The Citipointe Controversy – Christians Are Second-Class Citizens
The Citipointe debacle is a sobering revelation of where conservative Australian Christians stand in terms of our ability to forthrightly express our basic beliefs within our own institutions.
Religious freedom is now a second-tier right in Australia. This is the obvious conclusion from the controversy surrounding Brisbane’s Citipointe Christian College.
If religious people cannot join together and publicly form schools to educate their children without first paying homage to LGBTQIA+ sensitivities, then religious freedom is no longer a fundamental principle.
Religious liberty — a once cherished freedom — is now a disfavoured right, seen by many as a licence for bigotry and hatred. And so religious freedom cannot be tolerated, even when there is no evidence that anyone has been harmed.
A Christian Education
Citipointe Christian College began February by advertising their Christian principles to prospective students and their families.
They believed homosexuality was a sin and they required students to enrol according to their biological sex.
None of this was remarkable. The clue was in the name – Citipointe Christian College.
For 2,000 years Christians have believed sex is a gift from God to be enjoyed within the bounds of marriage. And the Bible defines marriage as a lifelong, exclusive union between a man and a woman. Any sex outside of that — whether premarital, extramarital, or homosexual — is a sin. Oh, and sex is binary. God created us male and female.
So you have to be okay with a Christian worldview to enrol at Citipointe Christian College. Again, the clue to all of this is in the name.
Control
If you just can’t survive without waving a rainbow flag, or if you just can’t resist the urge to change pronouns and start using bathrooms for which you are anatomically unsuited, then Citipointe is not the school for you. And, sadly, your choice of schools is reduced by one to literally hundreds.
But activists didn’t want to send their children to an ‘enlightened’ school where their views on sexuality would be celebrated. They demanded the Christian school change its ethos to accommodate them.
Bizarrely, they even argued that the Christian thing for the Christian college to do would be to change their Christian ethic to something other than Christian and, in so doing, show themselves to be true Christians.
Such an absurd proposition could only be reasonable to people whose ‘Pride’ has now ripened into full-blown narcissism, wherein they now believe the entire world — including Jesus Himself — should orbit around them.
The school’s enrolment contract drew widespread outrage, with a petition calling for its recall gaining more than 155,800 signatures in a matter of days. This was highly significant in the eyes of journalists who seemed to think biblical truth, like politics, was almost entirely a matter of polling.
Deafening Silence
In the face of this onslaught, church leaders and Christian school principals across the country stood shoulder to shoulder with the Citipointe leadership, boldly asserting the importance of religious freedom.
Oh wait. No, they didn’t.
Barely anyone said a word in defence of biblical truth or religious liberty. And when Citipointe’s principal stood aside from his role leading the school, he was friendless, at least publicly.
A number of prominent church leaders were, however, moved to state how upset they were that Justin Langer had not been recontracted to lead the Australian cricket team.
We’ve given up on religious freedom, but heaven help us if we lose the next Ashes series!
If Citipointe Christian College was expecting support from our Christian Prime Minister, they were quickly disappointed.
When asked about Citipointe’s enrolment contract, he said: “I do not support that.”
In fairness to Mr Morrison, he is focused on a number of texts other than the biblical text right now. And if Christian leaders won’t risk anything to defend Christian freedoms, why should the PM?
By the end of last week, Citipointe’s principles had been reviled and their principal had been resigned, at least for the time being.
But the message was clear. Christians are perfectly free to practise their religion in Australia to the extent that their religion conforms with LGBTQIA+ proclivities. Which, of course, is no freedom at all.
And it all happened not with a bang, but with a whimper.
___
You can follow James on Twitter. You can order his new book Notes from Woketopia here.
Photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels.
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Thank you James, for this. You speak to us. This article in eternity news is also thought provoking on the issue. https://www.eternitynews.com.au/opinion/is-citipointe-the-tipping-point/
It is a similar issue to our response to those who walk through the doors of our church with homosexual tendencies or gender confusion. With the teaching in public schools to our children from the youngest age on gender identity and sex, this will be more and more prevalent.
Thank you for the insight.
My son and his friends have the LGBTQIA+ ideology front and centre at their school. It’s driving that cohort into radical conservatism as they buck the school language. Bizarre to watch as it unfolds. My role is to teach tolerance because we have all sinned.
Thank you James!! You are God’s messenger and your statement should be endorsed and supported by ALL Christians all over the world!
Nic van Rhyn
South Africa
It continues to amaze me how LGBTI movement won’t say a word about a Muslim school or any other religious school but when it involves a Christian school they continually attack them even though they are just upholding their biblical beliefs. Why don’t LGBTI start their own school I’m sure they would be able to find enough teachers. And why would someone want to attend a school that goes against their beliefs anyway? There are plenty of open state schools etc to cater for whatever your heart desires.
In Mark 3:1-6 Jesus faced the murderous hatred of the Pharisees who linked up with their political enemies, the Herodians, to plot how to kill Jesus. This same hatred is what Christians face daily in many countries, and we are beginning to face it here. We all need to encourage one another to understand HOW to face it in a godly way. For starters : “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Ephesians 6:11.
Great article bro!!!!!
How amazing that bronze age bigotry is so lovingly embraced by Christians….
What’s next – the freedom to own slaves as detailed in Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy?
It’s not surprising that people are leaving this irrational nonsense behind.
You do realise that your comment only shows your ignorance of Christian theology.
Those arguments only seem ‘clever’ on those who already are dogmatic converts of another religion, speaking of irrational nonsense.
Hmmm are you saying the Bible does not say in Leviticus that homosexuals are an abomination and should be put to death? “If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.” Leviticus 20:13
And before you use Yeshua as a get out of jail free card, in Matthew 17 he says “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. ”
In other words you must follow the Mosaic law to the letter and kill homosexuals, and non-virgins, and unruly children, and anyone of another religion.
This is a partiularly lovely one:
“If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), do not yield to them or listen to them. Show them no pity. Do not spare them or shield them. You must certainly put them to death. Your hand must be the first in putting them to death, and then the hands of all the people. Stone them to death, because they tried to turn you away from the Lord your God “(Deuteronomy 13)
I won’t even mention genocide commanded against the Canaanites, Midianites or Amalekites.
So… Ignorance? I think not. Your ad hominem falls flat my friend.
It’s your book, perhaps you should read it…
I am right on board with James’ article.
The written word of the one and only one who is the true God and Jesus Christ our Lord, is clear.
“For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,” (Rom 1:18)
“Professing to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man, and birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves. For they changed the truth of God into a lie, and they worshiped and served the created thing more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this cause, God gave them up to dishonorable affections. For even their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust toward one another; males with males working out shamefulness, and receiving in themselves the recompense which was fitting for their error. And even as they did not think fit to have God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do the things not right, being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; being full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, evil habits, becoming whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, insolent, proud, braggarts, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, perfidious, without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous order of God, that those practicing such things are worthy of death, not only do them, but have pleasure in those practicing them.” (Romans 1:22-31).
They may change human laws but those who practise such things WILL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
The true Church must continue to proclaim the coming judgment on Mankind and calling all to the great salvation afforded all through repentance and faith in Christ Jesus for the cleansing from such SIN and to a godly and holy walk, no matter the earthly consequences of persecution.