by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
SYDNEY/AMSTERDAM (Worthy News) – The government of Australia’s New South Wales state has confirmed that some prayers are now unlawful under a new ban on LGBTQ+ “conversion practices,” prompting protests from Christian leaders.
Attorney General Michael Daley told the NSW State Parliament last week that praying with or over someone in an attempt to change or suppress their sexual orientation or gender identity is banned under the Conversion Practices Ban Act 2024, which was passed in March 2024 and took effect in April 2025.
“Praying with or over a particular person in an attempt to try to change or suppress that person’s sexuality or gender is unlawful… If it’s an unlawful prayer, then it’s not a lawful prayer,” Daley told legislators, according to published transcripts.
Violations carry penalties of up to seven years in prison if serious harm is caused, along with fines of up to 22,000 Australian dollars (about $14,400). Lesser offenses can result in five years in prison or AU$11,000 ($7,200) in fines.
Lyle Shelton, national director of Australia’s Family First Party, initially linked to Pentecostal Christian movements and a candidate for the NSW Upper House, called the law “an extraordinary overreach.”
PRAYERS ‘ILLEGAL’
“Some prayers are now illegal in NSW,” Shelton said, warning that parents, pastors, or friends could face sanctions for praying with someone who requests spiritual support.
He pledged his party would introduce legislation to restore “the freedom to pray for anyone who seeks it,” especially those struggling with “unwanted same-sex attraction or gender confusion.”
Family First argues the law allows authorities to decide which prayers are permissible, while supporters say it protects vulnerable people from harmful coercion.
The debate reflects broader tensions abroad. Lawmakers in the Netherlands are preparing to vote on a revised bill limiting so-called conversion therapy to “systematic and intrusive” practices after an earlier draft failed. Critics there also fear restrictions on prayer.
The Netherlands was the first country to legalize same-sex marriage, with the first ceremonies held in Amsterdam in April 2001.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
A group of radical Hindu nationalists violently attacked a small Christian congregation in Maharashtra, India, on February 10, leaving a pastor seriously injured and forcing believers to flee their village.
U.S. officials are raising concerns about the potential presence of Iranian “sleeper cells” inside the United States, as tensions escalate following recent American and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Federal investigators say a man who carried out a violent vehicle-ramming attack at a Michigan synagogue earlier this month was driven by extremist propaganda linked to Hezbollah, underscoring growing concerns about foreign terror influence reaching U.S. soil.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed that Iran’s Arak heavy water production plant was destroyed following a targeted strike attributed to the Israel Defense Forces, marking a significant escalation in efforts to dismantle Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure.
Thousands of troops from the 82nd Airborne Division have begun arriving in the Middle East, according to U.S. officials, as President Donald Trump considers expanded military options in the ongoing conflict with Iran.
U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a stark ultimatum Monday, warning Iran that failure to reach a ceasefire agreement in the coming days would trigger a sweeping and devastating assault on the country’s critical infrastructure.
The Knesset approved a controversial law Monday mandating the death penalty for certain terrorist acts, marking a historic shift in Israel’s judicial approach to terrorism.