Tell Me Christians, With Friends Like Dutton, Who Needs Enemies Like Andrews?

Liberal supporters disappointed that Scott Morrison wasn’t interested in fighting the Culture Wars will be dismayed to discover that Peter Dutton seems intent on fighting them, but for the other side.

The Opposition leader took time out from not opposing Net Zero madness to vilify orthodox Christian beliefs last week, describing Christian teaching on homosexuality and abortion as ‘an abomination’.

Dutton’s commentary on the Essendon Football Club’s decision to part ways with their CEO because of his links to the Anglican church began well enough.

He said the media and political pile-on that forced Andrew Thorburn from the job he held for just 24 hours was ‘an egregious attack’ on religious freedom.

Praise the Lord!

But then Dutton suddenly felt the urge to outdo Daniel Andrews in vilifying Christianity, no small feat.

It was like Dutton, having listened to Andrews deride Christianity as ‘absolutely appalling’, told the Victoria Premier: ‘Hold my beer…’

The Liberal leader, turned theologian, told Sky News Australia:

‘The views that have been expressed by a pastor at this church in relation to gay people, or to the issue of abortion – they’re an abomination and I condemn those points that have been made by that particular pastor.’

Tell me Christians, with good friends like Peter Dutton, who needs enemies like Daniel Andrews?

No one can ever accuse the Liberals of playing to their base. These days they spit on it.

I get that some Liberals – even the Liberal leader himself – might be pro-choice. But for the Liberal leader to declare it an ‘abomination’ to believe the mysterious thing detected by the ultrasound in the pregnant woman’s womb is a human being? I mean, it’s not a potato, Mr Dutton.

And I appreciate that some Liberals might want to join their inclusive, diversity-loving Labor colleagues at the front of the next Gay Pride Parade. By all means, Mr Dutton, wave that rainbow flag like your political future depends upon it.

But to condemn the Biblical view of sexuality as an ‘abomination’?

If only the conservative leader spoke in such strong terms about the maddening obsession with destroying the economy in pursuit of Net Zero emissions.

If only he had condemned lockdowns and vaccine mandates as an abomination…

Sigh.

Instead, Mr Dutton saved his most virulent rhetoric since becoming Liberal leader to denounce Christian belief in the sanctity of life and the supremacy of the traditional family unit.

His choice of words was interesting. Christian views on sexuality were an ‘abomination’, Mr Dutton said, and he ‘condemned’ them.

As Dr David van Gend pointed out so brilliantly in this week’s Spectator Australia Magazine, it was the lawgiver Moses who declared about 3,000 years ago that sodomy was an ‘abomination’.

(Christians don’t use language like that anymore.)

And it was the saviour Jesus who, personifying both the law of God and the love of God perfectly all at the same time, told the woman caught in sexual sin that even though she had sinned He would not ‘condemn’ her.

The essence of Christianity, then, is clarity around ideas while exercising charity toward people, and especially toward those with whom we disagree.

It is for this reason that Andrew Thorburn’s pastor can believe homosexuality is wrong while warmly welcoming homosexuals.

And it is for this reason that Andrew Thorburn can believe abortion is tantamount to murder (if indeed that is what he believes) while working graciously alongside women who have had abortions.

But can Christians argue for the sanctity of life and the supremacy of the traditional family unit while belonging to one of the two major parties?

Daniel Andrews reckons Christian views are ‘appalling’. Dutton reckons Christian views are an ‘abomination’.

With Labor and the Liberals appearing to be on a unity ticket when it comes to condemning timeless Christian beliefs, and with 11 million Australians still prepared to identify as appalling and abominable, there are a lot of voters looking for a spiritual home at the next election.

(This article was originally published in The Spectator. If you’re not a subscriber to The Spectator, you can sign up here. Honestly, it’s the best source of conservative opinion available and it deserves to be widely read)