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Eamonn Tiernan
AAP
November 18, 2019 5:53AM
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has called Israel Folau "reprehensible" after the sacked Wallabies star claimed bushfires crippling Australia were God's punishment for legalising abortion and same-sex marriage.
Dumped by Rugby Australia after claiming homosexuals would go to hell, Folau has doubled down in a video sermon posted to the Truth of Jesus Christ Church Sydney.
"His comments are in line with some of his other comments which are pretty reprehensible," Mr Albanese told Sky News on Monday.
"It would good if people thought before they spoke. These comments certainly won't bring anything positive or constructive to the debate.
"Mr Folau has a history of making provocative comments. He's entitled to his view but it's also incumbent upon people who have a bit of common-sense here to reject those comments."
Nationals backbencher Barnaby Joyce said it was pointless to engage with Folau.
“He throws rocks at us so he feels good, we throw rocks back at him so we feel good ... but not one of those actions is making a sandwich for a person fighting the fires,” he told the Seven Network on Monday.
“Not one of those actions is actually in a fire truck trying to stop these fires. Israel can concentrate on what he wants to say and I don’t really care and we’ll concentrate on the fire.”
During the 10-minute recording, Folau said the timing of the bushfire crisis, which has left six Australians dead, was no coincidence, but only a taste of God’s judgment.
“I’ve been looking around at the events that’s been happening in Australia, this past couple of weeks, with all the natural disasters, the bushfires and the droughts,” he said.
Folau then linked a Bible passage to the twin disasters of bushfire and drought and, in turn, the legalising of same-sex marriage and abortion.
“The events that have happened here in Australia, in the last couple of years - God’s word says for a man and a woman to be together ... they’ve come and changed this law,” he said.
“Abortion, it’s okay now to murder, kill infants, unborn children.”
Folau said he believed the scripture was talking to Australia.
“Look how rapid these bushfires these droughts, all these things have come in a short period of time. Do you think it’s a coincidence or not?“
“God is speaking to you guys. Australia you need to repent and take these laws and turn it back to what is right.”
The controversy which saw Folau’s $4 million contract torn up in April was the dual international’s second run-in with Rugby Australia after being reprimanded for a similar social media post in 2018.
https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/bus...ng-b881384949z
80 Minutes, 15 Positions, No Protection, Wanna Ruck?
Ruck Me, Maul Me, Make Me Scrum!
Education is Important, but Rugby is Importanter!
Barnaby Joyce loves Israel Folau for his comments because it takes the heat off of Barnaby for his own stupid comments last week.
Both have diluted the gene pool too.
Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby
And here I was thinking Trump was to blame for the bushfires.
Japan and the Pacific Islands for Aussie Super 9's!
Let's have one of these in WA! Click this link: Saitama Super Arena - New Perth Stadium?
I was watching a couple of documentaries on Canada and Alaska and both commentators could not resist sly kicks at Trump. One was because Trumps grandfather in 1900 owned a hotel than made money out of the gold rush. The other was because some oil company has applied to start an oilfield.
And another was a great British documentary on SBS on Julias Caesar.But they could not resist making several sly comparisons to Trumps hair style and use of Twitter etc.
Depends if he donated as a private individual or as chairman of the RA. If he donated as a private individual, out of his own money, I don't see what the issue is. If he donated the money as Chairman of the RA, from RA funds, that'd be inappropriate. He is allowed to have a private life while still holding a public office.
Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon
As a private donor but it gets murky as the donations were to the Qld branch and it was a Qld Senator who was obfuscating during the Senate Inquiry. Clayton Utz have also donated. I believe they are the RA’s go to lawyers.
Dick Marks in his article has had a go at the RA for becoming too political. If Clyne and Castle want to do that, do it on their own time away from Aus Rugby. Pocock fell in to that trap and it cost him a chance at the captaincy.
The bastard!
Hang him!