Prime Minister Scott Morrison ridiculed by ABC show Tonightly for his Christian faith
SCOTT Morrison has slammed ABC comedians as “numpties” for mocking his Christian faith, saying his religion teaches him to “turn the other cheek” when under fire. The new Prime Minister fired back over the ridicule during a visit to Endeavour Sports High School today.
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SCOTT Morrison has slammed ABC comedians as “numpties” for mocking his Christian faith, saying his religion teaches him to “turn the other cheek” when under fire.
Speaking to reporters in Caringbah this morning, the new Prime Minister said he didn’t watch the musical segment on Tom Ballard’s Tonightly, which was in its final season after being axed over poor ratings.
“The ABC can be numpties every now and then, but my faith teaches me to love each other and to turn the other cheek,” he said.
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“I’m the Prime Minister and I work for all Australians everyday — I’m on their side. I’m about bringing Australians together, not about creating differences and pushing them apart.”
Two comedians took aim at Mr Morrison’s Pentecostal Christianity on Monday’s show, singing “you’ve got to love thy neighbour unless they vote Labor or are foreign or gay” and “we love Jesus but not refugees … if Jesus was a refugee we would say f*** off we’re full”.
The last episode of the series will air next week.
Mr Morrison’s outing in the Shire comes after it was revealed Malcolm Turnbull will fly to New York this weekend for six weeks with his wife Lucy.
Senior Liberals are annoyed the former Prime Minister is not staying behind to help in the Wentworth by-election, but Mr Morrison deflected questions when asked about the trip.
“I wish Malcolm all the best, Malcolm has served his country throughout his entire life, whether it’s been in the business community, whether it’s in public life,” he said.
“I think very few people understand the extent, or are aware of the generosity that Malcolm and his family have shown in his community and across Australia. And that generosity has extended to his time in public service as a member of parliament, as a minister and as a very great prime minister. I was proud to serve in his government, as I was to serve in Tony Abbott’s government. And now it is a privilege that my colleagues stand and serve with me.”
Earlier, Mr Morrison took a break from politics and was put through the paces with students at Caringbah’s Endeavour Sports High.
He practised playing footy and then served up bacon and eggs to the boys.
“If I do that every morning I’ll be right,” he joked.
And the students had fun too. Before Mr Morrison’s press conference one student approached the microphones and played out his future dream in front of the cameras.
“Next time I’m here it’s going to be for the NRL rookie contract,” he joked.
“I’ll be shaking Wayne Bennett’s hand.”
ABC SLAMMED FOR RIDICULING SCOMO’S FAITH
ABC comedians have led the Left’s insidious charge on Australia’s first Pentecostal Prime Minister Scott Morrison in a cowardly bid to link the nation’s refugee policy to his personal Christian faith.
Less than a week into the top job, the new Liberal PM was weathering all-out mockery for his religion on the ABC’s doomed comedy show Tonightly along with Twitter barbs from Gruen transfer panellist and Labor campaign ad consultant Dee Madigan.
Viewers also took to social media to vent their distaste.
Would you leave the Prime Ministers' Faith alone please..? Do we still live in a Country that believes in Freedom..?
— Rob (@mollythepuddyc1) August 29, 2018
The attacks on Mr Morrison’s faith comes after his vow last December to fight back against discrimination and mockery of Christians — as well as other religious groups.
“If Scott Morrison was a Muslim or a Buddhist they wouldn’t be saying or doing this,” former moderator of the Presbyterian Church of NSW, The Right Reverend Mark Powell, said.
But on Monday night’s episode of the Tom Ballard-hosted ABC show comedians Bridie Connell and Wyatt Nixon-Lloyd aimed at Mr Morrison’s successful stint as Immigration Minister, singing: “We love Jesus but not refugees.
“If Jesus was a refugee we would say f … off we’re full.”
And they sang: “You’ve got to love thy neighbour unless they vote Labor or are foreign or gay.”
Bruce Baird, who held the Shire-based seat of Cook before Mr Morrison, said: “I think it is not fair game to attack somebody for their religion or to send them up for it.
“Scott is a strongly committed Christian but he doesn’t impose that on anybody else and I am sure it is one of the reasons he went into politics, to make a difference.”
In his maiden speech Mr Morrison argued: “My personal faith in Jesus Christ is not a political agenda.”
But his critics have been quick to use it to attack him since he took office last week.
Ms Madigan tweeted: “I guess a church where they speak in tongues is good practise (sic) for politics.”
I guess a church where they speak in tongues is good practise for politics. https://t.co/rJCNDoBc2p
— Dee Madigan (@deemadigan) August 25, 2018
But yesterday she said she was not targeting Mr Morrison’s faith: “I was having a go at politicians. I don’t care what religion a person is.”
Mike Carlton, who resigned as a Fairfax journalist after anti-Semitic Twitter responses to readers, fired off a tweet attacking Mr Morrison’s refusal to go to Nauru, saying it was because he would be “confronted by the atrocities” he has inflicted on refugees.
Before adding: “But it’s OK, ‘cos he’s a Christian.”
World Vision advocate Tim Costello said such attacks were “not appropriate”.
Mr Costello said he did not agree with Mr Morrison on refugees but that did not mean it was OK to attack his religious beliefs.
“To be mocked for something that is highly personal isn’t fair game,” he said.
Peter Kurti from the Centre for independent Studies called the ABC comedians hypocrites. “The show would probably not mock the religious beliefs of Ed Husic, Islam, or Josh Frydenberg, Judaism,” he said.
Mr Husic, a Muslim Labor MP, emotionally hugged Jewish then-Energy minister Josh Frydenberg after both condemned Senator Fraser Anning’s controversial maiden speech two weeks ago.
Fellow Muslim, NSW opposition education spokesman, Jihad Dib said: “By all means make some commentary that would potentially change that policy but I think once it gets into a personal issue about someone’s faith … then I think we’re going down the wrong path.”
Penshurst Presbyterian Church pastor Chris Ashton said: “It seems white Christian males, particularly from the conservative side of politics are the only safe targets left.”
When asked a number of questions, including if Mr Morrison’s treatment would have been different if he was a Muslim, an ABC spokesman defended Tonightly, saying it regularly satirised “people in positions of authority, regardless of their race, gender or religious beliefs”.
“The Shadow Ministers musical skit did not attack Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s religion or religious beliefs.
“Most viewers would understand the skit to be a satirical way of examining the relationship between such beliefs and government policies on asylum seekers.
“Mr Morrison has publicly discussed his religious beliefs on numerous occasions and many media outlets have explored how his faith sits alongside his public policies and statements, including News Corporation,” he said.
Originally published as Prime Minister Scott Morrison ridiculed by ABC show Tonightly for his Christian faith
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