South Australian Greens member, the Hon Robert Simms MLC, has formally introduced his motion to remove human rights balancing clauses from the Equal Opportunity Act and in effect, “destroy Christian schooling” according to the Australian Christian Lobby. The Bill, titled the “Equal Opportunity (Religious Bodies) Amendment Bill, seeks to remove special provisions which allow religious schools and institutions to choose who they do and don’t hire based on religious beliefs – including beliefs regarding sexuality and gender. Ashlyn Vice, South Australian Director of the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL), explained, “This Bill would bully Christian schools into hiring people whose values and lifestyle don’t align with their own – an absolutely unnecessary but unsurprising political manoeuvre by the Greens. “The Greens are once again showing their contempt for Christian schools and institutions despite the strong support in SA for religious freedom.”
Miss Vice continued, “All Christian schools are asking for is the right to be exactly that – Christian. Faith-based communities have the right to self-determine and function in accordance with their beliefs – but it’s clear the Greens don’t care for this right.” Recently, around 600 South Australians attended a Town Hall Event by Australian Association of Christian Schools and Christian Schools Australia called “Faith in our Future” to rally support for freedom of religion in Christian schools. “The Greens are not in touch with South Australian parents’ views on this matter, and they show no regard for the immense benefit religious schools and organisations provide to local communities” Miss Vice said. “The ACL is opposing this Marxist-style Bill, just as it opposed similar proposals at a federal level. We are lobbying South Australian MPs to strike down this legislation and to uphold the right of South Australian parents to have a genuine choice when it comes to schooling.”
Source: Australian Christian Lobby
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