The Campaign Isn't Over. In Many Ways, It's Just Beginning.

Over the past few weeks, something remarkable has happened.

Thousands of Australians have stood together and said that Christianity deserves the same respect as every other faith.

Because of your support:

• The campaign has been covered by Channel 7, 9 News, Sky News, The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, The Catholic Weekly, radio stations and countless online publications.

• Thousands of Australians have signed this petition.

• Members of Parliament from both Government and Opposition have publicly responded.

• Hugh McDermott MP wrote to the Minister for the Arts on behalf of Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and Islamic leaders, calling for answers and questioning how a taxpayer-funded project could proceed in this way.

• The NSW Shadow Minister for the Arts acknowledged in correspondence with me that taxpayer funding should never support what many Christians reasonably regard as discrimination against their faith. The Opposition has called for stronger oversight of arts funding, greater transparency and a review of the guidelines that allowed this project to receive public funding.

• Archbishop Anthony Fisher has publicly defended Catholics' right to peacefully oppose the mockery of their faith, stating that artistic freedom should never come at the expense of what millions hold sacred.

• Priests and faith leaders have also expressed their support. Fr Ben Saliba wrote to me this week:

"I applaud your continued efforts to respectfully pray and make heard your voices in the battle for the culture. You have my prayers and my support when it comes to peaceful, organised prayer and petition."

This campaign has never been about opposing artistic freedom or attacking the LGBTQ community.

It has always been about one simple principle.

EQUAL RESPECT.

A genuinely pluralistic society can protect artistic freedom, religious freedom and the right to peaceful protest at the same time. Those principles should never compete with one another.

Although Divine Playhouse has now been ordered to vacate the former church building, its organisers have made it clear they intend to continue. They are challenging the eviction, seeking another venue, and supporters are now calling on the NSW Government to provide further assistance and even additional taxpayer funding.

In other words, this issue is far from over.

Yet despite weeks of public debate, widespread media coverage, thousands of petition signatures, and concerns raised by faith leaders and Members of Parliament, Premier Chris Minns has still not addressed the central question at the heart of this campaign.

Why was taxpayer money used to support a project that so many Christians reasonably believe ridiculed their faith?

Nor has there been any apology to the Christian community or any commitment that Christianity will receive the same respect afforded to every other faith.

We are encouraged that the NSW Opposition has committed to pursuing greater transparency and stronger oversight of arts funding.

But this campaign has always been about something much bigger than one venue.

It is about ensuring that Christians are treated equally.

We are not asking for special treatment.

We are not asking for censorship.

We are asking for the same dignity, the same respect and the same consideration that every other faith community rightly expects—especially when taxpayer money is involved.

Thank you for standing with us.

Please continue sharing this petition. Continue writing respectfully to your local MPs. Continue encouraging others to speak with courage, charity and conviction.

This campaign has already made a difference.

But until our leaders are prepared to answer whether Christianity deserves equal respect in Australia, our work is not finished.