Letter ‘written by Jesus’ threatens storms if Australia doesn’t ban gay marriage
Premier of Tasmania Will Hodgman opposed the reforms (Rob Blakers/Getty)
A letter claiming to be written by a “servant of Jesus” threatens to inflict storms on Tasmania, Australia, unless gay marriage is banned.
The note, discovered in letterboxes around the city of Hobart, warns locals to “repent.”
“This is a warning to turn from your idols, from your drug use, drunkenness,” it reads.
“Thefts, fornications, adulteries. Stop teaching your children the ways of destruction.
“I, Yeshua/Jesus Christ am going to have my way upon Tasmania for its whoredoms,” the note continues.
The letter goes on to call for a ban on abortion and same-sex marriage.
“Plead with your senator to amend the marriage act, ban unbiblical divorce, ban adulterous marriages, ban fornication, ban pornography, ban gay marriage, stop killing the unborn lest I rape your state that there be poverty like you have not seen.”
It adds that storms will strike the region unless these demands are met, saying the “west coast will be shaken in my fury and Launceston will be torn up.”
Australia legalised same-sex marriage in December 2017 after a historic bill was passed in the House of Representatives.
An overwhelming majority of MPs voted to change the Marriage Act, despite campaigns against gay marriage.
Australia legalised same-sex marriage last year (Getty)
Almost 13 million Australians (79.5 percent) voted in the country’s non-binding postal ballot to endorse the law.
The Equality Campaign said: “This Bill ensures every LGBTI Australian will now be treated equally with the same dignity and respect as their fellow Australians and will be able to marry the person they love.
“We would like to thank the tens of thousands of Australians who tirelessly volunteered across the nation.”
It added: “To the many LGBTI Australians who have gone before us – thank you. The YES Campaign salutes you and we are eternally grateful for the path you paved, the path that enables us to be here today. Today is in your honour.”
Supporters of same-sex marriage campaign in Australia (Getty)
The bill includes exemptions for registered religious celebrants, who can refuse to marry same-sex couples on the basis of their faith.
Same-sex couples can adopt children anywhere in Australia, after lawmakers in the Northern Territory added amendments to the NT Adoption of Children Act in March.
“Rainbow Territory strongly supports today’s amendments to the Adoption of Children Act. This is an important law reform,” Sally Cotton, a member of LGBT group Rainbow Territory, said at the time.
“For too long access to adoption had been restricted to married couples. This didn’t reflect the people and families that make up the Territory and directly discriminated against same-sex couples and unmarried couples.”
