Hypocrisy, thy name is David Shoebridge MP (Greens)

NOTHING makes Leftist heads explode like Christian leaders who venture an opinion outside the four walls of the church.

So when Hillsong Pastor Brian Houston dared to question government restrictions on church services, NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge was immediately triggered.

The self-described social justice activist tweeted:

This is the same Greens MP who ignored health advice and marched through the streets of Sydney with 20,000 “Black Lives Matter” protesters in June.

This is the same Greens MP who ignored health advice and visited a remote indigenous community just two days after the BLM march, much to the dismay of indigenous leaders who claimed he was putting lives in danger.

And this is the same Greens MP who said not a word when, in July, the Auburn Gallipoli Mosque in Sydney’s west was given permission to host 400 worshipers.

But when the leader of Australia’s largest Christian church suggested health restrictions might be eased for churches, the Greens MP was suddenly more concerned about public health than Florence Nightingale.

“Let’s hope science trumps faith,” he tweeted, to the delight of his followers who loved that that he had created a false dichotomy between science and faith whilst managing to get “trump” in there as an added bonus.

But Mr Shoebridge didn’t explain the “science” that says it is safe from December 1 for 300 guests to attend a wedding but not a church service.

Nor did Mr Shoebridge explain the “science” that says it is safe for Hillsong’s 4000 seat auditorium to have 100 people but not 200 or 500 or 1500 people.

Mr Shoebridge didn’t explain the science because he couldn’t. There is no science behind these arbitrary rules.

At best, Christian churches have been forgotten by politicians seeking to ease COVID-19 restrictions. At worst, Christian churches are being discriminated against.

And Mr Shoebridge’s assertion that churches wanting to open were acting unreasonably because, you know, “faith”, was nothing but a cheap caricature of the Christian community.

Pastor Houston said on Monday:

“Churches can be trusted to abide by the rules, as we have done every step of the way. We are all committed to keeping people safe, but it seems churches are not even being considered for steadily relaxing restrictions.”

Unlike the BLM protests that Mr Shoebridge supported, Pastor Houston said he was committed to obeying the law.

And unlike the Auburn Gallipoli Mosque that Mr Shoebridge supported, Hillsong was not asking for any special exemption from restrictions.

Pastor Houston was simply asking to be held to the same standard as other venues that host gatherings.

This wasn’t about “faith” so much as fairness; fairness that the Greens love to go on and on about, unless it’s got to do with the church.

“Brian Houston from Hillsong is once again trying to pressure the Liberal Party to deliver for his church,” Mr Shoebridge complained, as if a citizen asking his elected representatives for help was somehow sinister.

Perhaps Mr Shoebridge considers Christians to be second class citizens.

Or maybe Mr Shoebridge is just miffed that a single bunch of happy clappers in Sydney’s west attract twice as many people every Sunday as the Greens have members nationally.

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James Macpherson is a sought after international speaker with a background in journalism at the Courier Mail and Daily Telegraph. He previously pastored a significant church in Australia and South Africa. James' weekly Good Sauce podcast comes out every Tuesday. He also writes regularly for The Spectator.