The Victorian State government (Australia) wants to expand its anti-vilification legislation to include a laundry list of additional attributes, including disability, gender identity, sexual characteristics, and sexual orientation. If such an expansion is passed, it will become illegal in Victoria to offend people who are disabled, trans, non-binary, or “sexually diverse”. Maximum prison sentences will be up to three to five years.

The legal thresholds for what constitutes vilification will be lowered. Currently, one must “incite hatred” to breach the law. Under the proposed changes, however, speech that is “likely to incite” will become a criminal offence. Under such a standard, almost all speech referring to those with protected attributes – regardless of intent or context – could be deemed criminal. This means journalists, writers, comedians, academics, artists and activists will all be open to prosecution.

This new orthodoxy operates on multiple levels. First, it holds that speech inflicts harm equivalent to physical violence, which means stringent controls must be placed on expression. Second, it establishes a hierarchy of moral authority based on perceived victimhood, where some voices are deemed more virtuous than others. Third, it promotes a series of dogmas about identity, privilege, and systemic oppression that brook no dissent. This means debate is off the table.

Melbourne’s beloved Midsumma Festival, which takes place from January 19 through February 9, 2020—during Australia’s summer—draws tens of thousands of participants from the Melbourne metro area, all over Australia, and, increasingly, throughout the world. The city’s Gay Business Association started the festival in 1988 to celebrate the Melbourne queer community’s arts and culture.

Like any religion, this belief system has its own heresies. Questioning the concept of gender fluidity, expressing concern about biological males in women’s sports, or suggesting that factors other than discrimination might contribute to disparities between groups – all these become dangerous utterances, potentially worthy of legal sanction.

Just as heretics once faced inquisitions for challenging church doctrine, today’s dissenters risk social ostracism, professional ruin, and potentially legal consequences for transgressing this new moral code. Victoria’s shift represents a fundamental reimagining of the role of government in a liberal democracy. Rather than serving as a neutral arbiter, protecting the rights of citizens who have equality before the law, the state is now becoming the enforcer of a particular worldview. It’s a vision where the government not only dictates what citizens can say, but what they must believe.

This will just intensify the persecution of Christians which fulfils one of the many Biblical prophesied end-times signs. It will also ensure Australia comes under the escalating judgement of God.

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:9-13

Taken from an article in The Australian by Claire Lehmann. She is the founding editor of Quillette online magazine.