“The first thing that a totalitarian regime tries to do is to get at the children, to distance them from the subversive, varied influences of their families, and indoctrinate them in their rulers’ view of the world.”
Those words were penned by five judges of the United Kingdom Supreme Court in 2016.
It is astonishing that they felt the need to use such language about a law which had passed the Scottish Parliament. That is, a democratic government with a great pedigree of freedom – not, in fact, a totalitarian regime.
But as our culture changes, I fear that the temptation to reach into family life and get at kids is too great for some to resist.
Cultural Marxism is bent on removing every trace of inequality and oppression – not just overt, institutional examples, but also the subtle and benign. Think traditional family structures in children’s story books, the statement of certain beliefs which are “harmful” to so-called oppressed minorities, oppressive language like “ladies and gentlemen”, preventing public debate around same-sex marriage… The examples of political correctness coming out of this movement border on the absurd.
But what happens once they get wind of the fact that some of the bigots have children?
The crusade against inequality does not stop at the door of the family home.
Professor Gillian Triggs, our former Human Rights Commissioner, once lamented, “Sadly you can say what you like around the kitchen table at home.”
There are dark corners of society – families – which are free to speak bigotry and incubate little bigots without consequence.
Plenty of people believe that, and they want to stop it.
That is why a Christian Western Australian couple were recently denied the opportunity to become foster parents. Their Christian beliefs about human sexuality would make it “unsafe” to place children in their care.
The most alarming local example of this totalitarian impulse comes from the Australian Labor Party.
Their current national platform – the suite of policies which will become law if they are elected to government – states a desire to outlaw “LGBTI Conversion Therapy.”
It is an Orwellian phrase. It evokes images of electric shock treatments, bizarre rituals, and abuse.
But the policy statement begins by saying that mere claims about the possibility of a changed gender identity or sexual orientation are false, harmful, and should not continue to be made.
That is rather a problem for the Christian gospel… The Apostle Paul has already breached this proposed suite of laws in 1 Corinthians 6 (quoted below).
Are we going to ban the Bible? Or Christian preaching on the very nature of the gospel itself – that radical, “new creation” change comes to a person who is in Christ? Change that trains us to “renounce ungodliness” and “live self-controlled, godly lives” (Titus 2:12)? What about the scores of people who have known changed sexual desires or gender identities by experience?
Walt Heyer, our visiting speaker from the USA and a former transgender, would certainly have much of his experience censored.
Worryingly, the ALP policy goes on to specifically single out the activities of “religious groups” and “circles” in which “anti-LGBTI prejudices” may affect individuals or families.
The truth is that under this ideology, someone’s subjective feelings about their sexuality or gender cannot be questioned, contradicted, counselled, or changed – even if the person were to desire help to change.
If Harry goes to school and is confused by a mind-bending teaching resource like the Gender Unicorn, he may think he is a girl. Perhaps he played with a barbie doll for a while and doesn’t like rough sports. Say he then went to the school counsellor who suggested Harry might want to undergo a social transition – dress like a girl at school, be called “she” by his peers, use the girls bathrooms, and perhaps even wear lipstick. The next discussion will be about puberty blockers, because Harry is already 12.
If mum or dad try to delay such actions by Harry, believing he is likely in the 90-odd percent of children who naturally grow out of these feelings, then they could well be guilty of “conversion therapy.”
The ALP policy states that this will be deemed “serious psychological abuse” and “when suffered within the family, as domestic violence against the child.”
The same would be true of Sally, if guest-presenters visiting her all-girls school spoke about human sexuality and she then assumed her 14-year-old best buddy was actually her lesbian girlfriend.
Can dad or mum do anything? Or is that “gay conversion therapy”? Can they even say anything?
It is worth noting that schools must report domestic violence against children to the authorities. I am sure the school counsellor would know all about it.
If an amendment proposed at this years’ ALP National Conference passes, all these actions will also be criminalised.
I hate to say it, but if these proposed laws see the light of day, children will be removed from Christian parents. Worse – Christians won’t be fit to parent unless they submit to the State’s teaching on sexuality and gender. Christian parents will become criminals and psychological and domestic abusers.
The same fate will befall parents from a myriad of other faiths and cultural minorities.
Meanwhile, counsellors, academics, doctors, therapists and even pastors with traditional beliefs about sexuality and gender will not be able to help anyone in these crucial areas of their lives.
And maybe worst of all, another vital part of the Christian gospel will be both taboo and illegal.
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous… has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. (Ephesians 5:5-8)
ACL will soon be speaking out against these Orwellian policies – stay tuned for our campaign and please participate. Much is at stake
