Let’s get one thing straight. Andrew Thorburn did not lose his job because of his religious views.
He lost his job because there was an intolerable conflict between the values of two organisations for which he momentarily held leadership positions.
Thorburn is the chairman of a church that condemns abortion as “murder” and states acting on same-sex attraction is a sin.
He was also, for a day, the chief executive officer of a football club in a league that openly values diversity, inclusion and provides a platform to promote equality.
Had Thorburn been an everyday, ordinary member of the City on the Hill Church, he would still be the chief executive of Essendon today for as he rightly pointed out, many people within any church have varying and often conflicting views to what is preached during Sunday sermons.
But he’s not just an ordinary member. He’s the chair.
As the chair, part of his role is to help fulfil the church’s mission, live their values, and advance their cause in society. And that’s where the issue starts and ends.
Essendon’s Code of Conduct highlights inclusivity as one of its key values and commitments.
How can Thorburn advance the interests and uphold the values of his church and then take up a leadership position with a sporting organisation that has conflicting values?
How can he promote one set of values in one role and then promote totally different and conflicting values in another?
This conflict would be impossible to reconcile. How could he fully endorse notions of equality, inclusion and celebrate Pride Round when he’s the chair of an organisation that believes homosexuality is a sin and those who act on same-sex attraction will go to hell?
More so, how could gay players or fans fully embrace him?
Issues relating to abortion, homosexuality and gender equality are not religious issues – they are social issues – and sporting organisations across Australia are dealing with social issues every day.
In fact, given they are perceived as resource rich, popular, powerful organisations who claim their fair share of public funds ahead of other important community organisations, most Australians now expect them to positively contribute to society and lead on important social issues.
AFL clubs, for example, are abandoning sponsorship and business deals with betting agencies and poker machines venues because they don’t believe they align with their values.
Baseball Australia no longer accepts alcohol advertising in its junior competitions and at the national representative level of the game.
And, yesterday a Sydney United 58 fan caught performing a Nazi salute by broadcast cameras at Saturday night’s Australia Cup final has received a lifetime ban from attending matches, effective immediately.
These decisions were based on values, and specifically, sporting organisations living their values by disassociating themselves from other organisations, products and beliefs that do not align with their mission and vision.
The Essendon Football Club did not feel comfortable being so closely aligned with the City on the Hill Church.
The link, of course, was its CEO, so for Thorburn something had to give.
To break the uncomfortable alignment between club and church he had to relinquish one of his roles. He chose the church, but by resigning from Essendon, the association had been broken.
After resigning from his day-long position at Essendon, Thorburn bemoaned that “my personal Christian faith is not tolerated or permitted in the public square, at least by some and perhaps by many.” Others claim Essendon caved in to the ‘woke brigade’.
Nonsense.
The simple fact of the matter is Thorburn can believe what he wants. In our society he is free to join whatever church he wants and advance whatever their mission and beliefs are.
But equally, Essendon is free to evaluate its values against the values of other organisations and then associate or disassociate themselves with whoever it wants.
That ain’t woke. It’s common sense.
Dr Sam Duncan is course leader of the Sports Media and Sports Business degrees at Holmesglen Institute, as well as an Adjunct Research Fellow for the Sport Innovation Research Group at Swinburne University of Technology
