Take for instance the Israel Folau case. This presents an interesting paradox.

As Australian Rugby Union works hard to clean up its culture and present itself as an "inclusive" sport, it finds itself in the position of considering the "exclusion" of its best player, Israel Folau, because Folau has a belief that a lot of us, including homosexuals, are going to be excluded from heaven and included among those sentenced to a life in hell, unless they heed his words and repent.

This is hardly a new idea, and we've all been accepting or rejecting, including or excluding, various forms of religious extremism for centuries.

I guess the big issue is whether your employer has the right to sack you because your religious beliefs are somewhat out of sync with the corporate image the company seeks to project.

Actually, I suppose the bigger question is whether there is a hell in the first place, but we might leave that discussion for another day.

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At heart, I suppose it is an issue that centres on freedom of expression, a freedom that is taken as a sign of a healthy society, and one not trampled by the thought police of an overarching tyranny.

It's the sort of thing we claim to be fighting for when we march our young people off to war.

But freedom of expression has a Janus face. What sort of freedom is it that allows us to express views that offend, hurt and demean others?

Civil society governs our freedoms pretty closely.

That's why we have laws, and courts and police officers, and any number of people to keep us in line, to keep us civilised.

So I understand that where the message is one of hate, steps should be taken to enforce a silence.

Is Folau's message one of hate? I doubt it.

Is it one of ignorance? I think so. Should he lose his job because of it?

Some questions just don't have answers.

Simon Bourke is an ACM journalist

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