Andrew Bolt: Catholic Bishops rush to support Labor’s The Voice to parliament

Of all the reckless campaigns for the Voice, the hippy-sounding Listen, Learn, Love statement of the Australian Catholic Bishops is among the worst.

Have our Catholic bishops forgotten their Bibles? And why are they sacrificing children in their blind rush to back Labor’s racist Voice to parliament?

Of all the reckless campaigns for the Voice, the hippy-sounding Listen, Learn, Love statement of the Australian Catholic Bishops last week is among the worst.

It contains this shocking line: “The injustice of the policy of removing children from their families continues today and is one of many injustices that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people want to be addressed.”

Is that a threat? That the Voice will ensure we never again remove Aboriginal children from parents who are beating them, starving them, neglecting them?

Are these bishops seriously claiming that, yes, saving such children is an “injustice” that the Voice will address?

In that case, dear God, vote no.

But even more remarkable is that the leaders of our biggest Christian church preach in favour of dividing us by race in our constitution – preach that Australians with some Aboriginal ancestors are so different that they must have an advisory parliament of their own.

This is unchristian. This racism goes directly against the teachings in the bishops’ Bibles.

Example one: when Christ was asked to name the greatest commandment, he replied that people should love God with all their heart, then added: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”

Not love them as racially different, but as yourself.

Example two: Luke’s Gospel has Christ preaching about the good Samaritan – someone from a despised tribe who helped a man who had been bashed by thieves, not caring if he was a Jew. Not even asking.

Example three: St Paul telling Christians they are all one, not to be divided by status … or race: “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. “

I am no Christian, but deeply respect the faith that has inspired what we all enjoy – a society which until now has insisted our institutions judge us by our character and conduct, not race or ancestry.

In Africa, Christian aid workers told me they wished their own tribal countries had more of that spirit. Too often, they told me, one tribe got on top and tyrannised the rest.

Yet here in Australia, Catholic bishops now encourage the tribalism those Christians called a curse. Please, gentlemen, would Christ say yes to this division?