Lieberal links to extremist christians Exclusive Bretheren - anti gay marriage

Exclusive Brethren thank Howard for changing the marriage act against gays, 2004

Bruce D Hales, leader of the Exclusive Brethren, with his wife, Jennifer

I haven't been following this until now as it's all caught up in school funding unfairness. However the Sydney Morning Herald has now published internal documents from the Exclusive Brethren showing just how extremist wacko anti-gay they are, and even appear to have been an influence in John Howard's amendment to the marriage act in 2004 defining marriage for the first time in Australia as being between a man and woman exclusively.

I've already pointed out on numerous occasions the ties between Lieberals and christian extremism, such as the Australian Christian Lobby and the US based Alliance Defending Freedom, both of which have had gov ministers attend and speak at their events. Both of which are extremely anti-gay. This however seems to me to be in a league of it's own.

Serious questions are now being asked of the gov as to why Exclusive Brethren private schools are getting much more gov funding than other gov funded schools, especially when their views are so extreme as to be described as a cult by Kevin Rudd? How much money are the Exclusive Brethren donating to the Lieberal party? 

But probably the most important of all, in light of donations to the Lieberals from the Exclusive Brethren, why did John Howard feel so obliged to change the marriage act to exclusively heterosexual in 2004? Why has Tony Abbott been against marriage equality every step of the way? Why has it been delayed with a $500million plebiscite instead of simply being voted on by parliament freely?

And is it appropriate for extremism like this to have such a big sway over Australian public policy? 

Former Greens Leader Bob Brown called on Mr Turnbull to send back donations to the Liberals from members of the Exclusive Brethren. 

During a meeting in his office in Parliament House in 2006, "the cult's elders warned me ... that I should read Romans I in which St Paul advises that homosexual men 'are deserving of death'," Mr Brown said. 

"They came with advice that I and my partner Paul Thomas were destined for 'a lake of fire'." 

Melbourne-based elder Richard Garrett had told then Senator Brown that same-sex marriage would "destroy society". 

"'We repel it because it's against God's word. People get themselves so perverted and they just can't think morally'," Mr Garrett said, according to Mr Brown. Sydney Morning Herald 

Exclusive Brethren warnings of doom over Canadian gay marriage