HILLSONG CHURCH ATTRACTS STRANGE BED-FELLOWS IN THEIR FIGHT AGAINST LOCAL RESIDENTS

A member of high profile politicians, business leaders and community organisations including the South’s Rugby League Club are backing the “hugely controversial” Hillsong Church campaign to build a large inner city church.

The Rabbitohs, the south Sydney Police and Community Youth Club and the former Directors of the NSW Liberal Party, Scott Morrison have joined the Reverend Fred Nile in letters to Sydney City Council supporting the proposed 2700 seat church and seven storey office block in Rosebery.

The 78.4 million developments, to open seven days a week from 7am to 10:30pm, has drawn massive opposition from residents, who rightly complain it would flood the streets with traffic and noise.  We find it a disgrace that the NSW taxpayers are suffering hardship whilst this Hillsong Church who don’t pay taxes can spend $78.4 million for a development that the majority of residents are vehemently against.

Maybe it’s time for the Federal and State Governments to probe whether religious orders with huge assets should be compelled to pay taxes as do the Australian work force.

The supporters’ letters, asking the council to accept the application, for a so-called, in their opinion, a “positive addiction” to the area praise Hillsong’s commitment to the community.”

The letters comprised submissions from Wesley Mission and the Australian Christian Lobby, have an identical paragraph stating that the sender, “cannot speak directly to the proposed development.”

Manager, George Aghajanian, the Council has received approximately 1100 submissions from church members, about 900 of them from outside the Rosebery area.  Residents submitted 200 letters of objection.

The spokesman for the Rosebery Action Group Graeme Grace said he was disappointed about the Rabbitohs supporting the development in its area.  “I think the others really have no idea of what the development will actually involve, they’re just jumping on the Hillsong bandwagon.  It won’t affect them because they live no where near it.”

Mr Aghajanian said the project would bring great benefit to the area and the Hillsong Church fail to mention is that the major part of the congregation do not live in the vicinity of Rosebery which includes their political and religious supporters including the Reverend Fred Nile.

For added information regarding the questionable actions of the Hillsong Church follow the Link update March 2006, Hillsong denies bribe allegations.  Link October 2006 part three, Are our political parties in bed with Hillsong church.  Link update April 2008, Why Mercy Ministries was, Godsent for Hillsong.