Shocking video from ‘Christians’ party claims gay marriage to lead to disease and decay

A conservative, anti-gay, anti-abortion Christian party contesting tomorrow’s federal election has released a video online attacking the LGBTI community as well as politicians supportive of marriage equality, with the video disturbingly also featuring a self-described “former transexual [sic]” who claims they have been “restored” due to repenting and becoming a born-again Christian.

The video has been released online and over Facebook by the Australian Christians Party, which is fielding candidates in the Lower House and Senate in South Australia, Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania and Victoria. On its Facebook page, Australian Christians has almost 11,000 ‘likes’.

In an interview with the Star Observer today, Australian Christians Party national director, Ray Moran, claimed the video was “factual” while recommending for all transgender people to repent their sins and turn to Jesus if they wanted to live a fulfilling life.

The video commences with an ominous soundtrack and black-and-white footage of politicians like Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, SA Independent Senator Nick Xenophon and Labor’s Penny Wong, who all come under attack for their support for marriage equality laws. Bizarrely, the video then runs through a number of overseas clips haranguing the LGBTI community and secular beliefs, with the overarching suggestion that introducing marriage equality will lead to disease and decay.

“All of this is happening because we as a society have rejected our Christian heritage,” the voiceover in the video states. “We need to stand up against the moral decay that is sweeping the nation and stop politicians like [Nick] Xenophon and [Sarah] Hanson-Young who are obsessed and hell-bent on pushing through immoral laws into our nation.”

A description on the website where the video appears states:

“Countries who already ‘legalised’ same gender marriage are facing major problems. Genuine people who agreed it was a good idea are now outraged as they lose their own rights and freedoms. ‘Accepting’ and ‘Legalising’ has significantly different legal consequences that will end with YOUR freedoms being taken away. Learn from those that have gone before.”

Perhaps most disturbingly, near the conclusion of the video, a man by the name of David O’Connor who refers to himself as a “former transexual [sic] member of the GLBT community” claims that despite being “fully embraced and supported” by other “GLBT friends” he suffered from long-term depression and suicidal thoughts which only stopped after a “radical encounter with God himself in my own home”.

“I am now a restored, repentant born-again follower of Jesus Christ and I fully support the Australian Christians Party,” O’Connor claims in the video.

Upon a closer look at some of the candidates contesting Saturday’s election on behalf of the Australian Christians Party, the Star Observer has discovered anti-abortion and anti-gay policies play a large role in the party’s platform.

Describing herself as an “ordinary Australian woman”, the party’s candidate for Ballarat, Anne Foster, says on her candidacy webpage that despite having “been a single mother” she believes all children must have a mother and a father to guarantee a stable home.

“I firmly believe in the rights of the child to have a mother and a father, and a stable, loving home,” Foster says.

“I endorse the sanctity of marriage based on a lifelong covenant between a man and a woman, upholding the true family unit as the core foundation of Australian society, thus safeguarding our children.

“The word ‘choice’ seems to be the catch cry of this generation, but I see that Australia’s most vulnerable people, babies in the womb, who have been given a free will, are not allowed to exercise it.”

Another Australian Christians Party candidate, Northern Victorian farmer Ewan McDonald who will be contesting the seat of Bendigo, made it clear on his candidacy page that defeating any chance of marriage equality was his foremost priority.

“What concerns me most about the direction of this campaign is that very few parties or candidates appear to be prepared to defend the institution of marriage,” McDonald states.

“In last Sunday’s leaders’ debate, Prime Minister Rudd promised that should he be re-elected he would within 100 days, introduce a bill to change the definition of marriage to accommodate homosexual couples.

“Although, commendably, Opposition leader Abbott restated his party’s opposition to such a bill, it was notable that he made no attempt to justify his position or to defend true marriage.”

Defending the video and his party’s seemingly extremist views, Moran told the Star Observer he didn’t find the video offensive at all.

“All the facts presented regarding disease and the consequences of where gay marriage has been allowed in other countries … they are factual and well-documented,” he said.

“The figures that are presented there are factual. They can be verified. They’re not our figures, they come from independent sources.”

Asked specifically if the Australian Christians Party believed transgender people could only lead decent lives if they repented their trans identity, Moran said that was his and the party’s belief.

“Yes, absolutely,” he told the Star Observer.

“I can’t see the problem of the video and I stand by the video.”

WATCH THE VIDEO: http://australianchristians.wistia.com/medias/m49n7ryptd