MEDIA RELEASE
For release: Immediate 06/02/2011
The Australian Christian Lobby has asked for both ANZ and IBM to explain why they allowed themselves to be coerced by the homosexual lobby into censoring the On Line Opinion website on the issue of homosexual marriage.
Writing in The Weekend Australian, Christopher Pearson exposed how homosexual activists caused the website On Line Opinion to promise not to post anymore articles against homosexual marriage, after the activists monstered them and their sponsors about an article by Bill Muehlenberg critical of it.
“Anyone involved in trying to defend marriage and the natural structures of family against this lobby, is used to the stream of vitriol and abuse that greets any view contrary to their agenda,” said ACL Managing Director Jim Wallace, “but the silencing of alternate views through On Line Opinion, and who knows what other social and conventional media, is beyond the pail in a democratic society.”
“But we should be especially appalled that ANZ and IBM would submit to the clear tactic of this very aggressive Lobby to close down debate on a very important issue,” said Mr Wallace “and especially when the public at large had no way of knowing that the debate was being censored and would not have expected it to be on a forum for debate of as high standing as On Line Opinion,”.
ACL called on ANZ and IBM to:
- immediately restore their sponsorship to On Line Opinion,
- commit to exerting no further editorial pressure without declaring it publicly, and
- to explain why they had allowed themselves to be co-opted by this lobby into limiting free expression and speech so deceptively, and on a medium in which the public should be able to have full confidence.
“If we are to have a full debate on this issue it must be that,” said Mr Wallace, “not one closed down by abuse and deceptive tactics or corporate pressure and collusion to limit free speech, as we have seen used here by homosexual activists and their apparent allies.“
Thank you for making a stand for open debate on important issues. I was going to open an ANZ account this week but decided not to. Instead, I sent a complaint.
Yes ANZ & IBM need to explain themselves. Thankyou Mr Wallace for calling them to account for their action.
As I have an ANZ account, I have also sent a complaint to the bank requesting an explanation.
Praise the Lord for the work done by the ACL
Thank you for outing IBM and ANZ, I wish there were more people in this world like you.
thanks Jim and the Australian Christian lobby.. I was appalled to read of the outright discrimination and abuse and manipulation by the militant and decidedly Intolerant homosexual lobby metered out to Graham Young ‘s website.Enough is enough. we have a right to free speech
I too will be writing to ANZ expressing my displeasure.
In addition we have in our congregation 2 managers from IBM and will be discussing the situation with them this Sunday. They are strong Christians and will assist in expressing my displeasure to IBM management at head office.
Many thanks for bringing this issue to light
Thanks for bringing this to light. It is very disturbing. It is amazing that the homosexual activists say they are fighting discrimination but they themselves are doing the worst form of it.
I will not being doing business with ANZ and have sent them a complaint.