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Australian PM invites religious leader to White House...

lewisnotmiller

lewisnotmiller

Grand Hat
Staff member
Premium Member
...and the White House said no.
Scott Morrison reportedly tried repeatedly to get a religious mentor, Pastor Brian Houston (founder of Hillsong) included on an invite to the White House, but it was knocked on the head by the White House.

The PM has (pretty shamefully) completely avoided all questioning on whether he had repeatedly tried to get the invite, but it seems pretty clear he did so.
(One cringeworthy feed had a reporter asking him if he tried to get Houston invited, to which he answered 'That's gossip'. So the reporter said 'So, you didn't try to get him invited?' 'It's gossip' 'So, you didn't try to get him invited? 'It's all just gossip.' 'So, did you try to get him invited?' 'I think I've already answered that'. I mean, FFS, just go with yes or no if you ACTUALLY want to answer the question.)

There's lots of background to this, and reasons why I don't think it's a good idea for the PM to be taking a religious leader to the White House with him, and I'm glad it was not allowed.

What I'm wondering is whether anyone has access to information on the White House's rationale for the denial of invite? I've found secondary Australian sources, and American sources sitting behind paywalls. Just interested in;
1) What was the official reason given, if that's available.
2) Any interesting commentary on the topic (I know we're a relatively small fish, so news might be limited)

For anyone interested, I can give some background on the subject more broadly.
 
Kenny

Kenny

Face to face with my Father
Premium Member
lewisnotmiller said:
...and the White House said no.
Scott Morrison reportedly tried repeatedly to get a religious mentor, Pastor Brian Houston (founder of Hillsong) included on an invite to the White House, but it was knocked on the head by the White House.

The PM has (pretty shamefully) completely avoided all questioning on whether he had repeatedly tried to get the invite, but it seems pretty clear he did so.
(One cringeworthy feed had a reporter asking him if he tried to get Houston invited, to which he answered 'That's gossip'. So the reporter said 'So, you didn't try to get him invited?' 'It's gossip' 'So, you didn't try to get him invited? 'It's all just gossip.' 'So, did you try to get him invited?' 'I think I've already answered that'. I mean, FFS, just go with yes or no if you ACTUALLY want to answer the question.)

There's lots of background to this, and reasons why I don't think it's a good idea for the PM to be taking a religious leader to the White House with him, and I'm glad it was not allowed.

What I'm wondering is whether anyone has access to information on the White House's rationale for the denial of invite? I've found secondary Australian sources, and American sources sitting behind paywalls. Just interested in;
1) What was the official reason given, if that's available.
2) Any interesting commentary on the topic (I know we're a relatively small fish, so news might be limited)

For anyone interested, I can give some background on the subject more broadly.
Click to expand...
First time I've heard of it.
 
Howard Is

Howard Is

Lucky Mud
lewisnotmiller said:
...and the White House said no.
Scott Morrison reportedly tried repeatedly to get a religious mentor, Pastor Brian Houston (founder of Hillsong) included on an invite to the White House, but it was knocked on the head by the White House.

The PM has (pretty shamefully) completely avoided all questioning on whether he had repeatedly tried to get the invite, but it seems pretty clear he did so.
(One cringeworthy feed had a reporter asking him if he tried to get Houston invited, to which he answered 'That's gossip'. So the reporter said 'So, you didn't try to get him invited?' 'It's gossip' 'So, you didn't try to get him invited? 'It's all just gossip.' 'So, did you try to get him invited?' 'I think I've already answered that'. I mean, FFS, just go with yes or no if you ACTUALLY want to answer the question.)

There's lots of background to this, and reasons why I don't think it's a good idea for the PM to be taking a religious leader to the White House with him, and I'm glad it was not allowed.

What I'm wondering is whether anyone has access to information on the White House's rationale for the denial of invite? I've found secondary Australian sources, and American sources sitting behind paywalls. Just interested in;
1) What was the official reason given, if that's available.
2) Any interesting commentary on the topic (I know we're a relatively small fish, so news might be limited)

For anyone interested, I can give some background on the subject more broadly.
Click to expand...

I’ve been following that story too.

Apart from why the Whitehouse knocked him back, I want to know exactly why Morrison wanted to take Houston with him.

It looks like he is hoping that he can galvanise the ‘religious right’ in Australia, in the style of the US. He probably asked for an invite to Bohemian Grove as well. LOL ?
 
T

Terry Sampson

Well-Known Member
lewisnotmiller said:
1) What was the official reason given, if that's available.
Click to expand...
  • Mum's the word in the U.S. White House.
  • Wall Street Journal, September 29, 2019
    • President Trump is hosting Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison for a White House state visit, with the goal of reinforcing a longtime alliance that has faced some recent challenges.
    • Weeks before Mr. Morrison’s arrival in Washington, the standard advance-planning process hit a bump in the road.

      Mr. Morrison was determined to bring as part of his delegation Hillsong Church Pastor Brian Houston —the man he frequently refers to as his “mentor” —but the White House vetoed the idea, telling his office that Mr. Houston was not invited, according to a person familiar with the discussions.
    • After several rounds of discussions across the 14 time zones between Washington and Canberra, Mr. Morrison agreed to leave the pastor at home, according to several people familiar with the matter.
    • An Australian government spokesman didn’t respond to questions about the disagreement over Mr. Houston, but said that invitations to the state dinner are entirely at the discretion of the White House and as has been the case previously, is expected to include people from all walks of life from politics to sport to business, entertainment, science and technology and religion.

      The White House didn’t respond to a request for comment.
    • While the disagreement over Brian Houston’s participation was relatively brief, some recent disputes between the two countries have had a deeper impact.

      Last spring, Mr. Trump threatened steel and aluminum tariffs in a phone call with Mr. Morrison, according to a person briefed on the call. White House officials had discussed possible tariffs as a response to a spike in Australia’s aluminum into the U.S. market.

      The threat caught Mr. Morrison by surprise, and prompted him to order minor policy changes that helped Australia keep its exemption status on global steel and aluminum tariffs imposed by the Trump administration “for now,” the official said.
  • However, I note:
    • The New York Times, September 30, 2019
      • Trump Pressed Australian Leader to Help Barr Investigate Mueller Inquiry’s Origins
        The discussion was another instance of the president using American diplomacy for potential personal gain.
    • Hmmm, tariff issues? U.S. quid for Australian quo? or The optics, in the U.S., of Trump allowing "an Australian, scandal-plagued Assemblies of God preacher" tag-along to accompang the Australian PM to a White House State Dinner? or a little of each?
    • Too little factual information to lead speculation to a clear conclusion, IMO.
 
Darkforbid

Darkforbid

Well-Known Member
Howard Is said:
Check the facts before spouting.

That’s also one more gratuitous insult from you.
There was no need to question the integrity of @lewisnotmiller.
But you’re ‘entitled’ aren’t you ?
Click to expand...

Oh I see it's fine for you to call me disingenuous, hypocritical, elitist insult my faith by calling it the church of santa, the church of Satan, but you report if you receive any insult how very atheist of you

And its fake news:

Hillsong head: ‘Totally false news’
 
Darkforbid

Darkforbid

Well-Known Member
Howard Is said:
Fake news. You people may as well be droids.

The denial is coming from the pastor, who protected his father...a serial pedophile.

The Whitehouse is still sensitive about Jeffery Epstein. They don’t want another pedophile, or protector of pedophiles, seen with the President.
Click to expand...

But you're say the president of your country (sorry haven't kept up on the names since my family left office) is so thick he would attempt to get a in your words pedophile protector invited to the white house despite having a handful of advisors that would instantly spot the problem

Yep, sounds believable
 
Howard Is

Howard Is

Lucky Mud
Darkforbid said:
But you're say the president of your country (sorry haven't kept up on the names since my family left office) is so thick he would attempt to get a in your words pedophile protector invited to the white house despite having a handful of advisors that would instantly spot the problem

Yep, sounds believable
Click to expand...

And yet it’s true.

But with no knowledge of the story, beyond reading the denials of the pedophile’s protector, you know better than anyone.

You are just derailing this thread despite having no clue.

BTW, Australia doesn’t have a President.
Not only have you ‘not kept up with the names’, it seems you are politically uneducated.
 
Darkforbid

Darkforbid

Well-Known Member
Howard Is said:
Report ? I haven’t reported you for anything.
More BS
Click to expand...

I don't think it is, why would you suddenly start on about insults just after I've been reported for an insult directed at you

And criticism of someone believing an unverified news story is not an insult
 
Darkforbid

Darkforbid

Well-Known Member
Howard Is said:
And yet it’s true.

But with no knowledge of the story, beyond reading the denials of the pedophile’s protector, you know better than anyone.

You are just derailing this thread despite having no clue.

BTW, Australia doesn’t have a President.
Not only have you ‘not kept up with the names’, it seems you are politically uneducated.
Click to expand...

Yep, force of habit just like I call our PM President Boris

But like I said since Tony Abbott left I really haven't bothered with Oz
 
lewisnotmiller

lewisnotmiller

Grand Hat
Staff member
Premium Member
Darkforbid said:
Oh I see it's fine for you to call me disingenuous, hypocritical, elitist insult my faith by calling it the church of santa, the church of Satan, but you report if you receive any insult how very atheist of you

And its fake news:

Hillsong head: ‘Totally false news’
Click to expand...

Man, that's strike two. You're gonna have to work out if you're IN the thread, and so some actual thinking about the issue, or you're OUT of the thread. I don't mind either way, but you're linking to news that same Hillsong head (Brian Houston) has walked back.

'Was I invited?': Hillsong founder says he didn't know about PM's White House invite

So, rather than try to play 'Gotcha atheists'...which actually has nothing to do with this thread (I'll play elsewhere if you like) just stick to the issue at hand.
Or don't. I don't mind.
 
Howard Is

Howard Is

Lucky Mud
Darkforbid said:
I don't think it is, why would you suddenly start on about insults just after I've been reported for an insult directed at you

And criticism of someone believing an unverified news story is not an insult
Click to expand...

I did NOT report you for anything.

You are paranoid.

Please stop derailing this thread with your adversarial arrogance.
 
Darkforbid

Darkforbid

Well-Known Member
lewisnotmiller said:
Man, that's strike two. You're gonna have to work out if you're IN the thread, and so some actual thinking about the issue, or you're OUT of the thread. I don't mind either way, but you're linking to news that same Hillsong head (Brian Houston) has walked back.

'Was I invited?': Hillsong founder says he didn't know about PM's White House invite

So, rather than try to play 'Gotcha atheists'...which actually has nothing to do with this thread (I'll play elsewhere if you like) just stick to the issue at hand.
Or don't. I don't mind.
Click to expand...

'Hillsong Church's founder says he doesn't know whether the prime minister's office tried to get him invited to the United States for an official state visit.'

So you believe in guilty by press
 
lewisnotmiller

lewisnotmiller

Grand Hat
Staff member
Premium Member
Darkforbid said:
But you're say the president of your country (sorry haven't kept up on the names since my family left office) is so thick he would attempt to get a in your words pedophile protector invited to the white house despite having a handful of advisors that would instantly spot the problem

Yep, sounds believable
Click to expand...

It's exactly what happened. Your belief has very little to do with it.
Again, if you're interested in the issue, feel free to read something about it;

Frank Houston recording challenges Hillsong narrative about responses to child sex allegations
 
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