Family First National Director and NSW Legislative Council candidate Lyle Shelton has renewed his call for taxpayer funding to be withdrawn from arts activities which mock Christianity, asking whether Australia’s arts establishment would dare treat Islam in the same way.
“The answer is of course no and Christians are tired of our elites’ double standards,” Mr Shelton said.
His renewed call follows the Museum of Contemporary Art’s announcement that the controversial Divine Playhouse will return as UNHOLY / DIVINE for three nights in October.
The program includes “An Unholy Funeral – The Death of Divine” and events built around religious themes including “resurrection”, “forbidden fruits” and “confessions”.
“The arts community seems remarkably courageous when Christianity is the target,” Mr Shelton said.
“I cannot conceive of a taxpayer-supported Australian arts institution staging an ‘unholy’ parody of Islam, appropriating Islamic worship and sacred imagery for entertainment.
“Nor should it.
“There would rightly be enormous sensitivity about mocking the beliefs of Muslims. Why is Christianity fair game?”
The original Divine Playhouse received $100,000 from the Minns Government through Create NSW before attracting controversy over its treatment of Christian imagery.
Mr Shelton said artists had every right to produce material which Christians found offensive, but taxpayers should not be forced to pay for it.
“This is not about censorship. It is about taxpayers’ money,” he said.
“If our cultural institutions would hesitate before treating Islam this way, they should ask themselves why they think Christianity deserves less respect.”
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