This letter comes after some Jehovahs Witnesses knocked on the door of my friend this week (feel free to write to them as well at Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia PO Box 280 INGLEBURN NSW 1890): Dear Church Leaders I am writing in the hope of getting some clarification from you in regards to the stance that your church takes in regards to asylum seekers and refugees in our country. This question arises after I received a message from a very dear friend of mine who had two of your church members knock on his door earlier this week. My friend has come to Australia in search of safety and security, after fleeing persecution and violence in his own country. He has risked his life in getting here. He has faced hardship along the way. He has shown dignity and courage throughout his journey. In conversation with my friend, your church members discovered that he and his family were asylum seekers. Rather than offer them a Christian hand of friendship, they told my friend that he and his family were “illegal people” and asked them why they came to this country. These people were not invited to knock on the door of my friend’s home. And although they asked, these people did not in fact want to hear why my friend has come to this country. These people clearly are not familiar with the UN Refugee Convention, to which Australia is a signatory, which declares a person may seek refuge, by any means, in a country of safety. I am disappointed by the way these members of your church treated my friend. I am disturbed by their ignorance and lack of respect. I am also surprised that, with these attitudes, they would choose to go door-knocking in the area of Melbourne which houses the highest number of people living on a Bridging Visa in the state of Victoria. I hope that this letter causes you to think about the possibility of educating the members of your church who are sent out into community to knock on doors, or if necessary to review the stance of the church in such matters. If your beliefs are based on the word of the Bible, then perhaps there is some room for church members being directed toward those passages which refer to love and compassion for all. Yours sincerely
Posted on: Sat, 15 Nov 2014 12:38:43 +0000
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015