Thoughtful article challenges Prime Minister Rudd and Opposition Leader Abbott with Gospel and culture engagement over the hot button issue of boat people/ asylum seekers/ refugees.
I find it disappointingly inconsistent that both of our political leaders, Rudd and Tony Abbott, wear their religion on their sleeves, yet neither of them practises the compassion that Christianity extols when it comes to boatpeople.
This is especially the case for Abbott, as the opposition is talking far tougher on how it intends to stop boat arrivals if elected. While Rudd talks tough, at least some of his actions on refugee policy have been compassionate.
Abbott has described the teaching of the Jesuits during his schooling as the greatest influence on his life. The Jesuits are part of the Catholic religious order founded by St Ignatius hundreds of years ago. The Australian Jesuits’ website highlights that Jesuit spirituality “offers us a way to deepen our desire and commitment to help others, especially those in more urgent need and [with] less hope of help”.
What class of people would be a more obvious contender for that category than boatpeople?
Full article here Who’s afraid of 4500 boatpeople? The article’s challenge is sharpened with the Prime Minister’s announcement today of increased restrictions – Asylum-seeker clampdown an ‘election fix’, says Abbott.
See also my When it comes to boat people: whatever happened to ‘concern for the underdog?
