24 June 19
Israel Folau’s fundraising Gofundme page has been removed from its website, and the company is issuing refunds to all his donors, saying the campaign breached its terms of service.
Question: What are your terms of service? How were they supposedly breached?
Their statement reads “Today we will be closing Israel Folau’s campaign and issuing full refunds to all donors. After a routine period of evaluation, we have concluded that this campaign violates our terms of service,” GoFundMe’s Australia regional manager Nicola Britton said.
“As a company, we are absolutely committed to the fight for equality for LGBTIQ people and fostering an environment of inclusivity. While we welcome GoFundMes engaging in diverse civil debate, we do not tolerate the promotion of discrimination or exclusion.
Question: How has Israel’s ‘gofundme’ breached or stomped on your ‘values’ of equality?
“In the days since Mr Folau’s campaign launched, more than one million dollars have been donated to hundreds of other campaigns, large and small, across Australia. Those acts of kindness are the heart of GoFundMe.
RELATED: Fierce reaction to GoFundMe’s move
“Our platform exists to help people help others. Australians have shown themselves to be among the most kind and generous people in the world. We look forward to helping more Australians fundraise for causes they care about in the coming months and years.”
According to the terms and conditions on the website, users may not attempt to raise money “for the legal defence of … intolerance of any kind relating to race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, sex, gender or gender identity, or serious disabilities or diseases”.
Question: What about raising funds for a court case where a citizen has been terminated from his/her employment for his religious beliefs?
Since the shutdown Martyn Iles of the Australian Christian Lobby has posted a Facebook message declaring the fundraising battle would continue. “Yes, GoFundMe has pulled the page. People are actively working on a solution,” he wrote.
“For now, I won’t be able to keep updating beyond this as things are completely insane at my end.”
Israel Folau with Australian Christian Lobby managing director Martyn Iles. Picture: FacebookSource:Facebook
Folau was widely criticised over the weekend after asking the public to donate $3 million to fund his legal fight against Rugby Australia, which terminated his contract in May over Instagram posts claiming “hell awaits” gay people.
He has launched legal proceedings with the Fair Work Commission, and is seeking up to $10 million in damages.
When news.com.au last viewed Folau’s page this morning,more than 9800 Australians had given him a total of $760,000. That was before GoFundMe removed it.
There are still 137 pages related to Folau on the website. A number of them are raising money for pro-LGBT charities, though others are more gratuitous.
The backlash against Folau also extended to Change.org over the weekend, where 95,000 people signed a petition demanding GoFundMe remove his campaign.
Comment: Ahhh …..And there’s the rub, The spirited and intolerant left caused the off shore US company through the Change.org petition to review its ‘policy’ and come up with an excuse to boot Falou off the gravy train.
“Like anyone else, he had an employment contact. As an adult, he made a conscious decision to breach that contract by discriminating against various groups of people globally,” said the petition’s organiser, Jay Taylor.
“He is entitled to be religious. He is entitled to free speech. What he is not entitled to is disgraceful behaviour, blatant discrimination and to expect the public to mop up his mess when he most certainly has the means to do it himse(l)f.”
Comment: Well guess what happens now, falou like him or hate him will probably have a new site up in days, and like the blues in last nights NRL State of Origin will run away with donations over $1.5 Million.
RELATED: Lisa grills Australian Christian Lobby boss
RELATED: Liz Ellis explodes at Netball Australia over stance on Folaus
Folau has no shortage of defenders. Liberal National Party Senator James McGrath reacted swiftly to GoFundMe’s decision today.
“The true test of a democratic nation is not how we treat those with whom we agree but how we treat the rights of those with whom we disagree,” he said.
“Freedom of speech is timeless and should not be restricted by the leftist gormless oxygen thieves of GoFundMe.”
Senator Eric Abetz phoned in to Ben Fordham’s show on 2GB this afternoon, calling it political correctness “gone absolutely mad”.
He said GoFundMe was still willing to host “the funding of a mosque in Western Australia” on its site, so “clearly it’s not an issue of religion”.
“The hypocrisy and doublespeak is there for everyone to see,” he said.
Yesterday, Folau posted an update to his GoFundMe page, thanking those who had donated to his cause.
“Unsurprisingly, I have been criticised by Rugby Australia and some members of the media,” Folau said.
“I have received thousands of messages from supporters who believe discrimination in the workplace is wrong and has no place in Australia or anywhere else.
“While the attacks against me have shown I have a big fight on my hands, I will stand strong. Your support and my faith will give me strength.”
He told people who were not in a position to donate that he would also value their prayers and messages of support. “Every little bit will help,” he said.
Mr Abetz’s leader, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, told reporters in Perth he thought the Folau issue “has had enough oxygen”.
Martyn Iles, the head of the Australian Christian Lobby, said people were “working on a solution” in response to GoFundMe’s move. The organisation was backing Folau’s fundraising effort, and Mr Iles has been his most vocal supporter in the media.
Yesterday, Folau posted an update to his GoFundMe page, thanking those who had donated to his cause.
“Unsurprisingly, I have been criticised by Rugby Australia and some members of the media,” Folau said.
“I have received thousands of messages from supporters who believe discrimination in the workplace is wrong and has no place in Australia or anywhere else.
“While the attacks against me have shown I have a big fight on my hands, I will stand strong. Your support and my faith will give me strength.”
He told people who were not in a position to donate that he would also value their prayers and messages of support. “Every little bit will help,” he said.
Israel Folau won’t wear the Wallaby jersey again. Picture: AFPSource:AFP
Coercion Code - "Dark Times are upon us" 
You know what, the oh so intolerant left will one day have their smug smiles wiped well and truly clean off their faces when Yeshua returns. Then they will all find out how wrong they have been, and how dumbed down by satan they became. Gods moral laws will trump every man made satanic law in the end Lance. Its what we cling to, when dealing with the blatant hatred for God, his bible, his laws and christians by the left and the militant lgbt mob. God will not be mocked. They may think they have won this war, but satan is just deluding them all, so he can take every person not on Gods side to hell. Once there they wont be thinking its the great place where all the cool people will be, and they will be able to party with them all. Cant tell you how many times we see those against God, post crap like that. They will be in hell one nanosecond, and will be wishing straight away they changed their minds beforehand about God and his laws.It sure is getting hard to have any semblance of compassion for those hurtling so fast to hell, when its their own reprobate minds and hearts sending them there. You tell them the truth, and their way of dealing with it, is to viciously attack God, the bible and christians with such nastiness and hate. You can surely see the character of satan and demons spewing forth out of people in today’s world.
Just like God said would happen. Look at the scriptures to do with the end times, and every single one of them are so correct of our world.
1This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God
People say God doesn’t exist. Well then how come he prophesied just what the world and people would be like in the end times, a couple of thousand yrs beforehand. God sure got it right, because he doesn’t lie , only satan does. Sad that the majority of the world today and many in the church, have fallen for satan’s lies.Because its gonna cost them an eternity in heaven if they never repent,but it will be too late then to do anything about it.