The attorney general of New South Wales (NSW), Australia last week reaffirmed a ban on praying for sexually struggling people even in the event that they request it.
Lyle Shelton, national director of the Family First Australia political party and a candidate for a seat within the Upper House, stated on Friday (Sept. 5) that Attorney General Michael Daley had reaffirmed the ban in a parliamentary session.
The NSW Parliament on March 22, 2024 had banned LGBTQA conversion practices, which took effect when it enacted the Conversion Practices Ban Act 2024 (NSW) on April 4 of this 12 months. The law features a ban on “performing a ritual, comparable to an exorcism or prayer-based practice to alter or suppress someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity.”
“Some prayers are actually illegal in NSW,” Shelton stated on LinkedIn. “If a mum, dad, pastor, or friend prays with someone who asks for help to follow God’s word, they may face sanction.”
Calling prayer a freedom and never against the law, the party leader said the federal government has “no business” deciding which prayers are lawful or illegal.
He pledged the party would introduce laws to revive the liberty to hope for anyone who seeks it, specifically to revive “the proper to hope for anyone who asks for prayer for unwanted same-sex attraction or gender confusion.”
“Prayer is at the center of spiritual freedom,” Shelton said. “If someone asks for prayer to live in step with their faith, it’s a unprecedented overreach for the federal government to make that illegal.”
The commitment comes after Liberal Member of Legislative Council Susan Carter revealed in parliament that the brand new Conversion Practices Ban Act makes some prayers illegal, even when people freely seek them.
“I would like to thank Susan Carter for her courage in asking the questions nobody else would,” Shelton said. “She put the straightforward query of whether prayer could possibly be banned to Attorney-General Michael Daley. His answer was shocking.”
The Family First press release quoted Daley as saying in parliament: “Praying with or over a specific person in an try and try to alter or suppress that person’s sexuality or gender is illegal … If it’s an illegal prayer, then it’s not a lawful prayer.”
Shelton protested that the federal government was presuming to come to a decision which prayers were permissible.
“Mr. Daley admitted the federal government claims the proper to define some prayers as ‘illegal,’” Shelton added. “That is a direct assault on religious liberty in NSW. It is chilling to think that a mum or dad, pastor, or friend could face sanction for praying with someone who explicitly asked for prayer to assist them follow God’s word.”
Family First stated that government regulation should never curtail the proper to hunt prayer.
“Prayer has all the time been about change – change in circumstances, change in hearts, change in lives. To criminalize a prayer that somebody requests is a staggering overreach of state power into the private and spiritual lives of residents,” Shelton said. “Family First will act. If elected, we are going to introduce laws to revive the straightforward freedom for people to hope with those that ask for it. No government must have the ability to ban prayer.”
Shelton also called on church leaders and other people of religion to not let the brand new law intimidate them.
“The early church prayed for boldness within the face of threats (Acts 4:29),” he said. “That stays our call today. Family First will probably be the voice in Parliament ensuring that ideology masquerading as law doesn’t trample on prayer and freedom of faith.”
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