Hands folded in prayer while shackled / Envato

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.

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