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The controversy over “Gayby Baby” is part of a paranoid persecution complex led by a few anti gay clergy.

It is abundantly clear that Reverend Powell is fighting a culture war, because in his mind, “acceptance” (of homosexuality) leads to persecution (of him)”.
Reverend Powell argues that he believes his right to “oppose homosexuality” is threatened.

“Opposition” for Reverend Powell, is not a private act of non participation, or personally being allowed to refrain from same sex relations, it means at some level, that he wants to see policies in place that have the effect of suppressing or limiting the kinds of things that other people are allowed to do. In this case specifically, it means that he doesn’t want the principal at Burwood High to show “Gayby Baby”, and he doesn’t want “Wear Purple Day”.

What Reverend Powell doesn’t seem to fully understand that after he exercises his freedom to oppose something, that other people can exercise their freedoms to point out that his views are absurd and uncharitable, and ridicule him for his views. Not listening to him, and laughing at him, is not a form of “persecution”. Mocking what he says is not limiting his freedoms.

What’s more, he doesn’t seem to understand that by refusing to make his religious opinions into laws, his religious freedom, is not being imposed upon.
Have a look at some of the back and forth between this religious leader, who, remember, is not merely speaking in his capacity as private citizen, but one who holds several positions of public trust. First, he’s the leader of a congregation, a position that society vests some intrinsic respect for, and second, he chairs the “school scripture board” for “Generate Ministries”. In his post, he is falsely claiming that walking under a “rainbow flag” imposes on his “religious freedom”. Is this at all true? No.

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So here we have the pastor of a congregation urging his congregation to take political action against the local school over their support of rainbow families.
The person in the exchange below, Josh Lum Mow, works as a “youth pastor” at his church, just in case anyone be confused as to the extent of the outrage among people not affiliated with Mark Powell’s church. They then discuss how to find parents to front this issue for them! No mention of the heaps and heaps of crying families who have supposedly put him up to this!

Interestingly Josh Lum Mow, seems to see how the film itself has educational value – but his boss Revend Powell has him focus on the coercion and peer pressure which follows from the event like nature of “celebrating” equality.

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Reverend Powell, then shifts to talk about how the bible speaks to his act of resistance against “wearing purple”!

Trigger Warning: Short Bible Lesson discussing being tossed into fire, and other old testament themes

Unpacking the story of Daniel 3, helps us understand how Reverend Powell is thinking about what is going on.

In this story from the Torah, Daniel’s companions Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to bow to King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue and are thrown into a fiery furnace by the angry king. The three followers of the God of Israel, however, are unharmed, because God not only protects them, he sends an angel to make sure that the King knows to respect his authority!

The appearance of the The angel, causes Nebuchadnezzar to institute some sweeping policy reforms in the Kingdom! He calls the three to come out of the fire, and blesses the God of Israel, and then passes a law that anyone who blasphemes against his new God should be torn limb from limb. (emphasis in the original).

So, while we’re still along way off from living in a constitutional democracy in terms of a governance model, you get the point. Reverend Powell feels that he’s like Shadrach, and the majority of Australians (who support equality for gay people) are like the despotic King Nebuchadnezzar!

Does everyone follow that?

This is an example of using the bible to convince yourself that being unpopular with your fellow citizens, is not being anti social, it is being virtuous! Because in Reverend Powell’s mind, despots (like the Rainbow Flag worshipers), need to be resisted.

Disregard what Carrie Bickmore says, if you have enough faith, God will show up to save you – from tyranny.

By understanding how Reverend Powell sees this issue, we can better understand how he isn’t open to persuasion, in his mind, his “opposition to homosexuality” is a sign that he loves God – and if that means walking into a furnace (or appearing on the Project oppose an “openly” gay MP), well so be it – it’s his ticket to greatness in God’s eyes.

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Another Presbyterian Minister, Michael Prodigalidad (what a name!), slaps him on the back!  Yes, I’m preaching on this too, he chimes!

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The religious nature of the opposition, however, really gets going when Carl Grande, yet another Minister, invokes Noah, saying to the effect, that it is hopeless, all they can do is, (wait for it), set up prayer groups “in schools” … and wait for Jesus to return – apparently this will really show these gayby babies a thing or two about who is king!

The best part of the conversation comes, though when a retired member of the congregation suggests that perhaps instead of just waiting for Jesus to return, that they “try to get the islamic community involved”. Take a second and wait for the cynicism of that strategy to wash over you.

Rainbow families, in this case are seen as a common enemy around which Islam and Christianity can find common purpose. The mind reels.

However, this plan to go find allies in the Islamic Community has one major flaw! There are no Mosques in Castle Hill!

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Sadly, though, there is one problem!  Reverend Powell laments that “the islamic community is fragmented and lacks a spokesman!” (ya think?)

It is really hard to imagine a more cynical and craven plot, than to hope that another persecuted minority group in AustraliaSadly, though, there is one problem!  Reverend Powell laments that “the islamic community is fragmented and lacks a spokesman!” (ya think?)

It is really hard to imagine a more cynical and craven plot, than to hope that another persecuted minority group in Australia, can be used as cannon fodder in your war against the rainbow menace!

The question that citizens in NSW should be asking is why we have a system in place which grants a person so addled by his religious persecution complex a franchise to teach these same views in our State Schools? Does Reverend Mark Powell evince the kind of thinking that would lead him to teach religion well or badly? From what he’s shown here, it sure looks as though he uses his position of pastoral care over others to incite them to view the bible as guiding them to oppose gay people – and rather than be led toward compassion, his reading of the bible is that everyone is out to get him.

NSW schools would be better off without a system that incentivised clergy, like Mark Powell, who use the bible to justify their sense of feeling persecuted, to hold court in our education system, after all, we don’t want to use the schools as platforms for political agendas … do we?

In this last the pastoral care offered by Reverend Powell, is to encourage his followers to console themselves by reading the writings published by a leading conservative American think tank, whom the Australian Christian Lobby recently brought to Australia! It seems to escape the Reverend to also recommend the writing of other leading conservative thinkers, like Ted Olson who defend gay marriage. For Reverend Powell, it seems that hearing both sides of the debate only means listening to what he has to say.

But then, when you imagine yourself in a fiery furnace, it helps to know you have God on your side., can be used as cannon fodder in your war against the rainbow menace!

The question that citizens in NSW should be asking is why we have a system in place which grants a person so addled by his religious persecution complex a franchise to teach these same views in our State Schools?  Does Reverend Mark Powell evince the kind of thinking that would lead him to teach religion well or badly?  From what he’s shown here, it sure looks as though he uses his position of pastoral care over others to incite them to view the bible as guiding them to oppose gay people – and rather than be led toward compassion, his reading of the bible is that everyone is out to get him.

NSW schools would be better off without a system that incentivised clergy, like Mark Powell, who use the bible to justify their sense of feeling persecuted, to hold court in our education system, after all, we don’t want to use the schools as platforms for political agendas … do we?

In this last the pastoral care offered by Reverend Powell, is to encourage his followers to console themselves by reading the writings published by a leading conservative American think tank, whom the Australian Christian Lobby recently brought to Australia!    It seems to escape the Reverend to also recommend the writing of other leading conservative thinkers, like Ted Olson who defend gay marriage.  For Reverend Powell, it seems that hearing both sides of the debate only means listening to what he has to say.

But then, when you imagine yourself in a fiery furnace, it helps to know you have God on your side.

 

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