Kerevi apologises for Easter post
Just days out from Israel Folau’s Code of Conduct hearing, it has emerged that his Wallaby team-mate Samu Kerevi felt obliged to apologise for sharing his religious beliefs over the Easter weekend.
The Queensland Reds captain and the frontrunner to wear the No 12 jersey for the Wallabies in 2019 thanked Jesus for “dying on the cross for me” on Christianity’s Holy Thursday. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” “John 3:16
“Thank You Jesus for dying on the cross for me. I love you Jesus #AO1,” Kerevi wrote underneath a photo of him playing for the Reds on an Instagram post.
But in the days after the post, Kerevi posted a story on Instagram apologising if he’d offended anyone by expressing his religious beliefs. “I apologise to anyone that I have offended in giving praise to our God on a weekend that we take off to celebrate his Sacrifice for you and I,” Kerevi wrote.
“I will always give praise to Him. “To the media, it’s all love brothers & sisters, God Bless and enjoy your weekend.”
The story on Instagram came after he responded to a number of Instagram users, who questioned whether he would be stood down— like Folau — for sharing his religious beliefs.
“It’s okay my man haha. Leaving my life and career in God’s hand. God bless bro.”
He also said defended God “as loving” after one user described God as “a completely homosexual man”. Kerevi’s apology came just over a week after Folau was stood down for his religious-based social media post where he said that homosexuals, among others, would go to Hell unless they repented.
Folau’s shared post came just over a year after being embroiled in a similar controversy, where he was later warned that his religious-based quotes were hurtful to sections of the community and damaging the code’s inclusive nature.
Kerevi was one of a number of current Australian rugby players that liked Folau’s recent post.
On Saturday, Folau will face a Rugby Australia Code of Conduct hearing after challenging the governing body’s termination breach notice for his social media activity. -