Legislation known as the Conversion Practices Ban Act 2024 became law in the Australian state of New South Wales on April 4, raising alarm among Christians.
(LifeSiteNews) — Christians in Sydney and throughout the rest of New South Wales (NSW), Australia, could now face five years in prison and fines of up to $100,000 for offering counseling to or praying for “LGBTQA” individuals, even if they say their same-sex attraction or gender confusion is unwanted.
On April 4, legislation known as the Conversion Practices Ban Act 2024 became law, raising alarm among Christians who by merely explaining the Good News of Jesus’ power to heal, the immutable definition of marriage, or timeless truths about the complementarity of man and woman, risk being punished as criminals in NSW.
As such, this is a major step toward criminalizing Christianity and the fullness of the Gospel message in "the land down under."
While the NSW government has been careful to assert that the new law has no impact on religious freedom, that is a misleading statement. It will have an enormous chilling effect on non-woke, orthodox Christians who reject neo-Marxist identity politics and the teachings of affirmation-only religious denominations and sects.
Australian commentator Ben Davis described the new law introduced by the NSW government as modern “LGBTQA apostasy laws.”
“What are we, China?” asked fellow conservative commentator Evelyn Rae. "This is straight out of China. It criminalizes Christianity.”
“The state has literally become the arbiter of truth and authority and they are now deciding what Christianity is allowed to say and do,” she said, adding:
The LGBTQ community is just as much a religion as Christianity, because they’re taking a stance right now on what Christians can and can’t say. They’re taking a moral stance on sexuality and gender. They are just as much a religion as Christianity and the state has said, ‘You know what? That religion trumps Christianity.'
A video introducing the new law makes authoritative-sounding statements that are demonstrably untrue, declaring that “so-called conversion practices are deeply harmful, they don’t work, and they are damaging to the whole community,” and “it’s damaging to say that LGBTQA people should be fixed, and it’s inaccurate to say they can be healed.”
The NSW government goes so far as to overtly dismiss Christianity as nothing more than a “harmful ideology when it comes to homosexuality or transgenderism: “Beyond legal protections, we all have a role to play in challenging harmful ideology.”
These government-sanctioned Brave New World-like proclamations have been proven false time and again by countless individuals over the years.
The law, while attempting to present itself as tolerant of Christianity, is nonetheless explicit in its attack on not only Christianity, but on easily observable natural law:
The Conversion Practices Ban Act 2024 does not prohibit prayer. However, praying with or over a person with the intent to change or suppress their sexuality or gender identify is unlawful. It is unlawful even if that person has asked you to pray for them to be able to change or suppress their sexuality or gender identity.General comments about celibacy and abstinence in broad statements of belief are not unlawful. However, telling a person in a same-sex relationship that they must stop being sexually active and become celibate could be regarded as suppressing a person's sexuality and may be unlawful, depending on the circumstances.
Similarly, telling an LGBTQA person that they should remain celibate and never marry or have a sexual relationship with a person of the same sex, could be regarded as suppressing a person's sexuality and may be unlawful, depending on the circumstances.
Healthcare professionals and counselors are limited to solely providing “affirming care to members of the LGBTQA community across NSW,” and are sternly warned "to act within legal, professional and ethical standards” as outlined by the new law.
Ironically, “LGBTQA individuals” are to be encouraged to live “authentically” and with “pride,” while rejecting the authentic nature of their manhood and womanhood.
“The NSW Government encourages individuals to ‘come out’ and ‘proudly’ identify with the LGBTQA community,” explained Davis. “But if, after some time, someone realises it’s not for them - if they discover they were as uncertain about being LGBTQA as others are about being straight - they’re effectively abandoned. Don’t ask for help. You likely won’t find any.”
“The Church’s core business is discipleship – bringing people out of darkness and into the kingdom of Christ,” a pastor told Caldron Pool. “Discipleship is therefore always about suppression and conversion, and this means the suppression and conversion of all desires and thoughts that are opposed to Christ’s kingdom.”
“Sex and gender do not sit in some protected category, and therefore no faithful Christian or minister can in good conscience abide by these laws,” said the pastor.
