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Todd Muller the new leader of the National Party says while he identifies himself as Catholic, his religious beliefs do not inform his politics on issues such as euthanasia, abortion and the LGBT+ community.
That has not satisfied the kind of people who go on twitter says Ryan Bridge in an opinion piece on Newshub.
“People are allowed to debate things, people are allowed to disagree and people are allowed to like things others don’t,” he says.
“But you wouldn’t know it based on the persecution of religion that’s going on at the moment.”
“The “C-word” – the word unacceptable to the kind of people that go on Twitter and say he’s homophobic, anti-women’s rights and because he has a Trump hat, he’s racist too.”
“This is out of control and can I just say as a gay man I have no problem, no issues with somebody else not believing in homosexuality,” Bridge said.
“So long as you don’t spit hate, abuse me, or attack me, I couldn’t give a stuff what you believe in.”
“We live in a free society with freedom of thought but we’ve lost our way.”
“In our pursuit of equality and ridding the world of discrimination, we have strayed into dangerous territory. Territory where views that may not align with ours are sidelined and shutdown.”
Muller says while he voted against abortion and euthanasia, he wouldn’t seek to impose his beliefs on anyone else.
He told Newshub Nation he would not be seeking to overturn the changes introduced by recently passed legislation.
I am a person who holds values that are faith-based, but I have never – and will never, ever – stand up and critique anybody else’s personally-held values,” Muller said.
“I never spoke on those issues when they came to the House because I did not believe that it was my job to stand up and talk to others who had a different view around their thinking.”
“I think they will find me someone who is authentic and is completely comfortable with anybody’s life choices and it doesn’t in any way impact the value set that I have that sits inside me.”
Source
- tvnz.co.nz
- newshub.co.nz
- newshub.co.nz
- nzherald.co.nz
- politik.co.nz
- thespinoff.co.nz
- Image: Nick Perry/AP
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