Religious vilification threatens the Gospel in Australia.

Australia (MNN)–A strategic case on religious freedom will likely go to the Australian Supreme Court.

The penalty hearing for the religious vilification case against ‘Catch the Fire Ministries’ was this week. Convictions against two of the ministry’s pastors came under the Victoria Racial and Religious Tolerance Act of 2001.

Pastors Danny Nalliah and Daniel Scot were accused of vilifying Islam during a seminar on Islam that was held in March of 2002.

The Islamic Council of Victoria is pushing for a legal muzzling of the Gospel. During this phase, they requested not an ‘apology,’ but an acknowledgement of the Tribunal’s findings posted on the CTFM website.

The ICV also asked that a statement be placed on the CTFM website about the Islamic Council of Victoria, including references to ‘balanced and informed decisions about all religions.’ Included with this is to be a link to the ICV website and a front page mention on CTFM newsletters for the next year.

The ICV is also asking that both pastors promise not to make any further statments that would be offensive to Muslims, although they did not specify which ones they found to be offensive.

The judge will announce his decision in four weeks. Please pray for Christians in Australia and how the outcome will affect religious freedom.

For links to documents relating to the case and a full transcript of the seminar, go to http://www.religionlaw.co.uk and click on International, then Australia.