respects – intolerance of gays and belief in hellfire. Almost no-one believes this hell nonsense any more, so this reduces Folau’s comment to ‘‘I can’t stand gays’’. A silly view, but we are allowed to hold silly views. And if we can hold them, we can express them. By railing against gays, Folau has understandably invited fierce argument, but it shouldn’t keep him off the rugby field. Peter Joyce Stoke, Nelson
Rugby culture not ready yet
It is interesting that with several players belatedly jumping on the rainbow train to denounce Israel Folau that none of the statistically expected five of six players in NZ’s Super 15 squads have chosen to come out at the same time. Perhaps it’s not the threat of hell, but rather losing a contract that is keeping them quiet. Rugby NZ may have achieved a rainbow tick, but it seems the culture is not quite ready for an openly gay player just yet. Andy Murray Bryndwr
What’s the source?
No-one has asked this young man how he knows homosexuals will go to hell? I’d like to know. Ian Blissett Blenheim