Australian rugby star Israel Folau continues to dig his homophobic heels into the ground, and one royal family member has enough.
Folau, who has Tongan roots, began his antigay crusade last month when he said that God sends gay people to “HELL” unless they repent their homosexual ways.
The rugby association essentially gave him a slap on the wrist in the form of a stern meeting, but no actual consequences resulted.
So Folau went and wrote a lengthy op-ed about his beliefs.
Then this week he put out a video on Twitter featuring evangelical preacher David Wilkerson, who says we’re in an age of “sexual perversions beyond description.”
Related: The viral rugby kiss that’s tackling homophobia
For whatever reason, Folau has chosen to make this his “thing”, and more and more voices are speaking up against him.
Including one unlikely one: The Honorable Frederica Tuita Filipe, princess of Tonga.
Homosexuality is illegal in the small constitutional monarchy in the South Pacific, but if Filipe represents the future of the country, it won’t be for long.
She posted a series of tweets regarding Folau’s media campaign.
“Obviously the way we represent our interpretation of God’s word & love is different,” she posted.
Related: Viral ad destroys homophobia in 30 hilarious seconds
“My silence was my attempt at respecting our different interpretations but I fear by doing that I’m encouraging the marginalization of a group of people I love & serve as much as any other Tongan.”
She said it’s the job of Christians to offer “love, respect, humility and inclusion” to all people.
“You’ve worked hard to be in a position of leadership, I was born into mine,” she said.
“I’ve seen how forgiveness, love & inclusion bring people closer to God. I hope the trials you face give you the strength to open your heart & mind to differing views.”
See the full thread below:
My loved one’s & I are scrutinized & attacked almost daily. It is only w/ God’s love we survive the stones thrown by striving to represent & channel God’s love to ALL his children. Trust that God is in control & take a seat with us where the passengers belong *thread* https://t.co/zOVJrgGO54
— Frederica (@FreddieFilipe) May 9, 2018
Obviously the way we represent our interpretation of God’s word & love is different. My silence was my attempt at respecting our different interpretations but I fear by doing that I’m encouraging the marginalization of a group of people I love & serve as much as any other Tongan
— Frederica (@FreddieFilipe) May 9, 2018
Our core Tongan values are intertwined w/ our Christian values of love, respect, humility & commitment. Those values aren’t reserved for a few & are most effective when shown to everyone, even when you don’t agree w/ them
— Frederica (@FreddieFilipe) May 9, 2018
You’ve worked hard to be in a position of leadership, I was born into mine. I’ve seen how forgiveness, love & inclusion bring people closer to God. I hope the trials you face give you the strength to open your heart & mind to differing views.
— Frederica (@FreddieFilipe) May 9, 2018
Other prominent rebuttals include this segment from Karl Stefanovic on Australia’s popular The Today Show:
"Israel you have the right to say what you want, but at least show a little more compassion and love, as the Bible teaches." #9Today pic.twitter.com/U0vN3qLY4w
— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) May 9, 2018
Last month, out athlete Simon Dunn posted this “victory kiss” in response to Folau’s comments:
Victory kiss. pic.twitter.com/REvhoUN2bX
— Simon Dunn (@BySimonDunn) April 22, 2018
Vince
I’ll never understand why these shitheads get a platform to spew their insanity.
Neville
Free speech??
Kangol
Glad to see the Tongan princess speaking out. Also, same-sexual activity was part of Polynesian (Tonga is within Polynesia) cultures before the arrival of Christianity. The transgender fakafefine had a traditional role, and same-sexual activity was integrated into the culture. Christianity, a colonial import from Europe, has shifted attitudes there. Just saying.
Neville
I’m in complete agreement.
Smith David
Unrelated, I think my dog is going through my emails and consciously sending replies. Hhhh…it’s so frustrating.
Rich
It is ALWAYS the ones that hate the most that are the most self loathing, homosexuals out there! “Me thinks the lady doth protest too much.” ~ Shakespeare
DCguy
Nothing scares a self hating closet case more than out of the closet people.
Am I saying that the Rugby player is gay? Nahhhhh, I’m just saying that in the privacy of his home, when nobody is around, when he sees Elton John on the TV his first impulse is to scream “Sister!”
Hussain-TheCanadian
BWAHAHAHAHA!!! This is the funniest thing I’ve read all day DC thank you!
uncz1978
Thank you to the Tongan Princess for her support.
I live by the adage the “bit dog barks the loudest”.
I think this guy will be outed before it’s over with.
Neville
I have my doubts about that, frankly.
JamJewel
Wonder which ‘bible’ they gave him because most 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 say “…nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men…” where the words “men who have sex with men” actually translate two Greek words that refer to the passive and active participants in sexual acts, whether homo or hetro. And while God had noting to say to Moses about being gay, all of a sudden the new testament discovered it?! [I won’t even bother to speculate why we are talking about Greek words in a tome meant to reflect events in the eastern/southern Mediterranean.]
Cylest Brooks
This is factually inaccurate. The word you’re referencing is “arsenokaotai”, which is a word that doesn’t appear elsewhere in neither Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic. Translation experts are, and have always been, very divided about what Paul meant when he wrote this word, which appears to be comprised of two base words meaning “man” and “bed”.
There were words in use at that time, and even which Paul had previously used, to describe homosexuality. It is assumed by many that… if he meant gay sex, he would have used the words for gay sex. Since the word seems to be made up, however, they don’t know what he DID actually mean.
The general English translation of this word has actually evolved over time. If you find a bible from 150 years ago, for instance, it would substitute the word “masturbator” or a similar description. As a point of reference, male sexual chastity was a large social platform of the Christian church during that time and focused on a wide-sweeping anti-masturbation campaign. Ironic that the translations always seem to match up with whatever social aspect of masculinity the church happens to be tackling at the time.
prarie pup
The world would be so much more peaceful if everyone just minded their own effin’ biz.
Mkiel
Very well said ,why are people so concerned what others do in privacy.
screwtop
My sister in law was a leading psychiatrist and had 5 kids, four of them boys. Oh – and also a devout catholic. So I asked her one day what she thought of homosexuality. Her reply was quite interesting.
She paused for a second, then said – “People who worry about other people’s sexuality are not confident in their own.” So, Folau, instead of trying to sort out other people’s, I suggest you sort yourself out, first.
silveroracle
Well said.
Neville
What Folau needs to do is to get over his Christian upbringing more than anything related to his sexuality (not all homophobes are secretly LGBT.)
AllenSF
When I saw his pic before reading the headline I just assumed that he was a cute Gay Polynesian guy. He is probably dealing with some inner demons, we’ll leave it at.
Al
And it says in Leviticus 19.28 ‘Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.
And this bonehead is covered in tatts. So when he gets them removed I’ll stop sucking dick.
djmcgamester
Funny thing. Hell was never actually mentioned in the Bible. I wonder how many so-called Christians are aware of that fact. Hell was a fiction created by Dante.
Kangol
What are you talking about? Have you read the Bible? “Hell” is explicitly mentioned in Deuteronomy, Psalms, Job, Samuel, Ezra, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Amos, Jonah, and the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Also, “hell” is explicitly mentioned in Acts, James, Peter, and Revelation. If you don’t believe me, just Google it or open a Bible. Sheesh!
Cylest Brooks
Eh… not necessarily. The Bible that YOU read, in English, which has been translated from other languages and evolved over time, uses the word “Hell” to describe the after-life described in the bible. The modern understanding of Hell that has evolved over time, however, is not what those texts are describing.
I agree that saying “the bible never talks about Hell” is misleading. But perhaps for different reasons.
Kangol
Cylest, thanks for dropping in. Let me ask you, did the prior poster say “Hell” is a static notion that never changes over time? Did he say that the term exists in English versions of the Bible but not in other languages? I mean, I get your point, but I was responded to his comment. Anyone who picks up a Bible in Wal-Mart or pulls one of those Christophers versions out of their motel nightstand is going to see that word “Hell” in the Old and New Testament repeatedly, whether or not the original terms, like “Sheol” or “Gehinnom,” etc., mean something else. That’s part of the reason why we gay/LGBTQ people get slammed by gay religious homophobes. They’re not thinking or reading with subtlety, but working of a reductive version of what’s right before their eyes. In the Bible.
Cylest Brooks
“That’s part of the reason why we gay/LGBTQ people get slammed by gay religious homophobes. They’re not thinking or reading with subtlety, but working off a reductive version of what’s right before their eyes. In the Bible.”
True words.
After 2 years of reparative therapy at a conservative, Christian college (and three suicide attempts), I began my activism on the 2007 Soulforce Equality Ride. We traveled the country visiting colleges/universities that hold discriminatory policies against queer students. The amount of biblical piecemeal-ing we heard from folks who cling tightly to their religious ignorance was… eye-opening.
Kangol
Corrected:
“I was responding to his comment….”
“That’s part of the reason why we gay/LGBTQ people get slammed by religious homophobes.”
daisydave
Have love, compassion, forgiveness, and mercy for one another. Comfort the sick, feed the hungry, clothe those in need, no matter the way of their life. These are the Christian values I was taught, if these are not a persons values, they are NOT Christian!
hocuspokeme
It’s nice to see that people are becoming more and more accepting of others.