A “Free Country” Outlawing Certain Prayers

The issue is “conversion”; that is, efforts to “convert” gays to heterosexuality.  Many jurisdictions, including in the United States, have passed laws forbidding psychological or medical treatments that try to achieve that.  In 2022, the state of Victoria in Australia extended that prohibition to include religious practices, including pastoral counseling and prayer.  Now the state of New South Wales has followed suit with an even more extreme attack against religious liberty.

Ben Johnson of the Washington Stand reports:

The government of the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) explains the newly enacted Conversion Practices Ban Act 2024 allows “prayer” or expression of any “religious belief” only if it is not “directed to changing or suppressing an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity.” The bill — which took effect last Friday, April 4 — bans any speech the government classifies as attempting to change someone’s LGBTQIA2S+ status, with a maximum penalty of “imprisonment for 5 years.”

Pastors and loved ones are prohibited from counseling or praying for a person with same-sex attraction even if that person asks them to!  “Presumably,” says Johnson, “the law would criminalize someone who said a word as short as ‘repent.'”

Here are some instructions from the government of New South Wales about what is now illegal:

What about prayer and the teaching of abstinence and celibacy?

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.

You can’t even teach celibacy?  But that discipline doesn’t overturn a person’s “sexuality.”  May the church still tell heterosexuals that they must stop being sexually active until they get married?  Now that the law allows for same-sex marriage, are homosexuals not to be held to the same standard?

Nevertheless, out of the generosity of the government of New South Wales, some religious activities will graciously be permitted:

What is not a conversion practice?

It is not a conversion practice to do any of the following providing there is no intention to change or suppress an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity:

• A religious leader preaching to or praying for their congregation
• A religious leader praying for or providing pastoral care for an individual
• A parent or guardian respectfully discussing sexuality or gender with their child – including offering advice and guidance or expressing a belief or religious principle
• A health practitioner providing supportive, affirming care.

What other practices are permitted?

The Conversion Practices Ban Act 2024 supports all people practising and enjoying their religion and faith. It allows individual views on sexuality and gender.

The following practices are not against the law in NSW:

Statements of belief

• Including statements of belief or principle about gender, sexuality, marriage, celibacy or homosexuality in documentation or on a website, as long as the statement is not targeted at an individual to change or suppress their sexual orientation or gender identity
• Discussing any of the above subjects in private or in general conversation, as long as the discussion is not targeted at an individual to change or suppress their sexual orientation or gender identity
• Delivering a sermon or other teaching to a group of people on any of those subjects, as long as the sermon is not targeted at an individual to change or suppress their sexual orientation or gender identity
• Discussing any of the above in study groups or other learning environments, as long as the discussion is not targeted at an individual to change or suppress their sexual orientation or gender identity
• Creating resources that support a faith’s position on any of those subjects.

So Christians will be allowed to believe what they see fit.  They just can’t apply it.  But evangelism requires bringing a person to repentance through the Law, whereupon the Gospel brings grace and forgiveness.  Will evangelists be expected to awaken people to their sins, but add a proviso that while fornication with someone of the opposite sex is a sin, fornication with someone of the same sex is not a sin?

Secularists assume that Christianity is just about morality.  But Christianity teaches that none of us are “moral,” but that we are all sinners.  “God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all” (Romans 11:32).

Just telling people that they are good just the way they are is not the Gospel.  That message, however well-intentioned, actually excludes people, keeping them from knowing God’s mercy through Christ.

Photo:  Prayer is Vital at Sydney Missionary Bible College via Flickr, CC BY 2.0