Pro Rugby Player May Lose Career after Speaking the Truth About Homosexuality

After speaking the truth about homosexuality, professional rugby player Israel Folau is facing the possibility of losing his career. And he’s fine with that.

After Folau shared an Instagram post referencing James 1:2-4, the professional rugby player and outspoken Christian was asked in the comment section what God’s plan is for homosexuals. Speaking truth with love, Folau’s response was based on 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, that says, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”

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A post shared by Israel Folau (@izzyfolau) on Apr 2, 2018 at 1:54am PDT

Predictably, the uproar was swift and fierce with many people calling him a bigot and a homophobe. Writing in the Player’s Voice, Folau explains,

I do not know the person who asked the question, but that didn’t matter. I believed he was looking for guidance and I answered him honestly and from the heart. I know a lot of people will find that difficult to understand, but I believe the Bible is the truth and sometimes the truth can be difficult to hear.

Folau was summoned to meet with the chief executive of Rugby Australia Raelene Castle as well as Andrew Hore, the general manager for his team, the Waratahs. During that meeting, Folau stressed to his bosses that “it was never my intention to hurt anyone with the Instagram comment, but that I could never shy away from who I am, or what I believe.”

Acknowledging that the league and the team has the right to run their business as they see fit, Folau says, “I told Raelene if she felt the situation had become untenable – that I was hurting Rugby Australia, its sponsors and the Australian rugby community to such a degree that things couldn’t be worked through – I would walk away from my contract, immediately.”

As Folau wrapped up his thoughtful and articulate essay, he shared the gospel of Jesus Christ and then wrote, “God can see from beginning to end. I can’t. There’s a big element of trust in that and sometimes you have to give up the things you really want in order to please God.”

He concluded with the powerful truth: “As testing as it can be standing up for what you believe in, the Bible tells us it will be worth it in the end.”

Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26-27).

Israel Folau is demonstrating what Jesus meant by those words. By refusing to recant the truth, Folau proves that he loves Jesus more than he does his lucrative career as a professional rugby player.

To read more of Israel Folau’s story, click here.