Famous, had become one of three best all time best Australian rugby backs of all time.

You wouldn't forget he was a superstar of the other rugby code before he switched to Rules and then to rugby.

Rugby league should open its arms wide to receive him back. Hopefully the rubbish surrounding his outbursts on social media won't stop him. We would all love him back.

I'm game Richard but you have to remember that I'm a vegetarian and couldn't possibly touch a leather ball.

Is their by any chance a hidden agenda behind the statements made by Mr Folau. "Puppet on a string under manipulation etc.

I can go back to Ian Paisley and his sidekick Rev Wylie in Ballymoney, Ireland, in the 1950's when as a young man I listened to their outlandish religious outpourings, incitement is perhaps a more apt description.

The British Crown saw fit to make him a peer of the realm, Lord Banside.

Liam Neeson the famous actor comes from the next nearest big town, Ballymena, where Paisley had one of his Free Presbyterian houses of worship.

Now Neeson, who is a good practising Catholic, didn't let that stop him from going along to Paisley's sermons, where he was gaining much acting tutelage from the great man thundering from his pulpit. Em Tasol. Slainte.

Phil - Exactly. When is a statement made in the public domain.

If any writer expresses his or her opinion in the social media platform and restricts reading to members of the closed group, is it then within the public domain or alternatively what if Israel had made his comments only within the earshot of his Christian brethren is that then also within the auspices of the public domain.

This issue is bound to get bogged down in semantics.
_________

In defamation law, two or more people and you're in trouble. A closed social media group would not save you - KJ

Or perhaps if Rugby Australia had simply issued a statement saying that Folau's opinions are his own and do not reflect the views of Rugby Australia Harry?

As it currently stands Rugby Australia has played into the hands of the Christian Right who will now use him as a martyr for their cause.

With a member of that Christian right now prime minister of Australia anything could happen.

Chris, You mentioned "Any move to legislate for freedom of religious belief...".
Isn't freedon of religion already guaranteed in the Australian constitution?

Israel Folau's intemperate and unwise foray into public life through the expression of his extreme religious views has opened a veritable Pandora's Box.

He has, however sincerely held his beliefs may be, ignited a firestorm of criticism and anger from those who he says will go to hell. Many who privately share his views might wish that he had kept them to himself.

Worse still, I think that his case will be red meat to the religious conservatives within the newly re-elected Morrison government, who are going to renew their push to enact legislative protection for the right to hold and express religious beliefs.

Any move to legislate for freedom of religious belief will merely add petrol to the flames of this very divisive and highly emotional debate.

From a purely practical standpoint, drafting such legislation is fraught with difficulty. After all, the same rules to give freedom of religious belief to Christians like Folau, must logically apply to the followers of Islam, Buddhism, Shinto, Scientology, Zoroastrianism and so on.

A legislative licence for Israel Folau to spout his repugnant beliefs also is a licence for those who follow ISIS or any one of the innumerable crackpot religious cults that abound on this planet.

A sensible politician will run screaming from the room rather than get into a debate on a topic where rationality and logic cannot possibly prevail against the irrational power of supernatural belief.

In the modern world, faith trumps truth in more ways than one.

History shows that disputes and wars over religious belief are easily ignited and incredibly difficult to extinguish. The collateral damage in death, destruction and human misery has been immense.

The supposed triumph of enlightenment and tolerance was thought to have put paid to such savagery, but it continues to lurk in the shadows, ever ready to spring to life once more.

ISIS is but the latest example of toxic and appalling religious fanaticism being unleashed, mostly upon the powerless and helpless.

Irrespective of whether you think Israel Folau was within his rights or not, only a fool would wish to unleash the sleeping monster of religious intolerance.

This is exactly what I fear the religious right in our Parliament will do because they risk upsetting the delicate balance between the tolerance of diversity and the holding of sometimes very strong religious beliefs that has largely been maintained over the last 150 years or so.

"War is peace, freedom is slavery and ignorance is strength" - George Orwell.

Robert, I am about half way through your book and the descriptive passages of dusk in Bundi with the Imbrum River and evening meals are quite fascinating.