Conservative youth commentator Daisy Cousens says people should get over being offended by Israel Folau’s biblical statements about transgender and gay people.
The YouTube star, who boasts over 100,000 followers, shared her thoughts on Monday night’s edition of The Bolt Report. Cousens said she didn’t agree with Folau’s views but said the criticism of him had lacked intellectual rigour.
“What’s happening, on Twitter especially, isn’t actually criticism though, that’s the problem. It’s what you’d call ‘dog piling’. There is no kind of intellectual discussion there. There is no assumption that maybe you could talk someone round, or change their views, or express your own.”
Cousens said those reacting to Folau’s comments online were not interested in debating the issue, but simply trying to intimidate and humiliate Folau into silence.
“Apparently these people have nothing better to do. It’s anti-intellectual and it doesn’t solve any kind of problem.
“Aren’t they done with Israel Folau by now? We all know his views on homosexuality, aren’t they done? Do they have nothing else to be outraged over?” Cousens asked.
Cousen’s said Folau was being demonised for making comments about transgender children being the work of the devil.
“They are lumping all of Israel Folau into one little package and demonising him as this sort of raging homophobe who is ultimately evil, but the thing is he is not evil, he’s not calling for violence, he’s not saying gay people should lose any of their rights, he’s just preaching what his church preaches.” Cousens said.
One Nation’s NSW leader Mark Latham said only people who believed in the concept of hell could really be offended by Folau’s comments.
“If you don’t believe in hell you’ve got nothing to worry about.” Latham told The Kenny Report. “These are views that have been in the space of Christianity in the doctrine, in the teachings, for thousands of years.”
Latham said the response to Folau’s comments had moved beyond outrage and become a campaign to drive traditional Christian views out of the public arena.
“In our pluralistic society we should have the tolerance to understand the nature of these views, they are not expressed from a position of hatred. A position of love is his outlook in wanting people to repent, as he sees it, to avoid hell and find God’s kingdom.” Latham said.
The One Nation MP said he didn’t personally believe in hell, but found Folau’s statements about transgender children and gay people to be unexceptional.
OIP Staff
