Churches offer sanctuary to asylum seekers

[bluecat*dancing]

Good on them.

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/churches-become-potential-flashpoint-after-off...

Churches have taken the extraordinary step of offering sanctuary to asylum seekers facing deportation in the wake of a High Court verdict, raising the prospect of police raids on places of worship and possible charges for clergy.

Ten Anglican churches and cathedrals have invoked the ancient Christian tradition to offer protection to the 267 people - including 37 babies - facing imminent transfer to Nauru after the court on Wednesday upheld the legality of the government's offshore processing regime.

"This is a hugely significant action for any Australian church to take. Historically churches have afforded sanctuary to those seeking refuge from brutal and oppressive forces," Dr Catt said on Thursday.

"We offer this refuge because there is irrefutable evidence from health and legal experts that the circumstances asylum seekers, especially children, would face if sent back to Nauru are tantamount to state-sanctioned abuse.

"This fundamentally goes against our faith, so our church community is compelled to act, despite the possibility of individual penalty against us."

Dr Catt called it a "fledgling movement".

"What we expect to happen in the course of the day and the next few days is that many churches from many denominations will sign up," he said.

The sanctuary offer came as the United Nations urged Australia to put the interests of children first.

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child believes Australia has an inadequate understanding of the rights of asylum seeker children.

"This decision by the High Court greatly concerns us as these children and their families face a great risk in being sent to a place that cannot be considered safe nor adequate," said committee chair Benyam Mezmur.

[debra9275]

wow that  is an interesting story Donna

[donnashuggy]

Yes, Muslims are very Christian in their ways

[bluecat*dancing]

https://svha.org.au/home/newsroom/announcements/st-vincents-and-calvary-offer-medical-support-to-asy...

Two of Australia’s largest Catholic healthcare organisations have offered to provide medical support to any of the 267 asylum seekers applying for church sanctuary to avoid their forced removal to Nauru and are encouraging other hospital groups to do the same.

St Vincent’s Health Australia – which has hospitals in NSW, Queensland and Victoria – and Calvary Health Care – which has hospitals in NSW, Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria and the ACT – said their decision to offer medical support to those seeking church sanctuary reflected their ‘sacred duty’ as healing organisations.

[***super_nova***]

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@icyfroth wrote:

It'll be interesting to see if the muslims will want to take refuge in a Chrisian church or whether that will go too much against the grain.

Or will it be "any port in a storm" kind of thing?

Opportunism has always been a handy trait.

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So i guess if you would be in danger you would refuse sanctuary in a mosque?  And you do not even know what religion, if any, these people belong to  

[***super_nova***]

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@donnashuggy wrote:

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@***super_nova*** wrote:

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@donnashuggy wrote:

Unless you can honestly say with your heart and soul that you want thousands of troubled displaced people living in your street then you are most likely kidding yourself ethically.

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Nobody is getting " thousands of troubled displaced people living in their street ".  EU has population 507billion people, even if they took the whole 9 million of Syrians, it would be maybe one per suburb.  And once they are given opportunity to lead normal life, they would not be desperate.  They would be grateful and working/studying hard to make up for all the lost time, as most refugees do.  And here in Australia, if the people in out camps were processed and those deemed eligible for refugee status brought on mainland we would not even notice.

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So would you agree that having thousands of troubled displaced people living in your street would be a problem?

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As that is not happening, what is the relevance?  Having 1000 Buddhist monks or catholic nuns in our street would also be problem, considering that our street has only about 57 house.  But i am sure we have 1000 of Sudanese refugees living somewhere near, and we also have quite a number of people from Syria and Iraq who quite obviously are not very long here.  Several doctors in our local clinic are from Syria (judging by their names) and i have seen as a patient 3 of them over the past couple of years and they were very good, and warm and caring.

[bluecat*dancing]

A letter from Vic Premier to turnbull

[***super_nova***]

And he forgot to mention the millions saved by not flying them back and the cost of their incarceration.  With all these commissions into child abuse, and stolen generation, I cannot believe we are still abusing children as well as adults!  One day the people held in our camps will be suing us for cruel and unusual punishment.  Surely, the fact that boats are turned back is enough to discourage people from trying to come by boat.  We do not need these hostages, the only ones to benefit are the companies running these camps.

[myoclon1cjerk]

Don't forget the shareholders.

[gewens]

Hello, all. I'd like to remind you to talk courteously for the harmony of this forum. Thanks very much. 🙂