political correctness | Grace and Truth

June 22, 2019
by GraceandTruth Leave a comment

The Media is Missing the Point of Israel Folau’s GoFundMe Page

Once again the media and the elites are missing the point of the Israel Folau case, and in particular, his GoFundMe page.

Honestly you would think they would have learnt something from the “shock” result of the recent Australian election…

Israel Folau’s case has become huge in Australia. An extremely talented rugby player, Folau was recently sacked by Rugby Australia for posting this on his personal Instagram account :

His refusal to take it down at their behest led to him being sacked and having his $4million contract torn up. Many believe that Rugby Australia’s sacking of Folau was in large part due to the placating of their biggest sponsor, Qantas, which is run by gay activist CEO, Alan Joyce.

Now Folau has announced he will take his sacking to the Fair Work Commission and a couple of days ago started a GoFundMe page to raise the money to fight his legal battle.

The media’s unrelenting bias against Folau is obvious to anyone who has been following his case. To date I have not seen one article that has not been skewed against him. And of course the elites are Tweeting in condemnation of his recent donation request, branding it “sickening”, ”hypocrisy” and that we “should be ashamed” of ourselves for donating to his cause.

Yet… it seems like no one is really listening. Their constant stream of vitriol against him has the tinge of desperation to it as his GoFundMe fund grows by the minute.

This case is now taking on a life of its own and they can do nothing to stop it. And boy do they hate that.

The GoFundMe page is a stroke of brilliance in Folau’s case. Of course, he has every right to start one up, just as everybody has the right not to donate to it if they don’t want to. But as his fund continues to grow, it bears witness to the silent Australian who, compared to the media, has no voice. We are a laid-back people and it takes a lot to get us in to the streets protesting. But, just like in the recent election, this is one way we can make our voices heard. I think Israel’s case has crossed a line for many people, including non-Christians. For if a man can lose his job and his livelihood for expressing his personal beliefs, what does that mean for the rest of us? Where will this lead?

So for us Aussies, as we give to Folau’s fund, we are saying something to the media and the elites who for too long have been telling us how we ought to think.

We are saying stop misrepresenting what is really going on, and to back off from our personal freedoms. We are saying we care about the freedom of religion and the freedom to express it. We are using this to protest the growing fanaticism of political correctness in this country.

To those of us who care about personal freedom, Israel Folau’s case has become something of a symbol for the fight for freedom from the tyranny of the media, the LGBT mafia and the virtue signalling of the Left of politics. In fact Israel now is becoming something of a champion or standard-bearer, if you will, for freedom of speech.

To prove my point here are some of the names people are using to donate to Folau’s fund :

Freedom Speech

William Wallace

Media blatantly doing everything they can to sabotage Izzy #media is a joke

Religious Freedom

Media is Clueless not Folau

I don’t care if Israel Folau is a billionaire. This is all our fight. With my hard earned $50 I stand.

So, and this is the brilliance of it all, as the media and the elites try every angle and manipulation in their articles and tweets in an attempt to stop the juggernaut that has become his GoFundMe page, it is only serving to highlight and compound the reason for the necessity for this fight in the first place.

And silently the fund grows.

So keep going media, keep on Tweeting celebrities, keep attacking Israel! Because it seems there is no better way to keep the donations rolling in.

So far his fund is at $541,485.00

https://au.gofundme.com/israel-folau-legal-action-fund

April 15, 2019
by GraceandTruth 7 Comments

Israel Folau, Political Correctness & Nebuchadnezzar

What has Israel (Izzy) Folau done wrong?

He’s gone up against the spirit of this age. He’s broken the rules of the religion of political correctness by telling the truth. In doing so he’s exposed that “tolerance” is only tolerant of it’s own.

Now he must either recant and bow down to the god of this age or he must pay The Price. And he must be seen to pay the price to deter any others from trying to challenge this god.

It’s the new statue of Nebuchadnezzar. Bow down when the music plays, dance to our tune, or be thrown in to the fire.

And he is being thrown in to the fire. People are literally saying to him “your career is in tatters, where is your God to help you now?”

Thrown to the fire by the public, thrown to the fire by the Christian leaders… Our Christian PM has issued a carefully worded statement about being sensitive to others. Neither has Brian Houston (head of the biggest church in Australia Hillsong), supported his persecuted brother. Rather Houston openly condemned Izzy on Twitter, then deleted his comment and has written a more sugar-coated condemnation of him for a left-leaning publication.

To me, it comes down to this: who are we sold out for? Izzy is sold out for Jesus, to the detriment of his career and a $4 million contract. Sadly it seems our Christian leaders sold out to this world long ago.

Meanwhile as the world chants for Izzy to be thrown to the fire, the great cathedral of Notre Dame burns…

February 20, 2019
by GraceandTruth Leave a comment

The West’s New Clothes – Adapted from the Emperor’s New Clothes

Emperor West was a vain man. He was always shopping and buying new clothes. As soon as he’d get back to his palace he would race into his dressing-chamber and take selfies of himself in his new outfits. In fact, he’d spend so much time congratulating himself on how many likes he got on Facebook that the actual running of the kingdom was neglected! For instance, the army was usually in disarray and the kingdom was constantly at threat by their enemies.

One day when the Emperor was just about to upload a particularly flattering video to his Instagram story, two con-men came up to the palace. They’d heard that the Emperor was vain and spoilt and thought they could probably swindle this guy prettily easily.

And they were right. All they had to do was exploit the Emperor’s pride in order to deceive him into believing that they could make him look even more gorgeous, and thus more admired, in their magic outfit that they would tailor for him. There was one amazing thing about these clothes: they had a magic thread that was invisible to the stupid or to those unfit for office.

Emperor West was captivated. With these clothes he would be able to deduce who of his courtiers, officers and ministers around him were foolish or unfit for their job. That would save him from having to use his brain with the added bonus of giving him more time to check-out those new filters on Instagram he’d just discovered.

As the con-men began to “work” on the Emperor’s New Clothes the Emperor would send his ministers in one by one to check on their progress. And one by one the ministers were faced with the same conundrum: none of them could actually see the clothes or the threads. In fact to them it looked as if the “tailors” were actually making a big, fat lie!

But the Emperor was waiting for their report. What were they to do? Do they report what they actually saw and face being denounced as “stupid” and potentially lose their job? Or do they go along with it? I mean, maybe they were stupid and everyone else could actually see the threads! Was it just them? Because Minister Man-Pleaser had reported yesterday that the outfit was beautiful. Perhaps if they had done that doctorate at university like he had they too would be able to see them…

The pressure was huge. To say what the Emperor expected them to say… To say what everyone else had said… to not be thought of as less intelligent than the other Ministers…. To not be called names, or lose their reputation, their standing, their position… to go along with the New Clothes.

And so that’s what they did, one by one. Each reported back to the Emperor that the outfit was taking shape nicely, the threads were exquisite, the design more beautiful than anything they’d seen. And with each new report, the pressure mounted for each successive minister sent in to inspect the clothes.

Meanwhile the news of the Emperor’s New Clothes was fast spreading around the Kingdom. This was encouraged by the Emperor himself who wanted to garner as much admiration for himself as possible from his loyal subjects. After all the latest poll was due any day now and, since he had eradicated the need for government policies to be based on any objective morality long ago, the polls had become the ultimate point-of-reference for his government. So important were these New Clothes that when he finally put them on for the first time not even a live feed would suffice – no, for this there would be a PARADE.

And so with the ministers boasting to their families and friends about how they had seen the Emperor’s New Clothes taking shape themselves, the media promoting them and celebrities tweeting and even writing songs about the New Clothes, a veritable frenzy ensued and the people were primed and ready to receive the Emperor with his New Clothes.

(It must be added that there was the constant sub-current reminder to the kingdom’s subjects that ONLY the intelligent and competent were able to see the Emperor’s New Clothes. Occasionally a nay-sayer would pipe up with a disparate opinion but that one was suitably shouted down by the crowd, and even a few celebrities, using a few choice words such as “ignorant” and “bigot”, much to the Emperor’s satisfaction.)

In fact the Emperor was sometimes a little taken aback himself by the strength of force levelled at those few dissenters, but it suited his purpose well enough and so he told himself that if at times it seemed a little malicious, the end justifies the means.

Finally the day of the parade dawned and the Emperor woke up bright and early. As his courtiers ushered in the con-men tailors the king was shocked. He could not see any New Clothes at all in the arms of the tailors. But as they “dressed” him in the light, silken cloth and flattered his ego the Emperor West decided it was too late to turn back now. Even though he couldn’t see the clothes himself he was darned if he was going to disappoint the crowds of loyal subjects lining the streets to see him.

Proud as peacock the Emperor began his parade. The crowds most satisfyingly ooohed and aaahed at his splendid New Clothes. They commented to their neighbours on the fabric, the design and the colours, each one outdoing the rest in their admiration of the New Clothes.

Suddenly a 9 year old boy giggled. And snorted. And then pointed at the passing Emperor.

“He’s not wearing any clothes!” He called out laughing. His sister also started to laugh.

There was silence.

That wasn’t meant to be said.

But it was too late to un-say it.

From the back of the crowd two men in suits and sunglasses emerged and made their way to the 9 year old boy and his family. There was some talking in low voices between the men and the boy’s parents. While the crowd looked on the parents at first seemed to resist but then the family of four went with the men. After a few moments the crowd filled in the hole where the family had been and the Emperor continued his parade. The cheers began again and the crowd congratulated themselves in the knowledge that they were progressive.

The next week a new decree was issued from Emperor West’s palace that far and wide the kingdom’s schools would be introducing new methods of education for the kingdom’s children. Everyone agreed that the new books being written, new songs to teach the children and even new teachers were a good idea and ultimately in the kingdom’s best interest.

THE END

Adapted from Hans Christian Andersen’s story “The Emperor’s New Clothes”

By Belinda Thorne

July 18, 2016
by GraceandTruth 8 Comments

Little Children : the Victims of Political Correctness

Little children deliberately crushed in the streets of France by a truck driven by an Islamic terrorist and still our leaders and media spew forth leftist social platitudes and political correctness! Kids, think about it, children killed in another Islamic terrorist attack and STILL our leaders will NOT use the words “Islam(ic)” or “Muslim”. Poor kids, they deserve better than that. How many more of our kids will be laid on the altar of political correctness before anyone actually does anything?

The French Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, actually said:

“Times have changed and we should learn to live with terrorism.”

Really? That’s what it’s come to now?

Just give up and learn to live with terrorism, oh people of the West. Just give up and learn to live without your little child who was crushed in the street oh Mum and Dad.

It sounds to me like surrender. (I wonder what it sounds like to a potential jihadist?)

And surrender of course it is.

How do we fight a war that we cannot admit even exists?

How do we face up to the threat posed by Islam if we cannot admit the motivation behind these attacks in the first place?

You know the standard line we hear after every single terrorist attack: “police are searching for a possible motive…”; “He was possibly gay”; “His marriage broke up and he was depressed” …Hmmm, what could possibly be the motivation…? Here’s a clue : the Nice terrorists’ name is Muhammed Lagouaiej Bouhlel and he screamed “Allahu Akbar!” whilst driving into the crowd.

Every time someone actually drops the politically correct charade for a moment and admits the truth of the fact that Islam is NOT a religion of peace, they are apparently “playing right into the hands of the rhetoric of Isis”.

Well newsflash:

An act of war is declared when little children are crushed on our city streets by a truck!

I am sorry but the hash tags just don’t cut it anymore.

#JeSuisCharlie didn’t stop Islamic extremists from killing again in Paris, or in Nice.

#JeSuisNice wont stop the next one either.

But of course, France was surrendered, or rather betrayed, long ago by its leaders.

“Europe has become Eurabia as a result of France and Germany’s bargain with the devil as far back as the days of the 1974 OPEC oil embargo. In order to keep the flow of oil, agreements were made with the Arabs, which always included provision for mass immigration of North African and Arab populations into Europe. French leadership even allowed for the incorporation of Arab educational standards for French schools particularly in teaching of the Crusades, Islam and the Holocaust.” (Pastor Bill Randles, The Greatest Betrayal Ever Seen..France/Europe)

The Islamists/jihadists/terrorists know that France, and in fact, Europe, are toothless tigers. Of course France and Europe will condemn these acts and speak very harshly against them. But that’s it. After all, they need oil.

It reminds me of what happened in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea by the Russians – NATO spoke very harshly against it. They condemned it. But that was it. Because Russia is one of the EU’s largest suppliers of energy .

So once again we are forced to endure the nauseating calls for tolerance, unity and love.

A local reader of The Age newspaper put it very well:

“There is something soothing in Paul McGeough’s declaration of Western impotence on terrorism (“Nice attack: There’s little leaders can do about the carnage”, 15/7, The Age). We are reassured by the thought of our inaction being validated. Similarly the “lone wolf” narrative helps us deal with our disbelief at any concerted attempt to kill innocents, or in any need for reform within radical Islamism. After all, “it’s just a mad man” and “who are we to criticise other cultures?”

If we delude ourselves into believing this, then we guarantee a soul numbing pattern of death and terror. Almost by definition, there is no hope of a decline in terror without an abandonment of this despondently apathetic outlook and cowardly refusal to confront the growing contradictions of our “tolerant even of intolerance” society.”

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus!

October 26, 2015
by GraceandTruth 2 Comments

The Root and Fruit of Humanism & Political Correctness

The news over the last few weeks of September was full of events with potentially major implications: the Pope’s visit to the US, Russia’s involvement in Syria, developments at the UN including the promotion of the Palestinian issue and even the last of the series of “blood” moons. But, here in Australia, two prominent news items during the first few days of October drew my attention and struck me as particularly significant. They were an anti-abortion “activist” from America denied entry to Australia while the other centred on all the hype surrounding the Australian Rules football finals.

The Fruit:

So why does the denial of an anti-abortion “activist” to enter Australia strike me as significant? The answer is simply that Australia is supposed to be a democratic country where freedom of expression is valued. In this case the politically correct machine sprang into operation to deny the activist entry. On TV an MP from Labour’s ranks explained that the authorities had been alerted to deny the man entry because a mature and sensible debate on the issue of abortion has been held and she more or less implied that, not only was the matter settled, but further discussion or other points of view, were not in the country’s interest. A similar situation arose a few months back when someone from the US wanted to put forward an argument against some of the mandatory vaccinations given to babies and young children. In that instance the medical fraternity sprang into action and the person was denied entry to Australia.

What about the Australian footy finals? Certainly in the state of Victoria, where the game was invented, there was a great build up to the finals with other news virtually taking a back seat. There was even the ridiculous and unnecessary action by the state government in declaring Friday 2nd, the day before the game, a public holiday! Apart from disrupting business, one wonders how it was supposed to benefit the players or fans for the game the next day – let alone the whole state of Victoria!

These two events are undoubtedly a product of current humanistic thinking and its offshoot, political correctness.

The Root:

What is humanism and where did it originate? My Little Oxford Dictionary answers the first part of the question by explaining that humanism is a “non-religious philosophy based on liberal human values”. I agree with the explanation that it is a philosophy based on liberal human values but challenge the idea that it is non-religious since it is clearly anti-God, especially our Judeo/Christian God, and has a “religious” life of its own. As to the second part of the question, we find that the origins of humanism, as we see it practised in the modern world today, can easily be traced back to the thoughts and practices of ancient Greece. So let us briefly look at some of the ideas put forward by those ancient philosophers and look at how their society behaved to see if any of it applies to us today. We will not only see that there are direct similarities between the two but will also get an idea of the future direction modern society is likely to take.

Firstly, the Greeks idolised the human mind. For instance, Aristotle’s concept of God was a perfect mind contemplating itself, because nothing less was worthy of its contemplation. Out of this the philosophy of rationalism developed: everything is rational but also relative so there is no absolute truth and man can do it his way. In order to enable people to function freely and without conflict the Greek philosophers came up with the idea of “democracy”. Today we see democracy promoted as the answer to a nation’s problems. It has been said of democracy that it is a bad system but is the best we have! Unfortunately modern democracy has developed further into the idea of a “collective will” which brokers no other points of view. It is also one controlled and manipulated by a few: as we see happening already. All of this of course opens the way for the appearance of a global dictator.

Next, and in addition to rationalism, was the emphasis on athletic contests, especially their games in Olympia, from which the modern Olympic Games are derived. The Greeks idolised athletic ability. I hardly need to point out the similarities we have today with the huge emphasis on sport: the most widely watched TV programmes are sports events, many of which are direct international events.

When it came to morality, the ancient Greeks were a pretty dissolute lot. The Greeks did not hold marriage in high regard. The relationship between a man and a woman was regarded as inferior to a homosexual relationship between two men which was seen to be more intellectually fulfilling. Even their art forms usually favoured the male body, often naked. Worse still, the Greek gods showed little in the way of moral guidance, displaying the basest of mankind’s failings: lust, immorality, vindictiveness, deception and more. And so mankind was left free to do his own thing and aspire to be his own god!

Conclusion

It is evident that ancient Greek thinking and practices have had an enormous influence on our society today and are everywhere evident in it where we see:

An open and deliberate rejection of God’s righteous and moral laws.
Carried to its ultimate conclusion humanism will believe anything but the truth.
The exultation of man will make way for the Antichrist, whose name is the number of man (Rev 13:18), who proclaims himself as God.
He (Antichrist) will have dominion over all who refuse the love of truth.
For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie.

In this situation, as Christians, we are outnumbered and seemingly unable to halt the breakdown of moral values in our society but we do have one mighty weapon; prayer. It is indeed a difficult time, often depressing, but we can take heart that we have God to turn to. There is no doubt that the situation is going to become considerably worse, and quickly, but I believe that we can come out victorious, not through our own strength but with God’s help and by remaining faithful to Him always seeking truth.

Chris, from our fellowship, has an interest in Bible prophecy and from time to time will share his views with us on current events and Bible prophecy.