New Australian Law Makes Certain Prayers 'Unlawful'

As Vice President J.D. Vance warns about the suppression of Christians' free speech rights, a new law in a Western nation makes "praying with or over a person" in some circumstances "unlawful even if that person has asked you to pray for them." Making the wrong kind of intercession for someone in this U.S. ally could land a believer up to five years in prison.

The government of the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) explains the newly enacted Conversion Practices Ban Act 2024 allows "prayer" or expression of any "religious belief" only if it is not "directed to changing or suppressing an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity." The bill -- which took effect last Friday, April 4 -- bans any speech the government classifies as attempting to change someone's LGBTQIA2S+ status, with a maximum penalty of "imprisonment for 5 years."

"The Conversion Practices Ban Act 2024 does not prohibit prayer. However, praying with or over a person with the intent to change or suppress their sexuality or gender identity is unlawful. It is unlawful even if that person has asked you to pray for them to be able to change or suppress their sexuality or gender identity," explains Anti-Discrimination NSW, the state government body that fields discrimination complaints under the law. (It also has "investigation, education and research functions.")

Christian clergy have the right to make "statements of belief or principle about gender, sexuality, marriage, celibacy or homosexuality in documentation or on a website" or to hold studies about those topics -- but only "as long as the statement is not targeted at an individual to change or suppress their sexual orientation or gender identity."

Presumably, the law would criminalize someone who said a word as short as "repent."

These kinds of "prayer or pastoral conversations" are "damaging to the whole community," states an explainer video from Anti-Discrimination NSW. "Faith and [LGBTW] identity are not mutually exclusive." 

"This is a terrible new law in this Australian state, and they aren't even trying to hide it," Arielle Del Turco, director of the Center for Religious Liberty at Family Research Council and co-author of "Heroic Faith: Hope Amid Global Persecution," told The Washington Stand. "According to the state government's own admission from their website, this law will prevent a pastor or any believer from praying with someone who is asking for prayer for freedom from gender identity issues."

"What right does this state government have to ban someone from praying for a person who is specifically asking for it?" asked Del Turco. "It's difficult to think of a more obvious violation of religious freedom."

Lawmakers rushed the bill through the assembly with just 24 hours deliberation, according to Christian Schools Australia. Chris Minns, premier (governor) of New South Wales and a member of the Labour Party, signed it. Alex Greenwich, an independent member of the Legislative Assembly who identifies as LGBT, authored the bill in the name of "equality," insisting, "We should not have a situation where children are being told something is wrong with them and that they need to be fixed."

"This isn't equality. This is a radical apostasy law -- criminalising conversion one way while promoting it the other," agreed Kurt Mahlburg, a writer for the Australian Christian website, The Daily Declaration. He cited a number of Bible verses instructing believers to repent and change their ways (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Ephesians 4:22-24; and Colossians 3:5-10).

The bill comes as Vice President J.D. Vance warned of the West's "backslide away from conscience rights" and "deterioration of fundamental freedoms" at the Munich Security Conference on February 14. He specifically stated that multiple European governments' have "placed the basic liberties of religious believers in the crosshairs."

For instance, the Scottish government sent a letter threatening any resident who prays "in a private place (such as a house)" if the prayers "can be seen or heard" within a free speech restriction zone that surrounds abortion facilities. The government will punish such prayers if the Christian is deemed to have prayed "intentionally or recklessly."

Del Turco chronicled numerous additional instances in a new FRC study released last week titled "Is Prayer a Crime? Government Restrictions on Prayer in Europe." Her report highlighted the stories of eight British Christians arrested for praying outside abortion facilities, often silently.

Similar "conversion therapy" bans may be coming throughout the West. Laying out the legislative priorities of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour Party, King Charles announced in his King's Speech last summer, "A draft bill will be brought forward to ban conversion practices."

"The Christian Institute has obtained legal advice from leading King's Counsel on every attempt to legislate for conversion therapy in the UK and every time those KCs have advised that there are multiple risks to the human rights of innocent parents, pastors and professionals," explained The Christian Institute's Deputy Director Simon Calvert. "Extending the law to criminalise casual conversations -- as anti-conversion therapy activists have demanded -- would punish the innocent, not the guilty." 

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has also promoted a so-called "conversion therapy" ban in a letter last September 17 "promoting equality and inclusion." She wrote that "equality in all of its senses" must include eradicating all forms of "harassment ... including online," and "banning the practice of conversion therapy." She also called for "resolute actions to address discrimination and hate speech."

A total of 22 U.S. states make it illegal to practice reparative therapy: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, and Washington. So does the District of Columbia. But thanks to the First Amendment, none do -- or can -- presume to regulate the content of people's prayers.

New South Wales is Australia's most populous state, with approximately one-third of the nation's population.

Originally published at The Washington Stand