BEN JOHNSON
As Vice President J.D. Vance warns about the suppression of Christians' free speech rights, a new law in a Western nation makes "praying with or over a person" in some circumstances "unlawful even if that person has asked you to pray for them." Making the wrong kind of intercession for someone in this U.S. ally could land a believer up to five years in prison.
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.""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 identity 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," explains Anti-Discrimination NSW, the state government body that fields discrimination complaints under the law. (It also has "investigation, education and research functions.")
Presumably, the law would criminalize someone who said a word as short as "repent."
These kinds of "prayer or pastoral conversations" are "damaging to the whole community," states an explainer video from Anti-Discrimination NSW. "Faith and [LGBTW] identity are not mutually exclusive."
"This is a terrible new law in this Australian state, and they aren't even trying to hide it," Arielle Del Turco, director of the Center for Religious Liberty at Family Research Council and co-author of "Heroic Faith: Hope Amid Global Persecution," told The Washington Stand. "According to the state government's own admission from their website, this law will prevent a pastor or any believer from praying with someone who is asking for prayer for freedom from gender identity issues."
"What right does this state government have to ban someone from praying for a person who is specifically asking for it?" asked Del Turco. "It's difficult to think of a more obvious violation of religious freedom."
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