Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) managing director, Lyle Shelton, had the shock of his life when he checked out the RSVP’s to his show, Making sense of our time with Lyle Shelton, on the morning of Tuesday, 21 February 2017. While his administrators were sleeping (or busy drafting homophobic PowerPoint slides), the internet went wild.
Approximately one thousand ‘activists’ were keen to send a message to the out-and-proud, anti-LGBTI crusader, and registered over 54,000 fake people to attend the event held at the Melbourne Heathmont Baptist Church on 25 February 2017. There was ‘Hugh Janus’, ‘Alternative Facts’, ‘Dolan Turmp’, ‘Lotsa Butthurt’ and ‘Lyle Shelton has a very scary face and I don’t like it’, to name just a few.
The epic trolling received a horrified reaction from Shelton. Disgusted by the rude, crude, satirical and comical made-up names, Shelton took the opportunity to blame the gays and cry victim. In fact, such was his fear of The Gay, Shelton felt compelled to hire three security guards to keep him safe from any foul-mouthed, filthy activists who might bother turning up to the event to hurl hurtful, made-up names at him.
While Shelton was busy being precious about his feelings, telling media the RSVP’s included “the foulest, most degrading, most obscene written forms of communication I have seen in my life,” he spares little thought for the consequences of his relentless vilification of the LGBTI community.
Satirical identity and the initiator of the RSVP campaign, Pauline Pantsdown, says that the “capacity of Lyle Shelton and the Australian Christian Lobby to falsely paint themselves as victims knows no bounds” and that it is “no surprise that the ACL attempts to reverse this narrative when activists oppose their frightening and dangerous behaviour”.
Pantsdown further states that the ACL has previously made “documented false statements about ‘death threats’ in relation to an earlier protest involving the Mercure Hotel” and that Shelton “[rubbished] federal police investigations about a suicide attempt because [ACL] weren’t painted as being victims”. Shelton’s victim mentality has now extended so far as to hire three security guards because “someone RSVP’d to their event as ‘Ben Dover’.”
Despite some of the names being undoubtedly obscene and likely to cause moral indignation and outrage, the campaign was entirely harmless; unlike the ACL’s agenda. Claiming to be a Christian organization, Shelton uses his position to further his personal vendetta, rather than fostering a caring, inclusive and compassionate society. Given Shelton’s open condemnation of the LGBTI community, it is little wonder he jumped at the chance to hold them entirely responsible for his angst over a few rude words.
But while Shelton was momentarily morally violated by the obscenities, the impacts of the ACL’s campaigns have far more serious consequences.
Shelton has a history of obsessing about the gay community, with approximately 69% of his Tweets anti-LGBTI. Terrified that people will think he’s gay, he jumps at the opportunity to discuss LGBTI issues, hiding his anti-gay rhetoric behind faux-concern for ‘the children’.
He is a fierce opponent of same-sex marriage and the anti-bullying Safe Schools program, and is critical of other conservatives for not standing up to LGBTI community and the “unthinkable things” they support. He believes that implementing programs to address the high levels of bullying of LGBTI students is based on a “terrible ideology”, comparing the LGBTI movement to the rise of the Nazi’s in the 1930’s.
However it seems that Shelton is only concerned with the wellbeing of heteronormative children.
Pauline Pantsdown states that the ACL is “an organisation that places vulnerable transgender children under direct threat” and has “screwed up photographs of transgender children, re-photographed them and re-published them as a source of derision. Some government publications of lists of schools that support transgender children were withdrawn after children were harassed at schools, yet Shelton and his team continue to relentlessly hammer politicians to give them access to these lists.”
LGBTI people have significantly poorer mental health and higher rates of suicide than other Australians, with discrimination and exclusion key causal factors. The average age of the first suicide attempt is only 16 years of age.
Shelton’s gross overreaction to the ridiculous RSVP trolling provides a good insight as to what he considers to be acceptable ‘Christian’ behaviour: Obscene language and sexual references are morally reprehensible, even if no one is harmed, and divisive, anti-gay campaigns which contribute to the suicide of young people are perfectly fine as long as there is no profanity.
[textblock style=”7″]
Like what we do at The AIMN?
You’ll like it even more knowing that your donation will help us to keep up the good fight.
Chuck in a few bucks and see just how far it goes!
Your contribution to help with the running costs of this site will be gratefully accepted.
You can donate through PayPal via the button below, or donate via bank transfer: BSB: 062500; A/c no: 10495969
[/textblock]
Poor chap. His character and neuroticism shows on his face. Love that he got trolled, actually.
I often wonder when we are going to here the ‘mainstream’ churches objecting to the appropriation of the term ‘christian’ by the likes of Shelton.
what with this and the terrorist attack on him I’m surprised he can still sleep!…..poor guy…..such a victim, so persecuted. #lileslifematters
The ACL is only the USA cult, the assembly of God with a new name, they use religion as a business. They have been mentioned in the RC with child abuse, and it is a testimony to their thick skin that they are speaking out about anything. For years they were in the shadows calling themselves the Calvary Temple and other names in other places. In Sydney for example they are Hillsong. The organization even sucks in otherwise intelligent people, and once their are caught in the spiders web it is very hard to escape. Beware of these charlatans last I heard one had to pay 10% of one’s income in order to “belong.”
If you side with deviant behaviour, that is what you get. Where are AIMs objectives and platform?
I hope he finds a good boyfriend and comes to his senses. Clearly the hetero life is doing him no good — the poor dear is all a-flutter with constant thoughts of gay sex. Just come out of the closet already, Lyle. Everybody would benefit.
Are you talking about the Christian Lobby’s deviant behaviour or that of its clergy Chris? Or specifically Lyle Shelton?
“Where are AIMs objectives and platform?”
The AIMN is a platform for citizen journalists and bloggers to write and engage in an independent media environment.
As Father Rod puts it….
I’ve always questioned everything from a young age and religion was one of them. It just doesn’t make sense to me and the more I read about religion the more I laugh at it because it’s mind blowingly contradictory and stupid. Christianity, Islam, Mormon ism, jehovahs, scientology or whatever God, lizard King or space overlord you choose.
Sorry, lost my train of thought. What was the effing question? My mind wanders when I’m writing about mind numbing bullshit about Lyle and the Acl.
Sigh….
And none of these corporate businesses pay tax and are raking in millions and millions from gullible people.
Can no one see how ridiculous this is?
Oh my Dog, is Lie-low in trouble? That poor misunderstood deer. My bad, dear.
After reading your article, I googled ACL and all I could find was stuff about a knee. Thankfully, the ACL provides 85% of the restraining force required for other nasty ligaments, that go the other way. It is also appropriate to note that they are referred to as ‘cruciform ligaments’ as they are arranged in a ‘crossed formation’. See? Dog is on our side.
So I googled a little harder and found the ACL website. Thank Dog, huh?
“The Australian Christian Lobby is a grassroots movement of over 80,000 people seeking to bring a Christian influence to politics.
We want to see Christian principles and ethics accepted and influencing the way we are governed, do business and relate as a society. We want Australia to become a more just and compassionate nation.
ACL is a non-party partisan, non-denominational movement that seeks to bring a Christian voice for values to the public policy discourse.”
Straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. As there are only 80,000 people in Australia seeking a more just and compassionate nation, we need neither compassion or justice to adjudge the rest of those heathen bastards. There’s only a few million of them. They are entitled to their own hell.
On a ‘same same, but different’ topic, have you heard about this other guy? Pastor Daniel Nalliah? He had a dream. An ex social services minister, Kevin Andrews, was one of his supporters. Those heathen bastards at the ACNC have revoked his ‘charitable’ status. In the name of Dog, what is going on?
“He openly preaches his political message from the pulpit and collects donations for the party at church services.
As a registered charity, Catch the Fire had access to Commonwealth tax concessions including GST waivers, income tax exemptions and fringe benefit tax rebates.”
Ok, he may have been a tad more extreme than poor Lie-low. From the Rise Up Australia website;
3) To promote harmony, freedom and tolerance among Australians; specifically we oppose multiculturalism; we rejoice that Australia is multi-ethnic, and that people who come here are free to celebrate (at their own, not taxpayers’ expense) their own diverse backgrounds, while respecting Australian culture and complying with Australian laws;
Yeah. Ok. Maybe trying to promote harmony, freedom and tolerance, by opposing multiculturalism, wasn’t a really bright move.
(14) To protect the traditional family unit, comprising man, woman and children; to promote marriage (as defined in the Marriage Act, 2004**) as an institution that provides the best nurturing environment for children and that has substantial economic benefits for society; while recognizing that adults are free to pursue their own sexuality in private, we reject and resist the promotion of homosexuality as a normal practice in schools and in public; we affirm the basic human right for a child to have both a male and a female as its parents (and to know who they are) in the best interests of the child; we oppose same-sex marriage, bigamy, polygamy and Centrelink funding of such and similar practices;
Sections 13, 15 and 16 are equally as profound. What is the problem here?
These Dog fearing, good people are being deprived of ‘charitable status’. Where is the justice in that?
“Church is a place where people have the right to do what they want to do.”
The regulator said it was currently investigating 37 complaints regarding political lobbying and warned charities not to fall foul of laws that forbid promoting or opposing political parties.”
https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwj51NiV5arSAhUHFpQKHRy1CngQFggfMAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abc.net.au%2Fnews%2F2017-01-17%2Fcatch-the-fire-ministries-stripped-of-charitable-status%2F8189070&usg=AFQjCNHLb6lqymE7UZJg4mAyKWhXnEolsA
In the off chance you think I’m becoming paranoid, the cruciate ligament is a registered charity, for now.
“Eternity House, the Deakin headquarters of both the ACL and the ACT branch of school chaplaincy provider Scripture Union, was quietly announced as one of two additions to the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission register in Canberra during February.”
That was in March, 2016.
“Described in its constitution as existing “solely for the purpose of the advancement of the Christian religion”, Eternity House’s goal is to make “property and facilities available to charitable organisations with similar purposes”.”
https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiGyviG6qrSAhWIy7wKHbCcA2gQFggZMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.canberratimes.com.au%2Fact-news%2Faustralian-christian-lobby-registers-eternity-house-building-as-a-separate-notforprofit-20160316-gnkae2.html&usg=AFQjCNGT3zT84gw8Q3fMU7aL4a6UoEfIqg
When does this madness stop? Me, and my good mates, Michael Fitzpatrick, Patrick Fitzmichael, Ben Doon and Philip McCrevice can’t wait for “Making sense of our time with Lie-low”.
Thank you, Ms Cripps. Take care
I don’t feel sorry for him one little bit His constant obsession with the gay community needs to be seriously questioned. Where is his outrage about the virtually non-stop abuse of children by priests…never heard one thing about that? The ACL should have their charity status removed because they are not a church, they are a business. Him and Wendy Francis make my blood book because they use young people for political points scoring. Despicable human beings!
Remember people he is one of Toowoomba’s finest originally & his father Ian Shelton still runs a nice little homophobic hate group/Church called Toowoomba City Church.
I’m not a Christian but believe Father Rod is a breath of fresh air and an inspiration. Subjectively, Christianity appears to be creeping into decision making in Parliament; and the results are ugly. The parable of the Good Samaritan and Beautitudes (Sermon on the Mount) appear to have been edited out of numerous Bibles.
The other matter is that Christians are becoming a minority group within Australia.
Attacking the poor; and supporting the rich, through loophole in tax policies allowing some to get away without paying tax are examples that would appear to be faux Christian. The negative gearing policy stops young people from buying homes while wealthy speculators make huge profits.
People of colour, various creeds, or sexual orientation being treated with respect come from my reading of the Bible.
I’m not a christian but I like Father Rod’s response to the ACL
I don’t think we should leave raoul fitzmaurice out of it euther. I am loving the idea of this campaign. Old and straight, I absolutely oppose the homophobia of most religions.
It’s unconstitutional for religious groups (like Hillside, ACL, and other so-called Christians) to have influence over our government. Our constitution requires government to be separate from religion.
Shelton and his nasty political ambitions are deeply anti-Australia — never mind his anti-human policies in targeting LGBTs and children. He pretends to stand up for children while victimising them, and pretends to stand for families while doing his best to tear them apart. What a hypocrite.
He really needs to come out of the closet. The love of a good man would help him tremendously and stop him obsessing over gay sex.
Dominionists trying to influence Australian politics is riding on the back of right wing Populism
Why don’t we look at the Lachlan Macquarie Institute which is owned and managed by the ACL Board. Nick Jensen ( yes that Nick who was getting divorced over marriage equality) was placed as the director of this Institute. Also, we have another Anglican Church minister involved too. So much for Lyle saying that the offices were hired out to a private company that they own and manage. So much for this mob being non partisan !!!
He is a straight homophobe. Homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and lesbophobia are straight people issues. I don’t understand why Shelton and Christensen et al are so often painted as closeted queer people. It’s almost as though straights can’t fathom that one of ‘their own’ could so hateful, or that they refuse ownership of homophobia. Maybe it’s easier to turn it back on LGBT people, blame them for hate they experience, and absolve straight people of any wrongdoing.
Deanna, any guy who obsesses that much about gay sex is not sexually normal. Shelton protests way too much.
There is a history of insanely homophobic men being deeply closeted gay men. This is especially evident in USA, where the most fanatically anti-gay preachers and politicians have very often later been outed having sex with other men. There’s also a lot of history of men who would beat other men senseless — even killing them — would often turn out to be deeply closeted and acting out their internal conflicts.
When I was a kid I was surprised when often the Italian or Greek kid would be the most vocal in denouncing “wogs”. This self hatred is a well-known phenomenon.
Also, accusing them of being what they hate most is a good way to humorously turn the tables on those who are most hateful. The more they denounce gays, the more they look closeted gay. I’ve used this a number of times against really disgustingly vile anti-gay people online. Very often it makes them shut up or ease off on their venom (and gets a good chuckle from everybody else). 🙂
“the foulest, most degrading, most obscene written forms of communication I have seen in my life,” That’s weird, because they are my thoughts on the bible and religion in general. You know what they say about people who obsess and vigorously deny over things like being gay don’t you…… methinks Shelton should come out of the closet and settle down, poor dearie.
If the Westboro Baptists and their “God Hates Fags” obsession wasn’t enough of an indication of the sexual obsession of Christian groups we had Pastor James David Manning insisting that Starbucks put semen into their lattes to turn people gay
http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/anti-gay-church-starbucks_n_6115136
Also Pastor Steven Anderson was deported from Botswana for “hate speech”. He regretted that the gay night club shootings in Orlando didn’t claim more victims and that the US Government should execute gays by firing squad.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2016/09/20/pastor-steven-anderson-deported-from-botswana-after-advocating-for-the-execution-of-gay-people/
There’s simply no point arguing with people whose minds work like that.
Next time somebody complains about the rantings of Muslim extremists and the inherent tolerance of Christianity, consider just those two stories (and there are many many more).
Strange how the mainstream media seems to miss some of those stories.
Shelton himself isn’t the problem – he’s just a symptom. We have our own version of the Taliban at work right here, right now.
Miriam, “Deanna, any guy who obsesses that much about gay sex is not sexually normal. Shelton protests way too much.”
So gay sex is not sexually ‘normal’? What is ‘normal’?
I was not referring to internalised homophobia. I asked why straights so consistently blame homophobia on non heterosexual people. It’s a trend that I have observed. As I already said, heterosexism is a straight issue. Are you saying that it isn’t?
Can you not see that ultimately, it is straight people oppressing LGBT and non binary people?
“why straights so consistently blame homophobia on non heterosexual people”
I do not understand why anyone obsesses about other people’s sex but I think there is some truth in people overreacting to feelings they may have but cannot countenance.
Deanna, nope, that’s right. Any guy who obsesses that much over other people’s sex is not sexually normal.
Definitely, it is almost entirely straight people opressing LGBT people. But I do love messing with the heads of rabidly anti-gay people by pointing out how suspiciously they protest. If it gives them a moment’s pause (and it usually does) then good. Sure, most of them will just be straight ignoramuses, but enough will be deeply closeted gay males that it makes the rest of them very uneasy. Self-hate is a real thing. It can be used against the hateful because the thing they fear more than anything else is to have their sexuality questioned.
corvus, yes, you’re right. I only have love relationships with women. I’ve tried a couple of times with men, but it doesn’t work. So, yes, I’m not sure if Deanna thinks I’m putting down LGBT people. As you know, I’m not doing that.
I don’t know if you deleted your comment for fear of stepping on my toes. If so, it’s thoughtful of you. Thanks. 🙂 I appreciate it… both the original comment and the consideration of feelings. You’re a good egg.
Miriam,
I deleted that previous comment partly out of concern of inadvertently offending through mis-remberance, but mostly because of reluctance to intrude (probably unhelpfully) on a conversation between two people specifically addressing each other by name.
Ps, personally, I think that even the ‘straightest’ or ‘queerest’ amongst us probably harbour some elements of predisposition towards bisexuality; it seems to be a prevalent mammalian trait..
Personally I think far too much focus is placed on sex. Honesty, respect, trust, humour, support, friendship, communication, understanding, forgiveness…so many things combine to make relationships fulfilling. It ain’t all about Ben Dover and Phillip McAvity.
corvus, I agree. I think we’re basically wired for bisexuality and some kind of imprinting sets it at some early age, though I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m wrong about that.
Kaye, I couldn’t agree more. The overwhelming focus on sex is crazy. I’d much prefer people focus on love. A while back at a small company where I was lead programmer working on building virtual worlds, we were gathered around for an informal chat, programmers, owners, secretary, support staff. The gorgeous secretary said she’d just had the most wonderful weekend where she’d had sex all weekend. Each person then commented mentioning how often they had sex lately (usually a couple of times a week). I was the last one and all eyes turned to me. I smiled and said I hadn’t had sex in about a decade. There was stunned silence. I’d killed the conversation. 🙂
Here is a message the Christian extremists ought to consider:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BuJY7tUIIAATpL0.jpg
It is refreshing to see sites like this talking and concerned about important topics when in the last 24 hour thousands of people in the internet and the media for that matter were preoccupy in Garfield’s gender.
No wonder we have governments in the world like the one here and the one in USA!
No hope really……..
Yep, he is gay as. He is jumping Jehosaphat.
I’m sure he views God as male and he is clearly married to God, and perhaps has a polygamous objectophiliac marriage to an an inanimate object in the Bible. How disgusting.
Very powerful picture that one Miriam and one I’ve used to flush out alot of so called ” friends” on face book.
I’m thinking his prayers to the invisible being in the sky to smite these evil doers for their blasphemies have gone unanswered. If such a thing existed it certainly isn’t going to waste its time looking after a sub-atomic particle called earth when it has a entire universe (and no doubt a pile of multi-universes as well) to care for. Anyway, if Lyle prays on Sunday the all-powerful is just going to ignore him because it’s on a day off. If he prayed on any other day of the week he would probably get a recorded message, “I’m busy at the moment. please leave a prayer and I’ll get back to you on Sunday.”
Shelton is yet another nasty little white religious bigot with a very very thin skin. He can dish out the filth but cries foul when others go against him. The more I read about him and his continuing attacks, some really vicious, on gays the more convinced I am that he is almost desperately afraid of his own orientation and uses religion to hide behind.
There is nothing Christian about the ACL.
Miriam, your comment re-christian homophobes protesting way to much brings to mind “the rigidly straight next door neighbour” in “American Beauty” who HAD to kill poor misunderstood Kevin Spacey. Appreciated the “love of a good man” bit. You do love to twist the knife don’t you? Did you play with a magnifying glass on ant hills as a child? An enraged christian is analogous to a disturbed ant.
🙂 I like to turn hurtful people’s words around so they hurt themselves with them. Something about the justice in it makes me feel very satisfied.
No, I adore ants. I spent a lot of my childhood studying them (not in “ant-farms”, but in the wild). Fascinating creatures. I especially like bullants, not the smaller, annoying, aggressive, jumping ones, I like the big, one-inch-long bullants (biggest ant in the world, I think). Of the two main types — the red ones and the black ones — I prefer the black. They are more calm and interesting. With their unusually large eyes they are unlike most ants in that they have a complex brain that processes detailed vision. Wonderful little animals.
I’ve accidentally enraged Christians before. That isn’t fun, but it is interesting. I much prefer to keep them as friends, unless they are filled with hate. Then I figure they’re too broken to be much good.
I’ve suffered at the mandibles of a few. When a jumper ant (black, large, straw coloured mandibles) bites it (a) feels like a yellow-heat needle pushed an inch or two with vile intent (b) requires no provocation, just proximity (c) Feels freshly poisoned in the vicinity of the bite for some time. Adoration isn’t what I felt. Serious regret at being in in that spot at best. Fear and loathing at worst… of that species. Must have a formic acid factory inside.
🙂 That’s why I don’t like the smaller jumpers. Little aggressive bastards they are — I mean, I still like them, but they really are nasty little shits. The big ones are much more docile, and the big, shiny black ones the least aggressive of all. It’s not the mandibles you need to worry about — they just give a slight pinch — it’s the other end that’s the problem. The ant curls its body up under it and presses the end of its abdomen against you. It feels like a needle because that’s what it is. On command, the needle sticks out the end of its abdomen, into your skin, and injects venom — formic acid (good call) along with a few odd proteins I think.
I’ve been stung by the annoying little aggressive ones, which chase after you. I’ve also been stung by the big black ones, but that was always my own fault — not looking where I was putting my hand or where I was sitting. The big ones avoid striking if they can. Their nests comprise small numbers of individuals, so they’re shy, because each one is valuable.
There is some evidence that they may be conscious. Fascinating.
Applying juice from bracken fern rhizome gives fairly effective immediate relief from jumper ant stings.