Two days ago, Pastor Norman Miller, whose Aboriginal name is Munganbana, presented a giant boomerang supporting religious freedom and freedom of speech to Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells at Parliament House at 3:15 p.m.

Australia needs a Religious Discrimination Act to provide greater protection to people of faith, including the right of schools and other religious institutions to employ staff and work and teach according to the values of their faith. Ministers of religion of various faiths should not be intimidated about what they preach in their places of worship.

Pastor Miller made a giant boomerang promoting religious freedom. It has FREEDOM in the centre and RELIGION and SPEECH on the sides. He also painted a large yellow hand with FREEDOM printed in the centre, and the various freedoms printed on each finger and the thumb. He also has a football on which he painted “Freedom of Speech”.

Pastor Miller and his wife Barbara, co-founders of the Centre for International Reconciliation and Peace, state:

“Polling has shown that the general population supports freedom of thought, conscience and belief in speech and practice.

We do not want religion driven from the public square. Parliament should continue to be opened in prayer each day, and schools and shopping centres should not be worried that they will offend other religions or people of no religion by traditional expressions of faith in Australia.

However, we are not just looking at religious freedom, but freedom of belief, freedom of conscience, freedom of speech and parental rights.

We applaud church leaders for speaking out and we need more to do so. We urge people who aren’t part of faith groups to stand up for your values and your right to freedom of speech and conscience.

This is why a Religious Discrimination Act is required. This is all the more necessary when states and the Commonwealth have different laws regarding religious freedom.

People seem to forget that freedom of religion is internationally recognised as a human right. With the increase in secularism, this right needs to be protected. A framework needs to be worked out to deal with competing rights.”