аЯрЁБс>ўџ 24ўџџџ1џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС%` №Пѕbjbj"x"x . @@ѕџџџџџџЄЄЄЄЄЄЄЄИ€€€€ Œ И* ЖЄЄЄЄЄЄЄЄЉ Ћ Ћ Ћ Ћ Ћ Ћ $р hHDЯ ЄнЄЄннЯ ЄЄЄЄф y y y н ЄЄЄЄЉ y нЉ y y ЄЄy Є˜ я–ћоŸЫ€ч"y Љ њ 0* y Œ 8Œy ŒЄy 0Є>т,y $2ЋЄЄЄЯ Я A 8ЄЄЄ* ннннИИИЄ\$ИИИ\ИИИЄЄЄЄЄЄџџџџ To the КкСЯЧщБЈеО Dear Commissioners, I write briefly to comment on the current Consultation into the Federal Protections from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and sex and/or gender identity. Firstly, may I congratulate the Commission in its ongoing endeavours to make Australia a more equitable and less discriminatory society. Without question some people do experience unwarranted discrimination due to sexual orientation and or gender identity. Some measures could helpfully be implemented to assist these people. Nevertheless as with almost all discussion of implementation and legislation of 'rights' a fair appraisal of the impact on others equally valid and valuable rights within our society needs to be taken into account. There are a number of potential competing rights at play here. In particular as the Commissions recent Freedom of Religion and Belief Project, discovered on of those right significantly under threat in Australian society is the freedom to believe and practice any religion in Australia. From a Christian viewpoint, all human beings are made in the image of God and need to have their dignity respected and be cared for. There is, in particular, a clear Biblical imperative to have compassion for the vulnerable, including outsiders. It is on this firm basis that I support laws to prevent discrimination against people on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. I also encourage moves to ensure the dignity and respect of people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered and that they are cared for and not mistreated. This judgement/determination can be made simply because of all humanities shared being under God. I think the Bible teaches this for all people whether they assent to God's existence or not. Yet at the same time, religious freedom is also an important human right and one that needs to be protected. From the inception of Human Rights frameworks and legislation this has been a critical and fundamental right to protect. There may be instances in which conforming to certain religious doctrines and beliefs may result in people feeling the need to apply some discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, just as it may for existing anti-discrimination laws such as those proscribing discrimination on the grounds of sex. I know that many submission where made outlining a substantial basis for this position to the AHRC in relation to its inquiry into Freedom of Religion and Belief in the 21st century. In particular I would direct you to the Standing Committee of the General Synod of the Anglican Church submission, which you should be familiar with. It sets out the Public Affairs Commission of the Anglican Church of Australia's concerns about the importance of religious freedom and its recommendations, especially in clauses 13 and 14 of the submission about the need for exemptions from anti-discrimination laws in circumstances where the discrimination is derived from the doctrines, tenets, beliefs or teachings of a particular religion or creed, provided that it is made in good faith, is not arbitrary and is consistently applied. In this regard, the PAC notes that s37 of the Federal Sex Discrimination Act provides similar exemptions for religious bodies and your discussion paper suggests that such exemptions could be applied to legislation against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and sex or gender identity as well. Such exemptions should be tailored to protect religious freedom and be limited to situations where the religious doctrines or protection of the religious susceptibilities of adherents require such discrimination. There may be instances where such religious doctrines may require discrimination in employment or appointment to certain roles or that preferences be given, but not in relation to whom services of compassion are provided. In conclusion I do believe that there is a way forward here where both valid desires and concerns could be meet. Where the undue discrimination some in our society experience could be curbed without unduly enforcing a type of discrimination against the diversity of religious belief and practice. However this will only be achieved if ideological positions can be rested for the sake of a cohesive, albeit multi-vocal and multi-praxis society. I note that I have missed the public forum to discuss these matters with each other in the presence of a facilitator, but would be more than happy to interact further with the Commission on this issue. X w "#МŽЎєѕќјќјќєќєќ№h'Бhe hЃxцh_ћ +,ABя1 2 їjlѕњњњњњњњњњњњњњgd_ћ ѕў,1hА‚. 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