The parent had begun questioning the church’s beliefs 12 months before Israel Folau’s controversial social media post in April that said homosexuals, fornicators, drunks, atheists and others were bound for hell. The former rugby player is now seeking up to $10 million in damages from Rugby Australia, claiming he was unfairly dismissed over the post on religious grounds. A campaign overseen by the Australian Christian Lobby was paused when donations for Folau’s legal battle topped $2.2 million. The parent said she raised her concerns about the Folaus’ teachings with the ACL once they became involved. Israel Folau watches his wife Maria play in the Netball World Cup match between New Zealand and Australia in England on Thursday. Credit:PA via AP Eni Folau is understood to have forbidden his son to take down the offending post which cost him his career, believing that God has given his son this fortuitous platform to spread God’s word. The Folaus see the battle with Rugby Australia as similar to David and Goliath. "He’s going against the Goliath that is Rugby Australia, with all its resources, to show that a single man who has the one true living God on his side is able to do anything (Philippians 4:13)," Josiah Folau wrote to the parent.

The Folaus told her that if she had an accident on the way home from Bible study she would go to hell because she was not a "born again" Christian. Anyone who has been baptised in a different way to the Folaus is heading for perdition. Pastor Eni preaches that someone is "a born again believer" when they renounce the evils of their ways and are baptised in the name of Jesus Christ and "reborn" in water. "If you’ve done it a different way from this then you aren’t born again," Folau said on Twitter. What Izzy has said "To be born again you MUST repent of your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ... If you've done it in a different way from this then you aren't born again"

"We were all going to be microchipped and that according to Revelations, the microchip is the mark of the beast"

"Soldiers of Christ ... we have to arm ourselves ready, so that this [clutching his copy of the bible] is the only shield." His cousin went further. "Any devout Catholic person IS NOT A SAVED CHRISTIAN WHATSOEVER. Look at Catholic doctrine, almost 100% of it is false and is filled with lies," Josiah wrote to the concerned parent. "The blasphemous Catholic mass is a paganistic ritual rooted in heresy, evil and devil worship." Baptism, according to the Folaus, must take place in water in the name of Jesus Christ. Baptisms performed in Christian churches across Australia in the name of the Trinity – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit - are false and those ministers are false teachers, the parent was told.

One of those who won’t be saved is Prime Minister Scott Morrison, whose Pentecostal Horizon Church teaches the doctrine of the Trinity. When the parent asked the Folaus if Mr Morrison was a Christian, they laughed and said no, "He’s a Hillsong." "Only we have the truth," the Folaus said. Baptisms are conducted in the kidney-shaped pebble crete pool at the back of Eni Folau’s mansion on two hectares of land in Kenthurst, in Sydney’s semi-rural Hills District. Property records show that Isileli (Israel) Folau bought the five-bedroom, four-bathroom house for $2.1 million in 2015. Where do they preach? At the Kenthurst Uniting Church and from Eni Folau's mansion in Kenthurst. Israel bought the five-bedroom, four-bathroom house on two hectares for $2.1 million in 2015.

Those close to Israel Folau say his father wields enormous influence in his son’s life. He is a director of his son’s investment vehicles. Folau, 30, has a vast property empire including two houses in Queensland and a multimillion-dollar apartment in Little Bay where he lives with his wife, New Zealand netball star Maria. Folau is also building two four-bedroom homes on vacant land he bought in Austral. As well as filial obedience, Polynesian culture also espouses the sharing of wealth with your extended family. Loading Folau’s prodigious talent saw him debut for Melbourne Storm in 2007 at the age of 17. At that time the Folaus were members of the Mormon Church. Ten per cent of his earnings went to the church and the rest to his father, who controlled every aspect of his life – even which movies he watched. The obligation to undertake two years of missionary work did not eventuate and, in 2011, Israel followed his father to the Assemblies of God and jumped codes to AFL.

"I had a personal experience with the holy spirit touching my heart," Folau said of his new faith. "I've never felt that before while I was involved in the Mormon church - until I came to the AOG church and accepted Christ." When pastor Brian Houston left the Assemblies of God, the Folaus followed him to Hillsong. The relationship between the Folaus and Houston is now poisonous. Hillsong preacher Brian Houston fell out with Folau. Credit:SMH In June last year Israel Folau posted a series of provocative tweets. "You can’t deny the word of God @BrianCHouston … stop teaching false doctrines and leading millions of people astray. People that are following such heresy. YOU need to wake up!!!"

"There’s a name for pastors who never speak of sin, repentance or hell – they’re called false teachers," was another tweet. Houston replied: "@IzzyFolau has lost touch with the goodness and grace of Jesus and it’s tragic …Who is bewitching you Israel? I am still here on the same mobile number." Folau hit back: "There’s one thing that’s common with all you prosperity preachers, You don’t ever speak of repentance, Hell, Sin. You [sic] worried about losing crowds & $$." The Truth of Jesus Christ pays the Kenthurst Uniting Church $150 a week to use its church hall. Most weeks Pastor Eni preaches in Tongan with his nephew Josiah translating. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video

Josiah, who graduated from St Gregory’s Catholic College in Campbelltown in 2016, now believes that "anything born of the Catholic Church is evil". He told the concerned parent: "The Catholic Church is a synagogue of Satan and I one hundred per cent believe and affirm that Roman Catholicism is masked devil worship." The parent was also told of the falseness of the doctrine of the Trinity – a belief held by most mainstream Christians. When she pointed out that most Christians would not be "saved", Josiah Folau replied, "Look at what scripture says - doesn’t matter that there’s only a few of us actually believing in the truth … Only eight people were saved when the whole world was destroyed in Noah’s time." He also told her that the Trinity "isn’t taught anywhere in scripture and it’s the biggest deception which Satan uses today". The Folaus are firmly of the belief that Bible colleges and theological studies promulgate false teachings of the scriptures and that only the direct word of the Bible is to be believed.

While not a confident preacher, Israel Folau also takes to the pulpit to preach against homosexuality and other perceived sins. In June, he preached that, in the future, humans were going to be microchipped. According to Revelations, he said, the microchip is "the mark of the beast". Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video As "soldiers of Christ … we have to arm ourselves ready, so that this [clutching his copy of the Bible] is the only shield!" His cousin Josiah told the congregation that they should worry more "where our Bibles are than where our phones are" as the Bible is "the first defence against sin and Satan". The church also preaches that homosexuality is a sin "worthy of death" and it goes against the Bible to have women deaconesses or preachers. "If you believe in women preachers, Satan’s got you!" translated Josiah from his uncle’s sermon. Australian Christian Lobby managing director Martyn Iles said he was struck by Israel Folau's "deep humility and the sincerity of his relationship with God".