Why is Israel Folau obsessed with people’s sexuality? When did what other people do and whom they love become the business of a bloke who kicks a ball for a living? Stick to footy codes. Moral codes are above your pay grade. Even at $3 million.
The whole ‘Israel Folau Gays Can Burn in Hell and so can my Footy Career’ thing is nuts. For someone who professes to find gay people some sort of ‘abomination’, Israel Folau sure spends a lot of time focusing on them. I’d reckon it occupies most of his thinking space.
Doth he protest just a little too much? Has something stirred inside him that he can’t silence? I don’t follow football but I’ve seen enough games to observe that of all men’s sports it’s possibly the most homoerotic. Handsome buff men in tight shorts packed in a scrum face to butt. I mean, that’s serious man-on-man business. Lots of sweaty rough and tumble. Lots of macho male bonding. Crikey, they’re just a leather mask short of a Mardi Gras float.
Israel had the world at his feet but his belief in his right to be a Christian bigot saw it all disappear. Now he’s throwing a crowdfunded tantie. And guess what, even though he’s raised over $700k, he’s breached the rules of the platform, who issued a statement that says, ‘As a company we are absolutely committed to the fight for equality for LGBTIQ people and fostering an environment of inclusivity… we do not tolerate the promotion of discrimination or exclusion’. And so all the bigots get their money back.
On the upside, GoFundMe now has a list of homophobes and bigots they can supply as ‘persons of interest’. Folau and his followers have confused religious freedom with hate speech. So now poor ‘where’s my religious freedom to marginalise the gay community and inflict pain and abuse on a group that already has one of the highest suicide rates’ Folau is wanting to take his former employers to court for unfair dismissal. It’s the Folau Show (say it quickly three times).
He had a crack at crowdfunding his ‘right to hate’, which, as a value in itself, is surely the antithesis of christianity. Who exactly is Israel’s Christian God? He sounds like an arsehole. Definitely a man. I certainly don’t remember that God from my years of bible bashing. I was brought up Christian too and I don’t ever remember reading ‘gays will go to hell’ in the Bible. I do remember ‘Love thy neighbour’ and ‘Do unto others as they do to you’ and other fairly clear instructions when it comes to tolerance and social integration.
I really don’t think God is going to judge sexual orientation. Jesus was his own father. He was doing non-binary gender before it was even a thing. I don’t reckon he’d be judgey.
But there is a positive in this story. It belongs to Rugby. Years ago, Folau would probably have got a pat on the back from the other blokes for hating poofs. But not now. Rugby Australian and Folau’s teammates have made it known that they don’t support that kind of attitude; they have also made it known they are disgusted that he attempted to crowdfund cash that could have gone to sick kids.
There’s a GoFundMe campaign launched against Israel Folau by a disgruntled fan from the UK, who is raising money for Rainbow Laces to encourage tolerance and inclusivity across all sports.
On my Twitter feed I found another GoFundMe initiative by someone that was named ‘send gay photos to Israel Folau’. Ironically, the one journalist in Australia who’s become an ally in Folau’s very public fall from grace with Australian Rugby is Alan Jones, the man ABC journalist and author Chris Masters described as ‘… the hidden homosexual, forever hunting for love among the twentysomethings’. What strange ideological bedfellows those two are. In the words of Lewis Carroll, it just gets curiouser and curiouser.
Anyway, Israel, instead of stealing money from dying children to fight for your multi-million-dollar contract, maybe you should just accept your sacking as part of the divine plan. Let’s face it: God Loves Gays, and your sacking, well maybe that’s just ‘God’s will’.
Not so very long ago he was posing in a gay mag, blonde streaks and all, spruiking a gay rugby tournament https://www.facebook.com/522054104/posts/10157273634764105?s=522054104&sfns=mo
And don’t forget he married a netballer, too.
And also dont forget the time Folau modelled on the front of a gay mag!! – Big Boys & Their Balls! Wonder how much he got paid for that one… Maybe that could’ve paid for his legal aid…
https://www.bandt.com.au/media/big-boys-balls-time-israel-folau-starred-cover-gay-mag
‘Who exactly is Israel’s Christian God? He sounds like an arsehole. Definitely a man.’
Why is Folau’s God definitely a man Mandy?
I’m sure that $700k didn’t all come from men!
Also suggesting that Folau’s hatred towards homosexuality may be a form of internalised homophobia is simplistic and takes the focus away from the true problem here which is his (Mis)-understanding of Christianity and where that has come from.
He not only has a misunderstanding of Christianity. He also misunderstands that the majority of Australians voted to legalise same-sex marriage. Israel understood his contract for RA, he was warned about his social media posts before. He ignored all of this to push his own agenda.
Hypocritical Judas ? If Mr Folau was of the Muslim faith , worshiping as a iman !! Posted the Muslim faiths comments regarding homosexuality !! Employed by ARU …would their be the same reactions in Australia and worldwide?? One wonders !! And for the Record this will not even make the courts …. in my opinion…!! Have quite a few gay friends all over the world ..most were quite embarrassed by the attention given to them regarding the plebiscite …could not care less about marriage..just wanted to be left alone as loving partner’s …and could not agree more …lets face it heterosexual couples have lived together all their lives , and never given the thought of marriage ever ……its just a certificate they say …not big deal ..and who iam to argue that!!
What???? I don’t get what you’re saying. I don’t know if I get what I was saying. I’m so confused ??. What is the point of all this commenting!
Maybe you secretly want to be a man MANdy! That’s why you hate men 😉
Football Fool Folau can say what he likes – that’s his right – but with every right come responsibility and consequences. He doesn’t like the consequences and so, with his overworked sense of entitlement, he now expects others to bail him out.
Perhaps he should liquidate some of his $5.8M real estate portfolio and fund his own way out of the mess HE has created. Or maybe even get a real job. Tough!
And if he claims that the Bible condemns homosexuality, perhaps he ought also to read Leviticus 19:28, which says: “You must not put tattoo marking upon yourselves” (New American Standard version). Will Folau burn in Hell for his tatts?
Even Folau’s fellow holy roller Christian PM Morrison has declared that the matter has had enough air.
The trouble with fundamentalism is that it’s mostly fundament.
So true. In fact, Leviticus is diabolical all round. Not sure they meant tatts. But the question is as it has been for a while is are we allowed to be bigots, are we allowed to be men-haters, can we feel a little problem with sodomy, can we dislike someone because they can’t dance, can we argue a case against anything, with intelligence or even an element of idiocy, or have all these things been decided already, somewhere in a UN charter? Folau or not to folau.
Maybe I’m a little harsh on Leviticus, a lot of early husbandry for what it is worth, and 19 pretty clear governance whilst the celts were putting up stones.
Now we’re all back with Roman law. And Bacchus fluting. The talk of the forum, I guess why I like the Echo, as much as I hate it.
Good on you Mandy! Thank goodness for independent journalists like yourself who can analyse current events instead of republishing bigots’ opinions. It is refreshing! Hooray for supporting the Rainbow people!
don’t you just love belief systems ?? ha ! what are they anyway ? something you believe right ?
they are NOT something you know 🙂 or they would be called “knowledge systems” . right .
so a belief system is really just an , ” I don’t F%^king know system !! right
cause if you knew , it would be a knowledge system . right !!!
ALL “belief systems” are a cop-out , making your self sound important .
the ultimate SIN !!! self-righteousness !!! and yes to be an Atheist , is also a belief !!
you don’t know , no one knows if there is a god or not !! hahaaaa
Ahh, more words of wisdom from the high priestess of the green religion. This new religion has it,s own saints, aka Bob brown, has it,s own version of the apocalyptic ending of the world, has it,s message from those above, the “trusted scientist” has it,s own crusaders , it,s own holy water , { water mining is stealing our sacred water} and yes it,s own version of bigotry, just ask them what they think of anyone who fails to ” see the light” !! It even has it,s own version of the bible belt , we are in it,s heartland. It is the new religion , repent or forever burn in your new version of hell. Sound familiar , well of course , it,s the new religion of the 21st century and woe betide any infidels who don,t see the light. Of course this priestess of the new religion is getting her message straight from the all mighty. So when you see your own image looking back at you from the mirror of life, you see something that is ugly and repulsive because you see your own image. Bigotry is ugly however it appears Mandy.
Well said Mandy. I have always admired your courage to speak out and call a spade a spade. I also fully appreciate your talent as a writer. The world would be a much better place if people had the courage of their convictions I.e if good men and women ceased to remain silent. With regard to Folau theological scholars can not agree on a definition of religion. In fact what all people adhere to is simply a set of beliefs. We all have them. Imagine if we all had the freedom to publicly express them. It might well ignite a Third World War.
Right you are, Mandy. Usually I’d think of a jerk like this
as a troubled man who’d had a life full of putdowns &
such. This, apparently, is not so. Christian teaching just
won’t cover it either. And it appears his better half is all
for agreeing with him. Both are bigots… & if they feel
they are entitled to more dollars to cover his senseless
sacking there’s plenty of banks for a ‘rob job’. As well,
who in blazes are the dumb-nuts throwing ‘pieces of
silver’ at the fool! They are as warped as the Judas
Kisser no less. No bible’s gonna help this situation or
turn the tide or teach the ‘hate speech’ one to walk on
water. No Israel… you’re an over-inflated shit-kicker &
the LGBTIQ community are for-real human beings who
live, love, laugh & unfortunately cop your sick kind of
dribble on occasion. Rainbow Laces to be worn at All
Sports is their reply to your brainless slur. I’ll sign off
now before I become too vocal about the children you
could have financially helped just as the LGBTIQ does.
Insightful and witty as always Mandy. This issue really does need a sense of humour. What an absolute wanker. Israel breached his contract, they sacked him for doing so, he should take it like the big man he portrays himself to be. Invoking hatred is all he is doing concerning this issue. He should just shut up and go to church.
Does he have children? (His) God help him if any are G A Y . . . . . ! Totally agree with Vicki Evans – what an $#%#^$% he is. Shame, shame, shame.
“I really do think God is going to judge on sexual orientation”
Genesis 19 … have a read.
I think you are on the wrong track, Mandy. The Ten Commandments on which our laws are based lists things we should be aware of & avoid breathing. That is, if you are a Christian. Muslim too, I expect. Filofax was not castigating those he listed in his statement. He was considering them, asking them to ask forgiveness. Everyone has their interpretation of hell. I don’t believe in burning flames etc. my personal belief is the loss of being in the presence of God eternally, the torture of that loss. Anyway, why do people just pick out homosexuals? Are not the others on the list important? What is so special about homosexuals? They are the same as everyone else aren’t they. Why are they so sensitive? I have been discriminated my entire live because of my catholicity and I’m strong enough to withstand it. By the way, it is the homosexual act that the Bible speaks of, not the persons.
M.H. – “it is the homosexual act that the Bible speaks of”
Yup, a total of SIX times throughout the entire fairytale. However, there are many hundreds of biblical admonitions on heterosexuality.