April 18, 2018

'Gays Are Going to HELL' Rugby Star Blasted by Sports Colleagues

Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 3 MIN.

Australian rugby star Israel Folau is in the news again following the social media storm generated by his social media post saying that gay people are bound for "HELL" (all caps, no less!) and a subsequent claim that he's being "persecuted" for his Christian beliefs.

This time, he's saying that if his faith and his job turn out to be in an irreconcilable conflict he's ready to hang up his jersey and hang on to his Bible.

Folau is a star player for the New South Wales team the Waratahs. He grew up Mormon but converted to Assemblies of God in 2009. He ignited the controversy a couple of weeks ago when, in answer to a query directed to him on Instagram about God's plan for gays, he fired back the reply "HELL.. Unless they repent of their sins and turn to God."

Social media promptly blew up with criticism. Some rugby fans pointed to the inclusive policies of the team and the sport and wondered how officials would respond. They got their answer soon enough: Though they met with Folau, Waratahs chief executive Andrew Hore and Rugby Australia head Raelene Castle declined to censure the player for his violation of policy. Media reports noted that Folau's contract expires at the end of the season and said the Waratahs are keen to re-sign the player.

Even before the meeting, however, Folau had played the "Christian persecution" card, taking to Twitter and posting #allglorytoGod" before quoting from the Book of Matthew (King James Bible):

"Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."

Now Folau's doubling down. In an article titled "I'm A Sinner Too," published at PlayersVoice - which credited Folau as a "founding contributor" - the star athlete sought to explain his since-deleted Instagram post. "I believe that it is a loving gesture to share passages from the Bible with others," Folau wrote. "I do it all the time when people ask me questions about my faith or things relating to their lives, whether that's in-person or on my social media accounts."

Folau then went on to compare his warning that gays are destined for "HELL" to warning a person about to fall into a hole in the ground. Theorizing that an onlooker might "have the chance to save him," Folau meditated on the ramifications of the scenario. "He might be determined to maintain his course and doesn't want to hear what you have to say," Folau wrote. "But if you don't tell him the truth, as unpopular as it might be, he is going to fall into that hole. What do you do?"

Some might start by not equating being gay with sin.

Other rugby stars have taken to social media to blast Folau for that assumption, some citing LGBTQ family members. All Blacks player Brad Weber took affront at Folau's comments, tweeting out "My cousin and her partner, and my Auntie and her partner are some of the most kind caring & loving people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing."


Weber added, "To think that I play against someone that says they'll go to hell for being gay disgusts me." Weber illustrated his sentiments with three Pride flag emoticons.

In his PlayersVoce piece, Folau reiterated that his faith takes first priority. "After we'd all talked, I told Raelene if she felt the situation had become untenable - that I was hurting Rugby Australia, its sponsors and the Australian rugby community to such a degree that things couldn't be worked through - I would walk away from my contract, immediately."

Folau dismissed the idea that contract negotiations entered into it in any way, writing, "It's about what I believe in and never compromising that, because my faith is far more important to me than my career and always will be."

by Kilian Melloy

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