Australia full-back Israel Folau has commented that ‘gay people will go to hell unless they repent for their sins’ on an Instagram post on Tuesday.
Folau posted a picture of a cartoon depicting the difference between people’s own plans for their lives compared to God’s.
An Instagram user asked the Wallabies utility – “What was God’s plan for gay people?” – after Folau tweeted last year that he would not be lending his support to Australia’s same-sex marriage ‘YES’ campaign.
The 29-year-old replied to the question: “HELL… Unless they repent of their sins and turn to God.”
Doesn't quite fit with Israel Folau's "I love and respect all people for who they are and their opinions" line from last year. pic.twitter.com/A023XnxRBd
— Ben Coles (@bencoles_) April 3, 2018
Former Wales and British & Irish Lions full-back Gareth Thomas, who announced publicly in December 2009 that he was gay, was quick to reply to Folau with a question of his own.
Thomas asked on his Twitter account: “What’s his plan for you then @IzzyFolau”
What’s his plan for you then @IzzyFolau pic.twitter.com/tWecB6M3z4
— Gareth Thomas (@gareththomas14) April 4, 2018
Rugby Australia (formerly known as the Australian Rugby Union) and Folau’s club the New South Wales Waratahs have yet to comment on the player’s remarks.
However, the Qantas Wallabies (the Australian national team) did lend their support to Australia’s ‘YES’ campaign last year with a post depicting their logo in a rainbow coloured tint.
Wallabies flanker David Pocock rubbished the reasons against gay marriage last year and said that he would not legally marry his partner Emma until the laws regarding same sex marriage were changed.
“Being brought up in a Christian home and still identifying as Christian, I get pretty annoyed with the Christian lobbies around the world who say gay marriage destroys the family and all that kind of rubbish,” Pocock said in a profile in the New Zealand Herald.
“They claim to follow someone who always stood up for the oppressed and marginalized.
“I guess it is a fear of the unknown – if you talk to someone who doesn’t like gay people you can almost guarantee that they don’t know too many.
“These are the prejudices that you have to challenge and break down. Emma and I decided not to get legally married until our gay friends could do the same.”
The Australian Parliament voted overwhelmingly to legalize same-sex marriage in December 2017.
It was the first marriage equality bill to pass in federal parliament after more than 20 attempts.
