We saw another prime example of this when a brief video on homosexual marriage was put out by the Bible Society of Australia in conjunction with Coopers Brewery. A very civil debate featuring two Liberals (one a homosexual in favour of it, one a heterosexual against it) was a light-hearted and friendly bit of discussion about this key issue.

But the homosexual lobby -- as always -- went absolutely ballistic, bombarding Coopers with abuse and hate mail, demanding that they repent immediately and totally withdraw from the entire event. And sure enough, the cowards at Coopers did just that, putting out a slobbering act of confession and contrition, reminiscent of the early Communist show trials.

They not only renounced the entire project, including a commemoration of 200 years of the BSA, but they said they will now do even much more to push the homosexual agenda. So the boot licking is complete, as they have realised how evil they were to actually encourage civil debate. This 90 second minute video features Tim and Melanie Cooper with their complete and total capitulation to the homosexual bullies: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4VreNdBcxg&feature=youtu.be

Some sensible voices have spoken to this case of yet more homosexual bullying and intimidation. Miranda Devine, commenting on the marriage discussion, said this:

The two men finish by companionably chinking bottles of beer, and wishing the Bible Society, which produced the video, a happy 200th birthday. That's it. No religious intolerance. No homophobia. No hate speech. Each man put forward his argument logically and in such a way that any reasonable person might think twice about their own position.
Surely that's how social change is won, by talking through issues, finding common ground, testing your own beliefs, listening to opponents, not with a vicious illiberal take-down of anyone who dares hold a contrary view. But the Oberfuhrers of the rainbow community have whipped themselves up into such an insane fury, they discredit their own advocacy for same sex marriage....
The comments on Facebook are priceless. Someone named Hayley asks why bottles of Coopers are being smashed. Someone named Kylie replies: "They make donations to that homophobic church or something." That's enough for Hayley to join the take-down: "ah for f*ck sake. OK I won't stand for that. Out they go."
Forget redefining marriage. Here we have "hate" redefined as a civilised discussion between friends. If that's hate, we need more of it. Thus are displayed the fascist proclivities of identity activists of the Left. Shut up if you don't agree. Go out of business. Curl up and die. So if you're for truly open and honest debate, commit a "hate" crime for freedom tomorrow and crack open a bottle of Coopers Premium Light.
www.dailytelegraph.com.au/rendezview/miranda-devine-drinking-coopers-supporting-hate-oh-come-on/news-story/a0b6099a20fd17792b84c6f2202c593e

Liberal Senator Eric Abetz said this:

The bizarre reaction to the video, including a boycott of Coopers Brewery because my parliamentary colleagues happened to be drinking their beer in the video, is just the latest demonstration that the political correctness brigade is out of control.
While I am disappointed Coopers pathetically backed down in their support for the Bible Society and immediately paid go-away money and joined Australians for Marriage Equality, there are clearly bigger issues at play here -- this dogmatic approach from the left of Australian politics who feel that they can shout down and destroy anyone with whom they disagree.
The fact that an intolerant and outspoken minority continue to bully and harass hardworking and decent people and businesses is concerning. While of course these left-wing social justice warriors are entitled to free speech people shouldn't be afraid of calling out their hypocrisy and demanding a more civil and respectful discourse.
www.theaustralian.com.au/business/companies/coopers-loses-bottle-after-bible-society-row/news-story/f459c5d3dc0cd5069e6dbf94e5d549a1

And commentator Akos Balogh said this in part:

2. The Public Square is not 'neutral' or 'secular'. Rather, it's a 'battleground of gods'.
As we see the fallout this video has caused in the public square, we need to come to terms with an important issue: the public square is not 'neutral', or even 'secular'. There is no 'neutral' public square, because there are no religiously 'neutral' people. We're all worshippers -- whether we belong (in the words of Augustine) to the community of the 'heavenly city' that worships God, or whether we belong to the community of the 'earthly city', which worships idols.
Thus the public square is a 'battleground of gods', as Christian scholar Jonathan Leeman puts it, 'each vying to push the levers of power in its favour.'
And what we're seeing over the video backlash is the 'god' of the sexual revolution flexing its muscles and dominating more and more of the public square, to the exclusion of all other 'gods':
3. The 'gods' of the sexual revolution want to dominate the public square, and punish any dissent.
Whilst the Christian God has been the dominant player in the Western public square, He has been challenged over the last 50 years, and even more so in the last decade. The sexual revolution is the new 'god on the block', and it's followers have no time for the Christian God, or any of His views on sexuality.
australia.thegospelcoalition.org/article/would-the-beer-drinking-christians-just-shut-up

But what about the BSA?

This entire episode is not just about the cowardly capitulation by Coopers to the homosexual thugs. What about the Bible Society of Australia? Sadly they too have capitulated. They have very quickly pulled the "offending" video, and simply said this where it once was: "We have decided to remove this video. Thank you for your understanding."
vimeo.com/207564550

Um, no, I don't understand. Why did you pull it? Pulling it without a word of explanation was bad enough, but things got much worse real quick. In a television interview, the CEO of BSA, Dr Greg Clarke was asked this question: "The Bible Society does believe in one particular side of this debate, don't you?"

Clarke replied: "We don't have a position no, we are a charity. We work with all the churches. Churches have their own positions, they can be different, and that's the case on all sorts of issues, not just sexuality, but things to do with refugees, with poverty relief..."
www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/liberal-mps-in-marriage-equality-debate-sponsored-by-coopers-beer-bible-society-20170310-guvtsd.html

What? A Bible Society that refuses to take a stance of the biblical view of marriage? Really?! One might as well say that the BSA should have no view on sin, or salvation, or Christ either. One expects a pagan brewer to deny principles and run on expediency and cowardice, but we expect a bit better from a Bible Society.

Of interest, I had someone who works for the BSA actually ask me about all this, and where she could find a copy of the pulled video. I said that the BSA seemed to be as cowardly as Coopers. The gal said she was ashamed of the actions of the BSA. I said they were acting like spineless wonders.

She replied, 'We have to remain impartial.' I replied: Impartial about what God says about marriage -- um, which Bible is being read here!? She said that in her personal capacity she holds the same views as I do on homosexuality and same sex marriage, but she cannot stress that point from a Bible Society perspective.

She went on to say that her job is at stake here. I replied by saying I would pray for wisdom for her, but I also said this: why have I heard similar things in the past, say, by German Christians in the 30s? 'But my job is at stake so I cannot speak out.' Sometimes speaking out is far more important than holding a job.

Sure, it is real tough when you have a family to support, and it may be easy to talk about putting Christian principles first over job security. But I really do believe God is calling us to start being courageous and faith-filled Christians in an increasingly hostile world.

Simply staying true to our biblical convictions will mean that more and more of us will be losing our jobs and facing other very real negative consequences. So who do we really trust here? God, or some employer? We need to start getting real about just what it means to be a true disciple of Christ.

As Melbourne pastor Murray Campbell said about this:

I've had Christian friends suggest to me today, if only the Bible Society had stayed away from same-sex marriage, as though that would keep everybody happy. Respectfully, do we not realise that that is in itself a concession, and is simply buying into the rhetoric of those who wish to outlaw dissenting speech and belief from society?

In some formal sense, free speech will exist tomorrow morning, but in practice, a cacophonous minority have succeeded in shouting down reasoned and respectful speech. I remember one year ago referring to freedom of speech as the gordian knot of our time; well, today the sword has been taken out of its sheath and cut right through the ropes.

Free speech is gone and what we have left is costly speech. To speak truth will cost. To suggest an alternative narrative, will have you branded as bigot, and more.
Again understand, this is not about what is right and fair, or about what is reasonable and respectful, it is about conforming to the program of what Stephen McAlpine has termed, the sexual fundamentalists....
What I am praying is that sleepy Christians will wake up, alert Christians will be humble, and compromising Christians will repent. "Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you." (Revelation 3:2-3)

Christians in this country have too often and wrongly believed that we can have our Christianity and it won't cost us anything. Sure, we recite those verses that talk about talking up our cross, and we nod in agreement, but our lives betray this flimsy assent to Jesus. We have believed the prophets of our time who calmly reassure us that there is peace, when in fact there is no peace. We work and play and make love, and believe the world is ok. We have turned to our false prophets who keep scratching where we itch and assuring us that all is well. But the phoney war has ended, and too many of us have been caught unprepared. We love our hedonistic lifestyle, and I fear many will be unable to let it go in order to follow Christ into this new Australia.
murraycampbell.net/2017/03/13/the-phoney-war-is-over/

What a sorry saga this entire affair has been. We see more homosexual fascism in action; we see more companies bending over backwards to appease the thugs; we see Christian groups backtracking at the slightest hint of opposition and controversy; and we see believers now being forced to ask some hard questions about what it really means to be a Christ-follower in today's dark times.

END