Australia’s New South Wales Attorney General (NSW) reaffirmed last week that it would prohibit praying for people who are struggling sexually, even if they demand it.
Lyle Shelton, the national director of family First Australia’s political parties and a candidate for the Senate seat, said on Friday (September 5) that Attorney General Michael Daly reaffirmed the ban during a session of parliament.
On March 22, 2024, the NSW Congress banned LGBTQA conversion practices. This came into effect on April 4th this year when the Prohibition of Conversion Practices Act (NSW) was enacted in 2024. The law includes a prohibition on “performing rituals, such as exorcisms or prayer-based practices to change or suppress someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity.”
“Prayers are now illegal in NSW,” Shelton said on LinkedIn. “If a mother, father, pastor, or friend prays with someone who asks for help to follow God’s Word, they could face sanctions.”
Calling prayers freedom rather than crimes, the party leader said the government “has no business” to decide which prayers are legal or illegal.
He pledged to introduce laws to restore freedom to pray for those seeking it, specifically to restore “the right to pray for those who pray for unwanted same-sex attractions and gender confusion.”
“Prayer is at the heart of religious freedom,” Shelton said. “If anyone asks prayers to live in their faith, that’s an extraordinary overreach for the government to make it illegal.”
This commitment comes after Susan Carter, a liberal member of the Legislative Council, made it clear in Congress that some prayers would be illegal, even if people were free to ask for it.
“I want to thank Susan Carter for the courage to ask questions no one else would do,” Shelton said. “She asked a simple question: whether prayers could be banned from Attorney General Michael Daly. His answer was shocking.”
The family’s first press release cited Daly as saying to Congress: “If you pray with a particular person to try to change or suppress a person’s sexuality or gender being illegal, or if it’s an illegal prayer, then it’s not a legal prayer.”
Shelton protested that the government estimates that it will determine which prayers are permitted.
“Daily acknowledged that the government asserts its right to define some prayers as “illegal,” Shelton added. “It’s a direct attack on NSW’s religious freedom. It’s sober to think that a mother, father, pastor, or friend can face sanctions to pray with those who explicitly sought prayer to help them follow God’s Word.”
The family first said government regulations should never cut the right to pray.
“Prayer has always been about change. Critical circumstances, change in heart, change in life. Criminating prayer someone demands is an incredible overdue of national power to the private and spiritual life of citizens,” Shelton said. “Families will act first. If elected, we will introduce laws to restore simple freedom for people to pray with those who seek it. The government should not have the power to prohibit prayer.”
Shelton also urged church leaders and others not to threaten new laws.
“The early churches prayed for boldness in the face of threats (Acts 4:29),” he said. “It remains our call today. The family will become the voice of Congress and ensure that ideologies disguised as law do not trample on prayer and religious freedom.”
