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@johnpauldickson @EternityNews The Victorian ‘Conversion Therapy’ Bill has, as one of its objects, to ‘promote understanding of…practices under this Act’. All of us can contribute to this, regardless of doctrine. My understanding of the Bill for ‘conservative’ pastors is below.
Let me start personally. I have degrees in theology & law & am a PhD candidate studying religious freedom. I’ve worked as a pastor and spent most of my life in ‘conservative’ churches to the present day. I gave advice to the report that informed this Bill.
I’m still learning, most of all from those at the core of the Bill, many of whom call themselves survivors. I have spent years listening to the stories of survivors. Their experiences are hugely diverse. Some get by fairly unscathed.
More commonly, the effects of these practices is comparable with sexual abuse. So if you haven’t already, read the Preventing Harm, Promoting Justice Report. Better still, seek to speak with survivors. Survivors can come from ordinary, moderate evangelical churches.
Survivors talk about how unremarkable spiritual practices accrue over time. How words turn into poisonous shame & self-loathing. The Bill cannot be understood without understanding the experience of survivors. But we must recognise other sides.
I accept & know from experience that not all the practices & teachings are this harmful for all. People are different & a liberal society allows space for people to live according to their deeply held convictions, which are diverse.
A liberal society must allow space for people to form their views & live by them. Does the Bill do this? The Bill does ‘capture’ mundane spiritual practices. But it’s wrong to conclude that this criminalises everyday conservative ministry for 2 reasons.
(1) ‘captured’ practices are specific & rare ministry settings. Ministry not ‘directed’ to a person on the basis of their sexuality/gender ID is fine, such as general preaching, teaching, prayer, counselling, etc.
In my experience it’s rare for a pastor to be in a setting involving the specific ministry within (1). But if so, be alert to the wellbeing of the congregant. If in doubt refer individuals to a qualified health professional. Doing so protects them & makes this law irrelevant.
(2) it’s essential to read the WHOLE Bill, esp the 2 schemes that respond to (1). The criminal scheme (Part 2) is only relevant to very serious, negligent acts. Any responsible pastor already wants to avoid causing objective injury to a congregant.
The civil scheme is vital for conservative pastors. Most important is that your participation is VOLUNTARY, s 31; except for reportable (criminal) offences. The scheme is designed to facilitate dialogue & reduce serious, significant harm. The scheme is NOT coercive.
I realise the Bill has raised legitimate questions. There is a lot of misinformation. Seek legal advice from those not involved in campaigning. But above all, seek to learn from survivors themselves. After years, I still learn more everyday about this difficult issue.
