ABC slammed for ridiculing Scott Morrison’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.

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."

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.