Tony Abbott Thinks We Acknowledge Country Too Much But Calls The Lord’s Prayer ‘Essential’

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott wants more Jesus in public life, criticising the lack of prayer as well as the emphasis placed on Acknowledgements of Country at official public ceremonies.

Speaking on Tuesday at the Sydney launch of a new book by conservative commentator Dr Kevin Donnelly titled How Political Correctness is Destroying Education and Your Child’s Future (because of course he was), Abbott described attending the official opening of Sydney’s Northern Beaches Hospital.

“Every single speaker – and there was about six of them acknowledged country,” said Abbott. “Fair enough. But there was not a single prayer.”

“I am sure there will be a lot of patients saying prayers in that hospital but there wasn’t a single official one – even though our society is absolutely unimaginable without the influence of Christianity.”

The one-time trainee priest and current special envoy for Indigenous affairs (how’s that working out?) said that “there are many circumstances where it is entirely right and proper to acknowledge country. But what I was observing was a singular illustration of the official mindset which takes for granted that there will be an Acknowledgement of Country not once but many times”.

“I think it’s fair enough that we begin the parliamentary day with an Acknowledgement of Country but thank God, thus far at least, we haven’t dumped the Lord’s Prayer,” he added.

“This is essential to our culture, we should never forget that.”

Tony Abbott: God Warrior also said he wanted to see more gospel stories taught in schools.

“If you can’t read, write, count and think, our schools are not doing their jobs,” he said. “But it’s not enough.”

“There needs to be an essential cultural literacy that everyone coming through Australian culture should have — and that needs to be a familiarity with gospel stories.”

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h/t NITV, news.com.au