Brisbane church sparks outrage with anti-equality billboard
Image: Photo: Twitter.
A church in Brisbane’s west has ignited controversy with a billboard against marriage equality.
Bellbowrie Community Church last week put up a billboard reading “God designed marriage between a man and a woman”.
Critics posted their ire on the church’s Facebook page, including one person who wrote “I’m sure Christ would be very disappointed in your view of Christianity,” according to The Courier Mail.
One comment allegedly suggested the church should be burned down.
All comments on the matter have now been removed from the church’s page.
Several people have posted one-star reviews of the church on Google, with comments including “Terrible anti-gay sign posted in front of this ‘place of worship’”.
A spokesperson for the group 4070 Says Yes said the church’s message did not represent the majority of the community.
“Our community has implored the church to remove the offensive sign, making phone calls, writing letters, emails and meeting with officials to point out the damage and distress it is causing,” she said.
“The church, self-appointed spokesperson of our community, has instead increasingly closed down avenues for feedback.”
Pastor John Gill said the billboard was not a message of hate, but simply God’s view. He claimed that the people criticising the message were engaged in “hate speech”.
Pastor Gill said his congregation is free to vote however they choose in the postal survey.
“As a pastor, it is not my place to tell people how to vote,” he said.
Over the weekend, the church sign had letters removed to cheekily read “God designed marriage between a man & a man”.
completely delusional,,,, does this drop kick have a direct line to an imaginery god ,, made up by men
and interpreted in the most heinous ways ,,, they have no right to an opinion any of them ,,,,,
God designed nothing of the thought. Marriage is designed by lawmakers – not imaginary friends.
Shows just how little these religious organisations know about the history of marriage. Marriage was around long before religion. It was a contract between two men to purchase the other man’s daughter for his son. It was an exchange of wealth, an alliance & had nothing to do with love, God or any of that fairytale stuff that most homophobes clutch at as their reason to vote No. plus the bible has been edited so often, it’s hardly in its original form.
Did they miss the part where god didn’t design marriage at all, marriage has been around since before religion.
We have to accept that No voters have been given permission to advocate and vote No by Malcolm Turnbull and pals in the far right like Tony Abbott.
We can’t bag out No voters as being homophobic in an environment where they are being told by the goverment their position is not just legit, it’s the reason why we’re where we are. We won’t convince them, and more importantly we’re misdirecting our anger.
Be angry, sure. But direct your anger where it deserves to go. The Senate refused a plebiscite, the current Liberal-National goverment has pushed this shit sandwich on Australia, they are the reason for this debate and there being a lying, hateful opposition who are now claiming Christmas is at stake.
Churches and mosques are going to be centres of hatred, They always have been. This isn’t news. It’s just opportunism.
Haters don’t matter, people. Some of us love and welcome you unconditionally, and even if it turns out we’re a minority it’s going to be a slim margin.
Pastor John Gill said the billboard was not a message of hate, but simply God’s view..
really, didn’t know he had a direct line.. what’s the lottery numbers then you tosser?!!