British rugby star Billy Vunipola has had some time to reflect on his public show of support for Israel Folau’s homophobic comments last year.
His takeaway? That being “ridiculed” for supporting homophobia was unenjoyable.
Vunipola, 27, inserted himself in the drama when he ‘liked’ an Instagram post from Folau, an Australian rugby player, that claimed gay people are all destined to end up in hell.
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Folau, a self-described devout Christian, was fired by Rugby Australia for his comments, though he’s since started playing again for the French Super League team, Catalans Dragons.
Vunipola was merely issued a formal warning by his team, Saracens.
Now Vunipola has commented on the ordeal and spoiler alert: His views have not changed a bit.
Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast, he said: “I could easily have been: ‘I’m not going to support this.’ I didn’t sleep for two or three days after I saw [Folau’s] post because something inside me was saying: ‘Do you actually believe in Jesus Christ or do you not?’”
Related: Israel Folau returns to rugby and opposing team responds with rainbows
He continued:
“I didn’t enjoy being ridiculed but at the same time what I did find comforting is that I stood up for my faith and I didn’t just fall by the wayside.
“If it happened again now and I was asked: ‘Billy, do you stand in support of it?’ I would have to say yes because I’ve made my position clear.”
What a hero.
Mr-DJ
The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Boo-Hoo.
justgeo
So lets all shove a Crucifix up his ass and make him do a ‘Happy Dance’!
IndependentForever
Of course he is a self described ” devout Christian.” Hey I am admittedly not religious. I don’t begrudge any their religion. However from experience, part of my youth in the 80’s was forced to attend an Evangelical church. The sect that followed such upstanding citizens as preachers Jerry Falwell, Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Bakker , Pat Robertson etc. Google them if you are too young to know them. Wonderful people LOL. Those people are some of the most close minded, hypocritical folk I come across in day to day life. I think there are some very good things about and in the Bible but those people put their holy book teachings to shame. Evangelicals are also the whacks that helped get Dump elected president. Really cracks me up ( not haha if you know what I mean ) when I hear people refer to radical Muslims when we have the radical Evangelical Christians here. A lot if not a large majority are also Conservative Republicans. Not just that but farrrrr right. BOTH parties are electing the fringes of their parties. Too many are too far right and far left. I hope in November people start electing more moderate from both sides. I think they are more open minded. They can see things from both sides. You know, imagining if the shoe is on the other foot. That is what is needed. They would be more reasonable and able and willing to work together.
Cam
Bigots always play victim.
SteveM
So-called devout Christians who hate gay people are just scum. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say that all organized religion is nothing but organized superstition Those born-again Christians are mostly lowly scum and should be told to go back to the sewer holes they crawled out of and die there.
Goforit
I am an atheist. But I am a better “Christian” than any of these holier-than-thou, brain dead bigots.
Joshooeerr
Folou’s “religion” is a demented cult of about 12 people, mostly family members – a fact the media somehow forgot to report 99% of the time, while (mis)representing him and his father as “religious leaders”. You can bet Vunipola belongs to a similar splinter religion with more extreme views than even the regular variety of religious nut jobs. It’s also a shame the media doesn’t more closely examine their other beliefs (especially their extreme views on adultery or sex outside marriage). But then they’d have to admit that they’re crazed extremists, not merely religious people with deeply-held beliefs.
dhmonarch89
hey guys- the Bible does say that…that’s why I’m an atheist. The Bible condemns a lot of people to hell- but they over look that and concentrate on gay men.
yoshimura8869
As a Buddhist, I cannot understand why these illiterate “Christians” think that Jesus demands that they must hate or malign gay people in order to follow him??? Jesus did not say a word about gay people and in his definitive teaching about who goes to heaven or hell in Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus reserved hell for those who refused to take care of the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the sick or the prisoner. Heaven is for those who do. It says NOTHING about sexual sins either. That was left to Paul the Pharisee (Acts 23:6) who, like most conservative Pharisees, had a problem with homosexual behavior. Pharisees were known to adhere to a stricter observance of the Torah. The Pharisees had Jesus crucified because he challenged their authority by choosing the people over their laws (Matthew 9:11: 9:14; 12:2; 12:13-15; 23:23). It was Paul’s explicit condemnation of same sex behavior (as he understood it at the time) in Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10 that these so-called “Christians” are using to demean and attack the LGBT community. So it is actually Paul they follow and NOT Jesus. Jesus may have given them (his apostles) the authority to teach and even discipline but NEVER to attack or denigrate. I mean. do these “Christians” actually believe that Jesus himself discriminated against anyone? He even ate and drank with the very people these “Christians” (and their forebears, the Pharisees) despised i.e. “sinners” (Matthew 9:11). Not once did Jesus preach against “sinners” or demean them. In fact, he showed them nothing but love, kindness and compassion (Matthew 11:19. John 8:1-11). That’s why he was shun by the self – righteous Pharisees. No, Jesus associated with “sinners” and the Pharisees had him crucified with “sinners”. These “Christians” would probably crucify Jesus again for not being in THEIR “image and likeness”.
UlfRaynor
Absolutely correct, even Paul himself said he struggled between his belief in Christ and his Levitical faith.
To better understand what Christ thought on the subject of Levitical law go read the book of James, where Paul and Barnabas seek council with Peter (you know, the one Jesus said would be his foundation, his rock) Paul and Barnabas had been debating Paul’s insistence that the Greek men he had been trying to convert adhere to Levitcal law and get circumcised and what did Peter say: Why yolk them with the laws are fathers and even our forefathers could not abide.
Fname Optional Lname
What he said!
radiooutmike
Thank you. Once again, it takes someone who is not a Christian to explain exactly what a Christian is.
Jesus being born as man and dying on a cross for one’s sins is the New Covenant. His teachings and life are told in the Gospels of the New Testament.
The New Testament supplants the Old Testament and the Old (Original) Covenant. You don’t NEED 10 Commandments if you follow two simple rules from Jesus:
1) Love one another as you would yourself.
2) Do unto others as you would have done to yourself.
His parables are pretty clear about who will enter Heaven and who will not. Want a hint? There’s no such thing as a “prosperity” gospel.
Furthermore, the rest of the book in the New Testament are the apostles chiding the new seedling churches that sprung up in the decades after Christ died. You can tell these by the titles which are named after the cities of those churches. Romans (Rome), Ephesians (Ephesus) and Galatians (Galatia).
Lauchlan
Here’s the thing sweetcheeks. You didn’t “stand up for your faith” , you loudly and proudly proclaimed yourself a bigot and hater of people who don’t think like you do ; doesn’t sound very Christian does it? Now I’m sure you like to tell people you take your faith from ,and your actions are guided by that bible of yours . So here’s a question Billy :- what did Jesus tell the disciples and others was the most important commandment? …..that’s right :- “love others as you love yourself “ I.e treat people with respect and kindness in word and deed . . So the next time you get the urge to spout ignorant hatred …..take that damned book of yours and ram it hard in your mouth til you start acting like the guy you purport to follow ; who incidentally said Not. One. Damned. Thing. about homosexuality
Vortece
If you you think stepping on people less who are demonstrably less powerful that you are is “standing up for your faith,” than I don’t think you have a faith worth standing up for.