The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference says the Albanese Government’s misinformation bill leaves a question mark over what is considered a “reasonable” religious belief. Source: The Daily Telegraph.
The bill, which is being debated in Parliament this week, is designed to regulate and stamp out misinformation and disinformation on digital platforms.
“Some people consider elements of religious belief to be misinformation,” the ACBC said in a new submission to the parliamentary inquiry into the misinformation and disinformation bill.
“If aspects of dialogue are silenced in the search for truth in an environment where the very existence of objective truth is contested, how can a person truly be free to seek the truth? Who decides what is objectively true in a pluralist society?”
The ACBC has previously made a submission panning the first iteration of the bill and said the second version still had serious flaws.
“The bill is a significant improvement on the exposure draft but leaves open the question is what is considered ‘reasonable’.”
Meanwhile, a controversial Sydney Assyrian church where a priest was allegedly stabbed over his political and religious opinions is railing against the bill, claiming “faith teaches us to seek truth and censorship should not be the solution”.
The Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley came into the spotlight after its bishop, Mar Mari Emmanuel, was allegedly stabbed by a teenager over controversial political comments he made in sermons and shared online.
“The misinformation bill threatens to interfere with the critical work that our church does through its online content,” the church said.
“Our social media accounts serve as platforms to share the teachings of Christ, provide spiritual guidance, and foster a sense of community among our followers.”
FULL STORY
‘Troubling’: Wakeley stabbing Bishop slams Labor’s misinformation bill (By Angira Bharadwaj, The Daily Telegraph)
