A crowd of 40,000 people is expected to gather at ANZ Stadium for the NRL grand final on Sunday evening. But a church service that morning will bePeople of faith are being ignored and treated differently to other groups, like sports fans. People at weddings can dance and presumably sing to the music. Sporting crowds can cheer, yell and hug. But church groups are still being prevented from singing, an act of worship that forms an important part of Christian services across all denominations.
The state government has just announced that religious gatherings – which have been limited to 100 people – will be allowed to include 300 people from Friday. While this increase will assist some organisations, larger churches are still being prevented from gathering, at the very time people need spiritual and emotional input. It shouldn’t be “one size fits all”. An auditorium that can seat thousands is different to a smaller venue.
Faith is important to many Australians and meeting in community is a vital part of their lives. Hillsong Church – like others across our nation – has not met in person since March. Our transition to online services took considerable resources, but connection during a time of separation is vital to wellbeing.During this time our Hillsong CityCare arm has reached out to thousands of people who are struggling. Like other churches, we do this with enthusiasm and a heart to help the hurting.
When we meet together as a church, we are ministering to children, young people, families, single people, the elderly and those who are dealing with life’s challenges. At this time of COVID-19 isolation and distress, all of us – more than ever – need the fellowship, comfort, encouragement and support that can be found within a church community. For some it’s the difference between wellbeing and adverse mental health. To others right now, it could be a matter of life or death.
We understand the need for precautions, and no one is suggesting that church auditoriums should be overflowing. Church services can adhere to social distancing in many ways better than weddings or sporting events.With Christmas approaching, Australians will once again be drawn to faith and hope and want to assemble together to worship. I urge the government to change their thinking and open churches in a way that is consistent and fair.
Bad fckg luck. Nobody cares about Hill Song. Pathetic story.
300 is much better than 100
Cult and scam
The Gilead Morning Herald? Seriously, are you this hard up for opinion piece writers these days?
Or moneybags preachermen, more like...
It's all about the money with these people.
Chime in all the hate speech that Twitter and Zuckenflog happily ignore, whilst they censor conservative views... 🙄
I want a government that will declassify Hillsong as a church revoking it's tax exemption. It's an entertainment company masquerading as a religious organisation.
Well we could always revert to the smaller number then. Now that it’s ok by the Pope will you start to encourage marriage by the LBGTQ within your faith
What? Jesus this paper is shithouse! Fancy giving column space to this character.
Start paying tax. Your running a business.
Pay taxes and you might have a say
Wedding parties are not allowed to dance only the bride and groom. Guests remain seated in NSW. The halls of large churches could safely fit more than 300 per meeting with distancing of 2 or 4 Sqm and no singing perhaps? 🤷♀️
Jesus would be repulsed - as he was by the ostentatious hypocrisy of the Pharisees
Who worships? Pray to any god you like at home. Why pay to talk to your god! It’s a ruse! Money grabbing church/cults are in it for their power or your money. Pray at home!
Poor guys pockets aren't being filled quick enough anymore.
Now I would say $12MILLION in the kick is a tidy sum, but it likely Brian Houston has much more stashed and his business earns tax free. Why have a $$$ invested user for this article rather than a real spiritual leader
Don't need to be in a pedo hall to worship
Stuff as many as you can in there and lock the doors for 14 days, win/win, everyone’s happy, sing hallelujah. It’s not science. Rocket science. Not.
Could keep the peadophiles away from the kids. Shame COVID wasn't around when his sick & twisted old man was running the cult
Does he get Chaplaincy dollars? Homelessness budget had $40 million rediced in Morrison's Recession with $61.2 million added to Chaplaincy budget, meanwhile Smirko feigns disgust & anger at Oz Post for their self-serving largesse
Bugger!!!!
Hillsong Church is just a scam to collect money. They live off the hand-outs of frightened people. The big donations are only from people who 'want' something in return - like access to certain people.
It may be payback for the blatant pedophilia, rampant in Hillsong,and other pseudo Christian groups..Im actually surprised they aren’t all banned..
As a Christian, God is present with me everywhere not just a Church. Lead by example and follow the rules that are the safety for everyone not lining your own pockets.
Why do they have to worship in a stadium ?
Shouldn't that be 'self appointed senior scam artist'
He needs an audience, because it’s all about ego & money, not any God.
Sorry Brian, but your 'worshipper's' are beyond help... 😂
I think he means his church cannot collect as much money. IMHO.
Brian Houston should piss right off
Church is for socialisation. You can worship in your own house!
Houston is only interested in money.
Brian Houston does nothing about child sexual abuse
Wait, isn’t that CSA cover-up man?
Unless the service is fairly large, most common churches generally don't usually have 300 people in attendance. Unless...you miss out on the 'offering'. Surely a superchurch like Houston's Hillsong can be innovative about this right...like all their commercial exploits? 😏
It’s all about the money.
Grow up BrianCHouston . It's not about you your cult or your coffers. It's about public health
Good. Perhaps this will show all the God botheres (of all denominations) that they don't need a special house to go to to 'speak' with their God of choice. The idea is inane anyway. If you have a faith then practice it at home. And while we're at it - churches: pay taxes.
If they believe it makes sense to worship fictional characters there's no helping them anyway.
He can’t fill his personal coffers if he doesn’t have big gatherings!
It does little to help his luxury car habit
Thoughts and prayers.
Please!!! They should be doing online engagements with their parishioners.. cut with whining
Great to see our Murdoch media supporting such a wonderful cause as Hillsong. Apart from the pedophiles, tax evasion & being one of the only guys Trump won’t have over for dinner this Houston blokes ok
God will help them Brian.
Except help keeping them safe
Code 'my bank account praise the lord !
Oh no! Not enough money coming in? Too bad, so sad 😂
You mean does little to fill your personal coffers what a transparent load of crap from a charlatan cult leader
davidbewart 'writes Brian Houston' and the SMH publishes his garbage? Still, he would be an expert on doing little to help worshippers - other than relieving them of money.
I set up my deeply religious uncle's TV to receive Mass just before the lockdown. He normally goes to church every single day and three times on Sunday. If online mass is good enough for him, it's good enough for anybody.
davidbewart Does little to help increase the coffers, is actually what BrianCHouston meant. To him it’s all about the money.
davidbewart Or bullshitters like evangelists...Hillsong
Get over it, you’re still getting their tithes I bet hillsong
New church limit does little to help my bank account, writes Brian Houston, senior roster at Hillsong Cult. There fixed that for you.
Seriously. Our taxpayers money has been given repeatedly to Hillsong by our happy clapping PM which makes me flipping angry, now the paedophile protector wants more money ? Geez are you serious.. So not getting enough stealing people's income?
He needs the large conferences so they can pass around the eftpos machines. It’s not a church. It’s no more than a cult.
And won't line the pockets of the preachers. Hillsong
davidbewart Poor bastard can't was as many brains as usual.
Why does a scam organisation have a say in this?
These grifters need to pay tax
One of the worst hit businesses due to COVID
Worshippers could stand on their head under a tree & still connect to their god if they want to. Mr Houston is more concerned about his income stream being slowed. ProsperityTheology
how can he line his pockets with tax-free $ if he doesn't have gatherings?
Hey Brian, you know they are not worshiping you?
He would know a lot about doing little to help worshippers
lynlinking who cares what BrianHouston from hillsong thinks he just wants to get his crowds back to get is donations back
Brian must need a new Bentley so needs to get the worshippers back to steal their wallets to pay for it. Remember God is everywhere so don’t need to go to Hillsong to find him. Or just go against WHO and attend and risk death from your religion
You make millions. You don't pay tax. Why should you have any say?
Perhaps a 'Soul Keeper' program might be the next initiative announced by PM? ;-)
I'm sure his dad's victims will be feeling very sad about his poor church
Code for: 'We aren't scamming enough money from this low number of suckers, we need more in church to get more money' IMO
Houston, we have a problem!!
Pay taxes and we'll look at that. Until then, shut up, hold hands, sing Kumbaya and pray at home with your families.
Like all forms of entertainment, religion must not be given exemptions from health of advice.
Oh dear he can’t collect the bucks unless he can pack the crowds in. hellsong corporategreed millionairePastor auspol
Why are you even enabling this charlatan?
oh yeah baby...only 3 days til Sunday!! Religion should be R-rated.
Why did you give airtime to this grifter?
lynlinking does little to help HOUSTONS bank account really smugmo strikes again
Pay tax then you’ll have your say
lynlinking How dare you publish this drivel as “opinion”. Reprehensible to give this cult leader a platform, when this slimy corporation is slowly taking over our federal politics and pulling our leadership back 70 years at least. Bad form, SMH.
Marvellous!
WTAF are you doing promoting a someone who allegedly covered up a child abuser.... what is wrong with you people?
The old Fairfax mastheads becoming indistinguishable from The Daily Telegraph/H-Sun.
His coffers more like!
New church limit does little to help Brian Houston to worshippers' cash, writes Brian Houston
Missing the tithing!! 🙄🤷🏼♀️
He's still whinging? Income decimated and hankering for more gold-plated plumbing fixtures I guess.
Brian is a very greedy man. Cash is his god...
Brian Houston would know all about doing little to help worshippers...
lynlinking yeah c'mon the churchs can't rip off as much as they used to do
Because they aren't getting their 10% of followers income.
lynlinking Poor Brian can't get that bottomless plate filled, and thats what its all about. Cant they prey at home?
Is covid getting in the way of him fleecing his flock?
lynlinking New church limit is not increasing his bank account
He can F off back to what ever hole he crept out of. That is NOT a place of worship it is a money making area filled with lost people who mistaken it believe he is the messiah
lynlinking 😭
$$$$$ not coming in to support their lifestyle
I think true SMH means does little to help the coffers of Brian Houston
But I thought god was everywhere so why not just zoom stuff, problem for Hillsong is credit card terminals aren't.😉🙄
Who cares ? Why give air time to a CULT leader What has this country come to
So restrictions for Hillsong will be limited to children & corporate sponsers?
Give us a break Hillsong..you are lucky you are even getting that! What's wrong?..you running out of money...are you? Hmm! 🤦♂️
Wow, look at all those sheep waiting to be shorn of their life savings. Hillsong is a cult, not a religion, religion doesn't place it's value on how many people attend the services in person, at this time services are conducted via video link to protect their flock. Greedy fraud.
Why is he not in jail for covering up his pedophile fathers crimes?
CEO of ‘Let Me Take Your Money, Suckers’ needs his customers back buying stuff.
Not a church. It’s a money stealing cult they doesn’t pay taxes that our PM is a member of. That there alone is another story in itself. Brian you’re not a pastor you’re a cult leader con artist who preys on the weak, vulnerable and sadly easily brainwashed, naive again our PM
I thought god could see and hear every thought wherever they are, surely that goes for zoom too?
By 'worshippers' he does of course mean 'suckers'.
Then pray harder worshippers
I would suggest the less Brian Houston delivers to anyone is great advantage to our society.
Why does Brian care how many numbers attend Services, many in the cult do a rank transfers of their Tithes, or has that reduced significantly as ppl are more cautious with spending habits (especially with Cults)?
Hillsong revenue must be way down. Has the pastor taken a pay cut?
I like to say 'diddums' to Brian 'we've got a problem' Houston & ask 'Has your mate Scotty forsaken you dear?' Maybe it's because you're not as important as his DIY chook house? SocialDistancing
If Hillsong is a church then I'm Mickey Mouse.
The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man - ACTS 17/24
Nine media now publishing articles by a pedophile protector. Stay classy
Are we really supposed to care what the man, who protected a rapist, thinks?
Can’t Hillsong members pray without paying?
The greedy, greedy man!
Who cares ?
Tell them to pray for a vaccine then.
Stop carping. A plague does not discriminate. If you care for life you will support the efforts to contain the virus.
Not a church, nothing to do with christian values And we shouldn't be subsidising them with a tax exemption status
HellSong parasite
Tough titties. Might give those poor sods a brief breather from the brainwashing
These people are grossly fucking arrogant.
Speaking through his hip pocket
Clearly not familiar with Matthew 19:24 - nor is his 'flock'.
given scomo is a paid-up hillsong happy-clapper, God will grant houston’s wish
Yeah. Puts a dent in his cash flow. Church by name. Business by operation. Hillsong
Hillsongs version of religion-
Stop giving this child sex abuse enabler airtime. The more you report on him the more you endorse his cover up. The only thing you should report on him about is his cover up of child sex abuse.
Does he mean “money worshippers”?
Don’t you mean his bank balance?
Doesn’t help worshippers of the $ like Brian Hillsong KochiesNipples
Only 300 people lol not enough to refill the coffers to millionaire pastor’s pockets Dangerous undemocratic FAKE church tells government what to do
indoor event - so is what it is.
Why can't they do zoom services like many other churches do? He's all about collecting the money
Greed kills. He's a grifting fraud
Matthew 18:20 , maybe the good pastor could just set up PayPal.
This is not journalism, this has no relevance in 21st century Australia, this is just an advertorial for a cold hearted, covid spreading grifter and his cult desperate to regain their tithes, just a greedy business model taking advantage of the desperate and gullible
Why is this blatant opinion piece considered newsworthy? Another nail in the SMH coffin.
I would be delighted if brianhoustontv Hillsong and other religious groups like the Exclusive Brethren could start paying tax. That would help the citizens of our nation with more services and upgraded infrastructure.
I genuinely don’t care if Hillsong are able to make their untaxed profits. They rely on putting on a show, to get the happy clappers into a hysteria. No show, no dough.
You mean it doesn't help him earn $$$ he and his farcical 'church' don't deserve anyway....
Is he a church leader or a politician. Hard to tell
This is dangerous church and state pm of Australia . Very dangerous
For wherever two are more are gathered in his name...but they like a thousand more for the offeratory plate.
If the faithful are faithful - they do not need a place of worship...but Brian does to collect his tithe.
I don’t believe it’s a church
Got to rake in that cash, right?
Shame SMH giving this individual space
Apart from...helping keep them and others alive... I suspect pedophile-enabling Houston just misses hosjuicy tithes.
Yes it’s all about Money for you
Not enough people to fleece.
Help his coffers you mean.
He’s been in USA all of our winter lapping up the California sun ,what’s wrong brianhouston ? the people learnt to go it alone without you, they’ve realised they don’t need the borg collectives control
Of course COVID really doesn’t help anybody! However, you may note that the “300 Rule” appears to have been set up with “wriggle room” just in the event that certain unnamed organisation may need to hold “a conference”!
Aw, tithes must be down.
You can be a worshipper without attending a huge brain washing function
Brian: the price for admission of corporations to civil discourse is to pay taxes. Pay them, or get out of the way. It’s that simple.
This guy isn't Christian Christ said look after others. He just worries about himself.
Frank Houston raped children and Brian covered it up.
Not enough on the plate he means
Bad luck.
What Brian Houston is really saying is that the new church limit does little to help Hillsong and Brian Houston.
He’s a pedophile enabler.
Good....evil energy gatherings
Hows about the working with children clearance?
Cant afford to have followers released from influence:
He is not worried about worshippers, he is worried about cashflow.
Who fucking cares?
ANZ QUDOS ALL PHONES.
Ah yes our resident pedophile protector, named but not shamed by the Royal Commission
and of course Costello media do this pathetic story to keep our incompetent work shy alcoholic Kiwi happy. Did you know Costello is a liberal life member and party policy is a must in any story?
I thought the church was the body? Not a physical location? Fellowship can be done in small groups. There’s no money in that though, hey Brian Houston? hillsong religionisascam lovejesus
Politely Brian. Go away. Your greed is apparent. It’s ugly.
jeezus h tap dancing christ, why do we pander to minorities? The horse racing crowd got cancelled because it is a minority. 5-7% of Aussies do religion regularly. and Hillsong want to get a special minority exclusion just to make money? showtime for the minority nothing more
I guess this is costing them money.
Have a smaller crowd!
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: SBSNews - 🏆 3. / 89 Read more »
Source: SBSNews - 🏆 3. / 89 Read more »
Source: abcnews - 🏆 5. / 83 Read more »
Source: smh - 🏆 6. / 80 Read more »
Source: abcnews - 🏆 5. / 83 Read more »
Source: SkyNewsAust - 🏆 7. / 78 Read more »