Tag: Hillsong

Categories
Opinion/Commentary

Hillsong rocked by more scandals. And no one is defending them

Image: Kokkai Ng, iStock

Content warning: this post briefly mentions sexual abuse. If this is triggering for you, please proceed with caution or skip it altogether.

Hillsong is in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Again.

Last year, people accused Brian Houston of covering up sex crimes committed by his father Frank Houston.

One victim alleged that Houston told him “it’s your fault” when coming forward about being abused as a child. Houston stood down amid the allegations.

Last year, 60 Minutes Australia ran a story where a number of young women claimed they were sexually assaulteed while attending Hillsong College in Sydney.

American ex – student, Anna told 60 Minutes Australia that she was groped by a student administrator. When she came forward, and told Hillsong College’s leaders, she felt “unsupported”.

American ex – student, Anna, told 60 Minutes Australia that a student administrator groped her.

After Anna told her father — himself a pastor from Pennsylvania — a Penrith court charged the administrator with indecent assault.

Unfortnately, it didn’t end there. Hillsong ended up promoting him and giving his wife a leadership role. Anna was denied justice. Her father told 60 Minutes Australia they tried to keep his daughter quiet.

MP accuses Hillsong of financial misconduct

Tasmanian Independent MP, Andrew Wilkie, blew the whistle on Hillsong. He accuses them of breaching Australia’s charity and taxation laws. 

Canadian YouTuber and former pastor, Josh Barbour did two videos, breaking down the accusations.

Here’s the short of it: the documents show Hillsong made a number of ‘charities’ to avoid paying tax. Meanwhike, they were pocketing the money.

Bobbi and Brian Houston have also been accused of declaring ‘wages’, while pocketing the money themselves.

Christians should be furious. People who have given money to Hillsong through tithes, etc have been robbed! And you’ve probably heard sermons on Malachi 3:8 about  “robbing God” to guilt you into tithing to them!

Hillsong runs out of defenders

In the past, people and the media have been willing to defend Hillsong. Brian Houston couldn’t be responsible for what happens in New York. It’s just Christian persecution, etc, etc. 

Unexpectedly, Hillsong’s (former?) defenders are quiet. Andrew Bolt, Rita Panahi, etc, all silent. Sky News Australia’s Peta Credlin has just reported the facts about the latest allegations.

It looks like Hillsong have burnt all their bridges. They no longer have defenders in the mainstream media.

Since an Independent MP has blown the whistle, this puts the Australian Labor Party (ALP), in a tight spot. The ALP, along with the Coalition (LNP) have been allies with Hillsong.

In the early 2000’s, Hillsong, along with the Australian Christian Lobby, had influence over the parties’ legislative decisions. Former Prime Minister, Scott Morrison is a known practicing Pentecostal. 

Pentecostal churches have opposed anti – discrimination protections against LGBTQ+ people in faith schools. They campaigned against same – sex couples adopting. You get the idea. And, for a long time, both the Coalition and Labor bowed down to their demands.

Former Prime Ministers, Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd openly opposed same – sex marriage and keeping their deal with churches like Hillsong. This is despite Gillard openly being an atheist. 


Lastly, Hillsong have been crumbling for years. It seems that Brian Houston has been arrogant one too many times. Now, there’s hell to pay!

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Categories
Opinion/Commentary

Hillsong slammed for concert in the middle of pandemic

Hillsong Church
Image: iStock

Australian music artists have condemned Hillsong for a concert at a youth camp. At the camp, around 200 people were singing without masks. The camp took south of Newcastle last Thursday.

Artist, Catherine Alcorn condemned the event as a “complete slap in the face” and a  “disgrace” on Sky News Australia.

However, despite the controversy, the New South Wales police didn’t fine Hillsong. 

Hillsong has issued an apology, but has also claimed that covid protocols were in place. 

Youth at a worship concert
Image: iStock

 

 

Australian artists express outrage over camp

The Australian music industry has taken a major hit the past two years. This year, organisers cancelled Grapevine Gathering in the Hunter Valley.

It isn’t surprising artists were outraged over Hillsong’s camp and their special treatment.

Country singer Troy Cassar – Daley expressed outrage on social media:

While all other music festivals are heading down the toilet same as last year, Hillsong are no masks, singing and dancing like we’ve all been told not to do. 

Montaigne accused the New South Wales government of double standards.

Governments give churches special treatment

Technicalities aside, one thing seems clear here. Hillsong have been given special treatment. And they (as well as other churches), have received special treatment for years. 

The most obvious, is the tax exemptions. And while, yes, many churches do charity work and work with limited resources, Hillsong should be treated as a business. I’m sorry, but they should be.

Over the years, Australian churches and church – run institutions such as schools, have been exempt from sections of laws such as the Sex Discrimination Act 1984.

Sections 37 and 38 of the Sex Discrimination Act allow Christian organisations the right to refuse to employ or fire openly LGBTQ+ people if in “good faith”.

Is it any wonder why religious organisations flout rules and laws? From anti – discrimination, to covid restrictions? 

Jesus didn’t bend public rules

Before people come on here and slam me for “persecuting Christians” (I am one, by the way), let me just say this.

While Jesus was on earth, he didn’t advocate for anyone to flout the law. He demanded that his followers pay taxes. And they were under Rome.

Not once did he seek special favours from the government (again, they were under Rome).

Do you think he would have breached — or at least arrogantly taken advantage of grey areas in safety protocol? I can’t see it myself.

True worship

True worship happens in the heart. It happens in Spirit. True worship doesn’t demand that we take the law into our own hands. It doesn’t require us to expose loopholes in health mandates.

 

Christians should be a beacon of God’s light. And, yes, plenty of them are. However, it’s a shame that too often, scandals and law – bending are what Christians known for. Let’s reverse it. Go back to shining Christ’s light again. Within restraints of the law and to an extent, public expectations.

What do you think? Was Hillsong in the wrong? Should have they been fined? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Categories
Gender/ sexuality

Australian Christians to apologise and reconcile with the LGBTQ community

According to Buzzfeed News, a group of conservative and former Christians have come together to offer an apology to LGBTQ people who’ve been harmed by churches.

Equal Voices aims to confront the failures of Christians to respond to LGBTQ people justly and “be reconciled with one another in the Body of Christ”. An apology is a top priority.

The apology

The apology covers the following points:

  1. For being too slow to acknowledge that we need to say sorry to you.
  2. For not speaking up
  3.  Speaking about you, without listening to you.
  4. Not creating safe environments within our churches where people can speak openly and honestly about their struggles and understandings
  5. Perpetuating stereotypes, and for not taking full account of your actual lived experiences
  6. For talking to you or about you in a way as to suggest that sexual and/ or gender differences are not a part of your true identity as creatures made in the image of God, but are simply a result of brokenness or sin.
  7. Churches have told LGBTQ+ people that they can change their orientation/ gender identity.
  8. For not acknowledging that Christians who are seeking to be faithful to their Lord and to the Scriptures are coming to different conclusions on matters of gender, sexual orientation and marriage

One member has committed to:

  1. Honour and support LGBTQ people in any way possible
  2. Be open to gentle correction and guidance
  3. Hold others to account for harmful words or actions
  4. Resist efforts to “other” or exclude LGBTQ people
  5. Engage in genuine conversation to gain perspectives of LGBTQ people

In March, Equal Voices will post a letter to their website that people can sign.

 

These points, especially number six, are huge. Finally, LGBTQ Christians will feel safe, regardless of whether they attend a progressive or Evangelical church.

 

What’s the next step?

While this is a great step forward, I wonder what it’ll mean for Christians politically. Many Evangelical churches have closely aligned themselves with conservative political parties and lobby groups, including the Australian Christian Lobby. Recently, Activate Church in Adelaide separated themselves from Australian Christian Churches (formerly Assemblies of God) to fully support the LGBTQ community. The pastor of Hillsong Church, Brian Houston has come under fire for not allowing openly LGBTQ people to serve in the Church.

I don’t think anyone should expect all conservative Christians to jump on this. No doubt, the ones that have raised their voices do so knowing that they’ll pay a great price. Many Evangelical, and former Evangelical Christians, such as America’s Rob Bell, have paid greatly when coming out in support of the LGBTQ+ community. So this is no small feat!

I think this is so positive. Soon, LGBTQ people will be able to worship, rest and be a part of a church community without their identity being a barrier. Finally, people in church will be able to enter, knowing that they don’t have to hide. They won’t have to sit through a sermon feeling like they don’t belong, that, despite their belief and their heart for God, that they are not enough.

I believe that this will clean up Christianity’s reputation a bit. The Church may finally be seen as a beacon of hope, rather han harm. So, for those involved in the EqualVoices movement, good on you for having the courage to speak up.